The future of financial advisor marketing continues to change and evolve over time. Digital marketing for financial advisors was gaining popularity before the pandemic and is gaining even more participants now. There’s no question that the pandemic has wreaked havoc on the economy and markets, and financial advisors are going to work harder than ever to maintain and grow their client bases and AUM.
But where some advisors would find this a major challenge, those with the ambition and ability to adapt can find that the future of financial advisor marketing can make their lives easier in many ways if they embrace the changes sooner rather than later.
Read on for our take on the future of financial advisor marketing and how to not get left behind.
Please note, our use of “financial advisor” is in relation to a firm and not a professional. Plus, we are describing financial advisors who own their brands and websites.
While no one has a crystal ball that can predict the future accurately, there is no denying that the future of financial marketing is going to involve new types of technology. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that strategies we thought couldn’t be done digitally or virtually can actually be handled without ever meeting face-to-face with prospects and clients. If you were asked a year ago how many phone or video meetings you held with clients, chances are it’s much less than you have had in the last 6 months alone - everyone is becoming a Zoom expert.
If you’ve been able to embrace that technology in little to no time at all, you can certainly deploy the technology that is coming in the near future. Those financial advisors who don’t embrace these new means of communication to get business done will likely be left behind in favor of those who have adapted and continued to meet their clients’ needs with little or no interruption.
Some examples of the future for technology in financial advisor marketing include types of service.
Social Media: while nothing new, social media is rapidly evolving and becoming an integral tool for any digital marketer. The future is likely going to involve more specific audience targeting for both organic and paid content and more paid advertising opportunities overall.
What does this mean for financial advisor marketing? It means that financial advisors will have to maintain their social media presence to keep up with competitors and consider investing in paid social content to reach an expanded audience.
Transparency: As consumers are presented with more access to information via news sites, blogs, social media, podcasts, etc. they are becoming savvier about when they are being misled or flat out given incorrect information in order to sway their opinion one way or the other.
If you can present yourself as a trusted source of information at a time when that can seem hard to find, you’re putting yourself in a position of high regard with your audience. The truth is, you can’t pay for that kind of sentiment, no matter how much money you spend on digital advertising!
Content: Your audience will never tire of authentic, timely, and relevant content from a financial professional, and that has never been truer than during times of economic uncertainty. While you can’t offer your entire audience financial advice, you can use content marketing to present information on the state of the markets in the form of a commentary video or blog.
Also, distributing white papers and eBooks on a range of topics can go a long way toward gaining favor within a wider digital audience. If there are certain topics that come up frequently in client meetings, or perhaps more complicated products or services that require an in-depth explanation, consider creating an eBook with the basics to help educate and provide a public service to your audience.
Keep in mind that while your audience wants content, they know the difference between being educated and being given a sales pitch. Start with education first and create opportunities for one-on-one communication with those who are interested.
Your content should be easily accessible on any device. That means that all of your digital content should be easily viewed/accessed anywhere, anytime. While social media platforms have their own apps and are designed for mobile, your website may not be.
First, check when your website was built. Even if it’s had some updates and tweaks over the years, if it wasn’t built in the last 1-2 years, it may need an overhaul. People are always on the move and rarely does anyone have time to sit at their desk, on their computer, and scroll social feeds and read content.
Consider mobile also when creating the content itself. Using videos? Add captions for those who will be watching without sound. Have gated content? Keep the response fields brief so it’s easier to fill out on a mobile device.
Remember, if any of your content isn’t mobile-friendly, it likely won’t be utilized or possibly even seen by your target audience.
Marketing used to mean putting an advertisement in a newspaper or on television and waiting to see if anything came of it. With the digital platforms of today, advertising metrics are available almost instantaneously. With such results available now, imagine what the future of digital analytics might look like!
Financial marketers can take advantage of the analytics for their current digital marketing to make changes to a campaign that may not be achieving the desired goals. Conversely, by using analytics you can continue or expand a campaign that is performing well. Not only does this enhance your campaign results, but it also reduces the amount of money spent on underperforming campaigns.
The future of financial advisor marketing will likely forge many partnerships between financial advisors and digital marketing agencies. This is because as more financial advisors see digital marketing as no longer “nice to have” but an essential part of their overall marketing strategy, they are considering it an investment in their business and future.
This strategy enables some financial advisors to seek the services of digital marketing professionals who can leverage the digital tools of today while keeping their pulse on the digital marketing tools of tomorrow. Forming such a partnership not only allows financial advisors access to cutting-edge marketing resources but also allows those advisors to continue providing a higher level of attention to their clients and prospective clients.