Let’s face it, everyone with 24/7 access to the Internet is inundated with content, free offers, and other types of online solicitations.
Many of these same people are very deliberate about what they read because they have very little available time. And, they are cautious about what they respond to because they do not want to receive even more solicitations.
Guess who is at the top of the self-preservationist list! You would be right if you guessed people with money to invest. They have been solicited for decades by financial advisors who have used outbound and inbound marketing techniques to reach them.
Investors are not buying books on the Internet. They seek high-quality financial information that will help them make the right decisions. And the sources of their information can be financial professionals they don’t know, who can potentially impact their standards of living during retirement.
So this is the backdrop for financial advisors who want to use the Internet to reach investors. Advisors already have their contact information because they are on the advisors’ email marketing lists. What the advisors want to do is schedule online or face-to-face interviews to take the next step in their sales funnels.
Use this complete guide to content marketing for financial advisors.
It is a major challenge that should not be taken lightly. Advisors may need help developing and implementing a strategy that produces the types of results they are seeking.
How has the Internet given investors more control over what they read and who they respond to?
There is no question the Internet is a game-changer for many industries. But you already know that; it has given investors access to vast amounts of information. The operative word might be vast. This is how they are inundated with information and offers.
Why is this important? Digital marketing for financial advisors is the barrier that must be overcome if they want their efforts to succeed.
Why doesn’t generic content work for financial advisors?
One of the most frequently used tools for financial
advisors is a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter that contains broad content about a financial topic.
Many financial advisors mistakenly believe the broad nature of the content is a positive because it appeals to a wider range of investors. But, the reality is just the opposite. The broad nature of the content may have nothing to do with particular investors. When they figure this out they delete the content without reading it and they may unsubscribe from future newsletters.
Why do financial advisors need custom content?
It stands to reason that baby boomers who are about to retire want to learn more about pre-retirement topics that impact them. They are also seeking information about transitioning from working to retirement years. The best topics may be financial pain points that have the potential to undermine their retirement plans.
What happens if the content that is sent to the pre-retirees targets the financial interests of millennials? The pre-retirees are going to ignore that content and they may unsubscribe if they believe the source of the content does not understand their financial concerns.
Therefore, it is critical to be able to segment financial advisor audiences and send them content that has some relevance to their current situations.
Sure, this is more work, but it is infinitely more productive and there are technologies out there that can facilitate the process.
How can exclusivity improve digital marketing results?
Custom content that is sent to a segmented audience is important. Producing content that has some exclusivity is the frosting on that particular cake.
For example, the masthead of the newsletter states the content is for the exclusive use of your clients and their families and friends. When this strategy is used the content has to be strong enough that investors believe there is something in the communication that directly benefits them. Custom, exclusive communications are two powerful trends that impact what investors read and respond to.
Another form of exclusivity can be free offers that are only made to clients, friends, associates, and investors on financial advisors’ email marketing lists. The exclusive, free offer could be an eBook, webinar, seminar, or video that is by invitation only. Sharing exclusive tips that benefit investors is another tactic that could produce impressive results.
How can financial advisors get started using custom communications to reach their ideal types of investors?
Step 1. Define your target audience.
This may be counterintuitive to some financial advisors who want to reach any investors who meet their minimum asset requirements. But, as you might imagine, this is not a custom solution that resonates with specific types of investors. In fact, it is a formula for wasting a lot of time and money.
It is much more effective if financial advisors segment investors into categories that the target audiences relate to. For example, the investors are business owners who plan to sell and retire in the next one or two years. This target audience will have more specific needs than the generic investor who just has money available for investment.
Step 2. Tailor financial advisor content to appeal to particular categories of investors.
Using the about to retire business owner as example, what financial issues are going to impact these owners as they prepare their companies for sale? There are a number of financial issues such as appraisals, taxes, business brokers, legal documents, and other issues that the owners must be aware of and are prepared to make the right decisions.
Step 3: Keep the content in financial advisor communications fresh and relevant – the fresher and more relevant the better.
Perhaps there is a new provision in the tax code that the business may or may not have seen. One very effective tactic is making complex financial topics simpler and easier to understand. Investors tend to become dependent on financial advisors who help them understand complex topics.
Step 4: Use hi-tech systems to monitor financial advisor results.
What worked and what didn’t? Why didn’t it work? Some financial advisors use surveys to gather this information from the names on their distribution lists. This feedback helps financial advisors tweak their digital marketing communication strategies to produce better results.
Conclusion
The more money they have, the more cautious investors are of their information. This is driven by their fear of making a serious mistake that will undermine their future financial security and standard of living.
It takes custom communications to overcome their fears and concerns. Why custom? Relevant, timely communications are more likely to be read and responded to than something generic that has nothing to do with their situations.
Don’t forget to add the frosting on your cake. It is the free offer that many investors have trouble ignoring.
