As a financial advisor, building and maintaining client relationships are key ingredients to success. If you have been in the industry for over ten years, chances are you built your business with little to no marketing or public relations support. Those were the good old days!
While that growth strategy worked well in the past, the pandemic brought new buying habits; specifically, people are now conducting extensive internet research about who they choose to do business with. And, potential clients more often than not want to meet in a virtual setting versus in person.
That means the way you used to acquire new clients may not be as effective today.
In our opinion, to stand out among your competition, you need to broaden your marketing strategies and make sure they include PR.
At a glance, PR seems like a ‘nice have’ or ‘add-on’ while it should be a key pillar of your marketing strategy that can drive traffic to your website, build credibility, reinforce the buying decision and increase awareness.
In addition to traditional public relations, like media placements, we are sharing two ways you can use aspects of PR for new client acquisition purposes:
Use Social Media to Humanize Your Brand and Engage Clients
Social media has become one of the most powerful marketing platforms due to its ability to reach many people simultaneously. As a financial advisor, you can leverage this power to your advantage.
To stay relevant and enhance your PR efforts, create a story for your brand – and remind your audience that your firm has amazing people behind it (aka humanize your brand). A great example would be to create a series featuring ‘a day in the life’ around your office. This gives the audience an inside perspective into how you operate.
As always, do not forget to keep track of the metrics and gather data to give you insight into your client’s preferences. If one specific social media post generates results, add more of those! Use data analysis tools to interpret the data, develop new strategies, or adjust the existing ones accordingly.
Focus on Media Relations
Imagine being featured in an article or being a guest during a radio interview?
Media exposure will increase brand awareness and authenticate your position in the market. Make use of those earned media opportunities by repurposing each piece of media in your monthly newsletter, on your social media platforms, and your website.
We also recommend utilizing the media generated in targeted email campaigns to prospects.
Remember – nowadays, the first stop when searching for any product or service is conducting a quick search online. This is no different for potential clients looking for reputable financial advisors. They’ll check any media coverage, social media platforms, and customer reviews that relate to you and your brand.
Add public relations to your marketing plan to ensure your name is included in those search results!
If you have questions about how to implement these strategies, please contact us or schedule a call today.
