Technology has changed the way people get financial advice. And the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated clients’ and prospects’ expectations for accessing financial information and communicating with their financial advisor online. That’s why many financial advisors need to change the way they deliver financial advice—and how they grow their business.

1. Build or Update a Website: When you receive a referral or uncover a new prospect for your business, chances are they will go online to look you up before they meet with you. What does your website – or lack of one – say to a prospective client? All financial advisors should have a professional-looking website for their practice where clients and prospects can go to learn more about them and their approach to helping clients meet their financial goals. Typically, content on the site would consist of:
   • Information about you and your background plus information on any partner(s) if part of a team
   • Areas of specialty (for example, a focus on healthcare professionals)
   • Your approach to working with clients and building a goals-based financial plan
   • Services you provide and how you charge for them
   • Engaging photos, including a professional photo of you

   Some sites also feature a blog where advisors share insights on planning and commentary on market and other events that impact clients’ portfolios; you may also consider offering a free eBook or other value-added content where the prospect can download the piece after providing some basic information so you can capture their information and follow up.

   Many wealth management firms partner with vendors who specialize in building financial advisor websites, so make sure you check with your firm’s business development team for some recommendations. These same companies often offer pre-approved content that you can use to help populate a blog or feature on an insights section on your site.

2. Social Media Marketing: Attracting new clients to your business or converting prospects in your pipeline can be achieved with social media marketing. Many financial advisors post information on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to showcase their expertise and the value they provide to clients and prospects, as well as network with other professionals who may be a source of referrals. It can also be a great way to connect with the children or grandchildren of your older clients who will eventually inherit your clients’ assets.The content you post should be educational or relevant to current events, not sales-oriented. You should build a content calendar and plan to post regularly – at least two to three times a week – to build an online presence. Thinking about your clients’ most common questions and building your content around the answers is one way to approach the type of content you want to feature. Along with articles, some advisors also share infographics and short videos on relevant topics. Many advisors will write a short post and link back to content or their website’s blog. As discussed above, your broker-dealer often has resources to help you access pre-approved content and templates for social media to make this process easier and, in some cases, automated.
3. Email Marketing: Establishing regular touchpoints with your clients and prospects – most experts recommend at least 40 times annually – is critical to growing your business. Some of these touchpoints may be face-to-face meetings to develop plans or review investment performance. But, the vast majority of these interactions can be automated through an email marketing campaign.A campaign may include items like a monthly newsletter, cards or notes for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions, and regular outreach with content on the economy and market events, as well as advice and insights on goals-based planning.

   Again, you may want to talk to your broker-dealer firm about resources available to set up an email marketing campaign, including pre-approved content and the ability to set up the campaign for a period of time – even a year – where content is automatically sent out at a certain time monthly or even weekly. Most systems also allow you to segment client lists so you can target applicable content to different groups within our practice.

4. LinkedIn Presence: While you may uncover some new client relationships through your social media marketing on LinkedIn, it will likely be a more helpful resource for broadening your professional network. You will have an opportunity to connect with other professionals, like accountants or lawyers, who may be a good source of referrals for growing your business. Regular posting to demonstrate your expertise is important, along with a professional photo. On LinkedIn, you may reach out directly to individuals to establish relationships. Keep in mind that the best referral relationships are reciprocal. You need to give to receive.

Developing a digital presence to showcase your practice and brand is more critical than ever before. Take the steps needed to build or enhance your digital presence using these tools to ensure you have the ability to grow your business and meet your clients where they are.

The paper/commentary was prepared by Momentum Independent Network (MIN). It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or investment advice. The statements within constitute the views of MIN as of the date of the document and may differ from the views of other divisions/departments of affiliate Hilltop Securities Inc. In addition, the views are subject to change without notice.

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