Claire Akin's Blog, page 18

Indigo Marketing Agency Featured in Bob Veres’s Inside Information

We’re happy to announce that Indigo Marketing Agency was featured in Bob Veres’s August 2022 issue of Inside Information, a go-to resource for financial planning, financial advisor, and investment advisor professionals. In every issue, Veres delivers cutting-edge discussions with the industry’s thought leaders and change-makers—and we’re honored to be included!

In a deep dive with Indigo founder Claire Akin, Veres discusses how we use our Testimonial Program to collect and post client testimonials for financial advisors in a regulatory, compliant way. 

Why Are Testimonials Important for Financial Advisors?

Testimonials provide credibility and social proof. If you look up a restaurant or a car wash online, you want to see five-star reviews before you take the time to drive there. The same is true for financial advice. People want to see five-star reviews before they schedule a call or hand over their life savings. Testimonials give you that credibility factor.

Veres notes, “When clients tell prospects about your services, particularly if the reviews are favorable, that can be the most powerful marketing message you’ve ever had at your disposal—way more powerful than a blog or flashy website.” Indeed, through testimonials, interested prospects get the story of the type of client the advisor helps and can self-identify: “That is what I need. That sounds like somebody who could help me.” And that is Indigo’s end goal: to get financial advisors more referrals of their ideal clients.

Indigo’s Testimonial Program 

More than 90% of consumers will check out online reviews before they buy a product—and the absence of advisor reviews has been, in the past, a glaring oddity in the business landscape. So now that the new testimonial rule has officially gone into effect, the way financial advisors can market their services has been completely revolutionized. 

So how do you effectively use the new testimonial rule in your marketing without running into compliance issues? That’s where we come in. 

Our Testimonial Program helps our advisor clients get glowing client reviews online AND remain compliant. It’s especially powerful for advisors looking to strengthen their reputation and trustworthiness online.

Our Testimonial Program transforms your testimonials from good to great by coaching your clients to talk about what prospects really want to know: 

Why did they choose you over another advisor? What’s the most important benefit they’ve gotten from working with you?What’s the most important thing you’ve helped them achieve?

These are the questions that lead to really fantastic, well-written testimonials that paint a clear picture of who you serve best and why your clients love working with you.

Watch Our Webinars About the Testimonial Program

To delve a bit deeper into the rules surrounding this process, Veres highlights Indigo’s webinars with compliance attorneys Leila Shaver of MyRIALawyer and Chris Winn of AdvisorAssist. 

Check them out here:

Best Practices for Using Testimonials in Your Marketing (with Leila Shaver)How to Use Testimonials in Your Marketing (with Chris Winn)Bob Veres’s Takeaways on Our Testimonial Program

As a financial planning guru, Veres expresses the value and advantages he sees in Indigo’s Testimonial Program. See for yourself:

“I think it helps that an outside firm is doing this work, rather than the advisory firm itself. This insulates the RIA from an accusation by an SEC examiner that it had a heavy hand in manipulating its testimonials.”“I think it also helps advisors that somebody else is providing the wording asking for the reviews. Asking somebody to take the time to help your marketing can be slightly intrusive and embarrassing—but perhaps less difficult for an outsider.”“[H]aving an outsource provider handle the testimonial-gathering and massaging process might be a best practice, at least during the period when everybody is figuring out the rules.” “It also might save advisors time so they can be spending more with their existing clients—and prospects who like the testimonials about their services.”Try the Testimonial Program for Yourself!

The results of our Testimonial Program have been phenomenal. Watch this quick video where we show you how we helped one advisor increase his web traffic by 54% and increase traffic to his “Get Started Now” page by 317%—all through Google My Business testimonials. 

To learn more about what’s included in the Testimonial Program, how it works, and how to get started, click here. 

We’re here to help you look your best online. If you’d like to begin collecting glowing reviews, schedule a call today to get started.

Interested in reading Bob Veres’s full article? Click here.

The post Indigo Marketing Agency Featured in Bob Veres’s Inside Information appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

What Is the Best Length of Blog Post for Financial Advisors? (Video)

Join me in this quick video where I uncover the sweet spot for the length of a financial advisor’s blog post!

We get this question all the time: What is the perfect blog post length—how many words—for a financial advisor? 

Google used to have in their algorithm that a longer blog post was better and that 2,300 words was the sweet spot, so you’ve likely heard that metric repeated a lot. Just like everything with digital marketing, there’s a lot of nuance to it, so it’s not that simple. 

When trying to give you the best answer to your question, Google wants to provide helpful and relevant content. But if you Googled “how to make rice,” would you want to read 2,300 words about it? Probably not. You want something that’s short, sweet, and to the point.

The same is true when people are searching for investment advice or financial planning topics. They don’t necessarily want a novel, they just want their question to be answered—to feel educated and informed with good, accessible information.

The Sweet Spot: Blog Post Length Based on Industry

A fantastic study was done looking at 10,000 top-performing articles in a variety of industries based on social traffic, backlinks, and SEO traffic. 

The results showed that the average word count for the top performers was only around 900 words. Some of the longer blog posts pertained to entertainment and technology, and the shortest articles performing at the very top of the lists were actually for engineering; other top performers were automotive and construction industries, at only about 400 words.

The sweet spot for financial topics tends to be about 600 words per article. And that’s exactly what we do for our clients, writing between 600-700 words per article each month: we showcase what makes them different, who they serve, how they help, and how to get in touch with them to learn more.

So, when you’re writing your own blog post as a financial advisor, aim to get to the point, answer people’s questions, give them easy-to-understand, accessible knowledge, and try to hit that 600-word count. 

Need Help With Your Blog Posts?

Do you need help writing your blog posts? At Indigo, we specialize in writing custom, effective, and informative blog posts for independent financial advisors like you to help keep them top of mind and help get them more referrals. Let us take the burden off your shoulders. Schedule a call today to get started.

For more information on crafting the perfect custom blog post, check out these other articles:

The 10 Top-Performing Financial Advisor Blog Posts of 2021A Real-Life Example of a GREAT Financial Advisor Blog Post5 Blog Post Topics Every Financial Advisor Should Have on Their Site (Video)7 Blogging Mistakes Advisors Make (& How to Avoid Them)What Should Financial Advisors Blog About? (Video)

For weekly marketing tips for financial advisors by video, subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/IndigoMarketingAgency.

The post What Is the Best Length of Blog Post for Financial Advisors? (Video) appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

What Is the Best Length of Blog Post for Financial Advisors?

We get this question all the time: What is the perfect blog post length—how many words—for a financial advisor? 

Google used to have in their algorithm that a longer blog post was better and that 2,300 words was the sweet spot, so you’ve likely heard that metric repeated a lot. Just like everything with digital marketing, there’s a lot of nuance to it, so it’s not that simple. 

When trying to give you the best answer to your question, Google wants to provide helpful and relevant content. But if you Googled “how to make rice,” would you want to read 2,300 words about it? Probably not. You want something that’s short, sweet, and to the point.

The same is true when people are searching for investment advice or financial planning topics. They don’t necessarily want a novel, they just want their question to be answered—to feel educated and informed with good, accessible information.

The Sweet Spot: Blog Post Length Based on Industry

A fantastic study was done looking at 10,000 top-performing articles in a variety of industries based on social traffic, backlinks, and SEO traffic. 

The results showed that the average word count for the top performers was only around 900 words. Some of the longer blog posts pertained to entertainment and technology, and the shortest articles performing at the very top of the lists were actually for engineering; other top performers were automotive and construction industries, at only about 400 words.

The sweet spot for financial topics tends to be about 600 words per article. And that’s exactly what we do for our clients, writing between 600-700 words per article each month: we showcase what makes them different, who they serve, how they help, and how to get in touch with them to learn more.

So, when you’re writing your own blog post as a financial advisor, aim to get to the point, answer people’s questions, give them easy-to-understand, accessible knowledge, and try to hit that 600-word count. 

Need Help With Your Blog Posts?

Do you need help writing your blog posts? At Indigo, we specialize in writing custom, effective, and informative blog posts for independent financial advisors like you to help keep them top of mind and help get them more referrals. Let us take the burden off your shoulders. Schedule a call today to get started.

For more information on crafting the perfect custom blog post, check out these other articles:

The 10 Top-Performing Financial Advisor Blog Posts of 2021A Real-Life Example of a GREAT Financial Advisor Blog Post5 Blog Post Topics Every Financial Advisor Should Have on Their Site (Video)7 Blogging Mistakes Advisors Make (& How to Avoid Them)What Should Financial Advisors Blog About? (Video)

For weekly marketing tips for financial advisors by video, subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/IndigoMarketingAgency.

The post What Is the Best Length of Blog Post for Financial Advisors? appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

Independent Websites for Independent Financial Advisors

When was the last time you updated your website?

Quick question: If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about your website, what would it be? 

Maybe you wish you could…

Own your site outright (because you’re sick of paying hundreds of dollars per month to “rent” it from a site like FMG Suite)Generate more leads (because your traffic’s gone flat and no one is finding you online)Zap your site into the 21st century (because right now it’s outdated and missing key conversion tools like maps integrations, a “get started now” page, or a calendar scheduler)Have a site that looks and sounds like you (because you want to FINALLY stand out from the crowd)

The truth is…independent advisors SHOULD have independent websites—one that’s fresh, affordable, and 100% yours…forever.

That’s where we come in. 

At Indigo Marketing Agency, we specialize in building custom WordPress websites for independent financial advisors with NO monthly fees or contracts. That means you own your site and no one controls it but you!

And for a limited time, you can save $250 on our custom website package when you schedule a call with us to get started.

Your website is often the first impression potential clients have of you and your brand. Don’t lose out on business because it’s generic or outdated. 

Schedule a call with us now to get started updating your site.

Best,
Claire

For weekly marketing tips for financial advisors by video, subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/IndigoMarketingAgency.

The post Independent Websites for Independent Financial Advisors appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

Testimonial Program

The new testimonial rule has officially gone into effect as of May 4, 2021! This completely revolutionizes the way financial advisors can market their services. But as an advisor, how do you effectively use the new testimonial rule in your marketing without running into compliance issues? 

That’s where we come in. 

We’re excited to announce that Indigo is now offering a Testimonial Program to help advisors get glowing client reviews online—all while remaining compliant. This program is especially powerful for any advisor looking to strengthen their reputation and trustworthiness online.

Why Are Testimonials Important for Financial Advisors?

The new testimonial rule is a phenomenal change for our industry (one that’s about 40 years overdue!). Client testimonials are really important for financial advisors for two reasons: 

1. Testimonials provide credibility and social proof.

If you look up a restaurant or a car wash online, you want to see five-star reviews before you take the time to drive there. The same is true for financial advice. People want to see five-star reviews before they schedule a call or hand over their life savings. Testimonials give you that credibility factor.

2. Testimonials boost your search engine optimization (SEO) and help people find you online.

Google gives preferential treatment to businesses that have reviews. So, if you have zero reviews on your Google My Business page, it’s actually hurting you when it comes to people finding you online.

On the other hand, if your Google My Business page has at least five reviews, you’ll rank higher than those that don’t. So, for our Testimonial Program, our goal is to get you at least five, five-star reviews that boost your credibility and help improve your SEO.

Why We Created Our Testimonial Program

We developed our Testimonial Program because we know it can be awkward and uncomfortable asking your own clients for reviews. 

A lot of times we see advisors with five-star reviews, but they either don’t have comments or the comments say something vague like, “Great financial advisor.” This tells a prospect absolutely nothing about who you serve, how you help, or why they should work for you.

With our Testimonial Program, we transform your testimonials from good to great by coaching your clients to talk about what prospects really want to know: 

Why did they choose you over another advisor? What’s the most important benefit they’ve gotten from working with you?What’s the most important thing you’ve helped them achieve?

These are the questions that lead to really fantastic, well-written testimonials that paint a clear picture of who you serve best and why your clients love working with you.

What’s Included in the Testimonial Program?

When you enroll in our Testimonial Program for financial advisors, you get: 

Up to five written testimonials A “Please Share Your Story of Working With Us on Google or Facebook!” email to collect testimonialsA “See What Clients Are Saying About Us!” email to show off those glowing reviewsA possible “Client Profile” article for any reviews that are truly remarkable and worthy of a deeper diveA disclosures page added to your websiteA “Client Stories” page added to your website that houses all your testimonials in one placeWhat are the three types of testimonials we help you get?

We help you collect these three types of testimonials: 

Reviews for your Google My Business and Facebook pages Client stories for your website Client profiles that highlight your best client reviews (usually in-depth video or text articles with photos)How Our Testimonial Program Works

Okay, those are a lot of benefits. But how do we actually help you collect testimonials? Here’s the 14-step process we deploy once you enroll in our Testimonial Program: 

First check with compliance to make sure you can receive testimonials.We add a disclosure page to your website for testimonials. (We create this page if you don’t already have one.)We confirm that your Google My Business (GMB) and/or Facebook pages are live. We deploy our “Please Share Your Story of Working With Us on Google or Facebook!” email. This email asks all clients to leave a review, which is required by compliance.One week later, you send a specific email to your “target clients”—individuals who know you well, are tech-savvy, and have a GMB or Facebook account.We send your target clients survey questions via email and follow up for responses. We take your client’s response and write a great one-paragraph review.We ask your client to 1) post their review on GMB and Facebook (replacing their previous review, if necessary), and 2) give us permission to use it on your website.We follow up with your clients twice if they still haven’t posted on GMB.  We create a page on your website called “Client Stories” where we add all the testimonials we receive. (We don’t create this page until you have at least three testimonials.)We create a corresponding email called “See What Clients Are Saying About Us!” that shows off all your client reviews.If a client gives a great review that’s worthy of a deeper dive, we’ll add that to your marketing content calendar as a “Client Profile” story. If a client is willing to do a video testimonial, we schedule a Zoom call to record their thoughts, then we edit it into a high-quality video (additional $500).At the end of the Testimonial Program, you receive a summary of your results and testimonials.Testimonial Program Example

We’ve already been gathering testimonials for a few of our clients, and the results have been phenomenal! 

Watch this video to see how we helped one advisor increase his web traffic by 54% overall and by 317% on his “Get Started Now” page—all through Google My Business testimonials: How Testimonials Can Drive More Traffic to Your Site.

Here is another example of a client who successfully completed the Testimonial Program:

Testimonial Program Results Example 

How Much Does It Cost? 

Program Pricing: $999
(Additional $500 for video testimonials)

Think of our Testimonial Program as an investment in your future. Collect glowing, five-star reviews today, and they’ll keep serving your business and attracting the right clients for years to come. 

How to Get Started

Our Testimonial Program is available to all current clients, so contact your account manager to get started. 

If you’re not sure about compliance, ask your compliance department directly or contact your account manager and we’ll get the ball rolling for you. We add all the appropriate disclosures to your site and can handle any compliance checklists you get.

Need a Testimonial Rule Refresher?

It’s been a while since the testimonial rule went into effect. If you need a refresher, watch this webinar to learn everything you need to know about the testimonial rule and compliance: How to Use Testimonials in Your Marketing. 

Here is another great webinar I recommend watching to learn more about how to best use testimonials in your marketing: Best Practices for Using Testimonials in Your Marketing. 

Next Steps

Ready to start collecting those glowing reviews? Contact your account manager today to enroll in our Testimonial Program. We’ll take it from there! You just sit back, relax, and watch the five-star ratings pour in!

The post Testimonial Program appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

Testimonial Program for Financial Advisors

The new testimonial rule has officially gone into effect as of May 4, 2021! This completely revolutionizes the way financial advisors can market their services. But as an advisor, how do you effectively use the new testimonial rule in your marketing without running into compliance issues? 

That’s where we come in. 

We’re excited to announce that Indigo is now offering a Testimonial Program to help advisors get glowing client reviews online—all while remaining compliant. This program is especially powerful for any advisor looking to strengthen their reputation and trustworthiness online.

Why Are Testimonials Important for Financial Advisors?

The new testimonial rule is a phenomenal change for our industry (one that’s about 40 years overdue!). Client testimonials are really important for financial advisors for two reasons: 

1. Testimonials provide credibility and social proof.

If you look up a restaurant or a car wash online, you want to see five-star reviews before you take the time to drive there. The same is true for financial advice. People want to see five-star reviews before they schedule a call or hand over their life savings. Testimonials give you that credibility factor.

2. Testimonials boost your search engine optimization (SEO) and help people find you online.

Google gives preferential treatment to businesses that have reviews. So, if you have zero reviews on your Google My Business page, it’s actually hurting you when it comes to people finding you online.

On the other hand, if your Google My Business page has at least five reviews, you’ll rank higher than those that don’t. So, for our Testimonial Program, our goal is to get you at least five, five-star reviews that boost your credibility and help improve your SEO.

Why We Created Our Testimonial Program

We developed our Testimonial Program because we know it can be awkward and uncomfortable asking your own clients for reviews. 

A lot of times we see advisors with five-star reviews, but they either don’t have comments or the comments say something vague like, “Great financial advisor.” This tells a prospect absolutely nothing about who you serve, how you help, or why they should work for you.

With our Testimonial Program, we transform your testimonials from good to great by coaching your clients to talk about what prospects really want to know: 

Why did they choose you over another advisor? What’s the most important benefit they’ve gotten from working with you?What’s the most important thing you’ve helped them achieve?

These are the questions that lead to really fantastic, well-written testimonials that paint a clear picture of who you serve best and why your clients love working with you.

What’s Included in the Testimonial Program?

When you enroll in our Testimonial Program for financial advisors, you get: 

Up to five written testimonials A “Please Share Your Story of Working With Us on Google or Facebook!” email to collect testimonialsA “See What Clients Are Saying About Us!” email to show off those glowing reviewsA possible “Client Profile” article for any reviews that are truly remarkable and worthy of a deeper diveA disclosures page added to your websiteA “Client Stories” page added to your website that houses all your testimonials in one placeWhat are the three types of testimonials we help you get?

We help you collect these three types of testimonials: 

Reviews for your Google My Business and Facebook pages Client stories for your website Client profiles that highlight your best client reviews (usually in-depth video or text articles with photos)How Our Testimonial Program Works

Okay, those are a lot of benefits. But how do we actually help you collect testimonials? Here’s the 14-step process we deploy once you enroll in our Testimonial Program: 

First check with compliance to make sure you can receive testimonials.We add a disclosure page to your website for testimonials. (We create this page if you don’t already have one.)We confirm that your Google My Business (GMB) and/or Facebook pages are live. We deploy our “Please Share Your Story of Working With Us on Google or Facebook!” email. This email asks all clients to leave a review, which is required by compliance.One week later, you send a specific email to your “target clients”—individuals who know you well, are tech-savvy, and have a GMB or Facebook account.We send your target clients survey questions via email and follow up for responses. We take your client’s response and write a great one-paragraph review.We ask your client to 1) post their review on GMB and Facebook (replacing their previous review, if necessary), and 2) give us permission to use it on your website.We follow up with your clients twice if they still haven’t posted on GMB.  We create a page on your website called “Client Stories” where we add all the testimonials we receive. (We don’t create this page until you have at least three testimonials.)We create a corresponding email called “See What Clients Are Saying About Us!” that shows off all your client reviews.If a client gives a great review that’s worthy of a deeper dive, we’ll add that to your marketing content calendar as a “Client Profile” story. If a client is willing to do a video testimonial, we schedule a Zoom call to record their thoughts, then we edit it into a high-quality video (additional $500).At the end of the Testimonial Program, you receive a summary of your results and testimonials.Testimonial Program Example

We’ve already been gathering testimonials for a few of our clients, and the results have been phenomenal! 

Watch this video to see how we helped one advisor increase his web traffic by 54% overall and by 317% on his “Get Started Now” page—all through Google My Business testimonials: How Testimonials Can Drive More Traffic to Your Site.

Here is another example of a client who successfully completed the Testimonial Program:

Testimonial Program Results Example 

How Much Does It Cost? 

Program Pricing: $999
(Additional $500 for video testimonials)

Think of our Testimonial Program as an investment in your future. Collect glowing, five-star reviews today, and they’ll keep serving your business and attracting the right clients for years to come. 

How to Get Started

Our Testimonial Program is available to all current clients, so contact your account manager to get started. 

If you’re not sure about compliance, ask your compliance department directly or contact your account manager and we’ll get the ball rolling for you. We add all the appropriate disclosures to your site and can handle any compliance checklists you get.

Need a Testimonial Rule Refresher?

It’s been a while since the testimonial rule went into effect. If you need a refresher, watch this webinar to learn everything you need to know about the testimonial rule and compliance: How to Use Testimonials in Your Marketing. 

Here is another great webinar I recommend watching to learn more about how to best use testimonials in your marketing: Best Practices for Using Testimonials in Your Marketing. 

Next Steps

Ready to start collecting those glowing reviews? Contact your account manager today to enroll in our Testimonial Program. We’ll take it from there! You just sit back, relax, and watch the five-star ratings pour in!

The post Testimonial Program for Financial Advisors appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

We Made Michael Kitces’ List of Marketing Vendors! (Save $50 on His Marketing Summit Now)

The Kitces Marketing Summit is a virtual event happening April 19, 2022—and you’re invited! 

This highly anticipated event is for advisors, by advisors. And we’re honored to announce that Indigo Marketing Agency is listed as a Prospective Vendor!

What does this mean for you? As a friend of Indigo, you can save $50 on your ticket when you use code KitcesIndigo at checkout.

What’s the Kitces Marketing Summit About?

Kitces Marketing Summit is a four-hour event that teaches you how to use education-based marketing to showcase your (unique) expertise. 

More specifically, it’s a laid-back series of 30-minute conversations between Michael Kitces and real advisors who use podcasts, videos, and blogs to attract ideal clients. 

So, if you’re interested in education-based marketing—and you want to hear how successful advisors are doing it right—register now. This is one event you don’t want to miss. 

Your ticket includes access to event recordings, so if you can’t attend live, that’s okay! You can watch all the videos afterward and still walk away with loads of actionable advice on how to improve your marketing. 

Save $50 on Your Ticket Now!

Regular tickets start at $297. But Indigo clients can save $50 with code KitcesIndigo at checkout. 

Get your ticket here: https://www.kitces.com/kitces-marketing-summit-2022/

Use this discount code for $50 off: KitcesIndigo

The post We Made Michael Kitces’ List of Marketing Vendors! (Save $50 on His Marketing Summit Now) appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

Save $50 on Kitces Marketing Summit—Get Your Ticket Now!

The Kitces Marketing Summit is a virtual event happening April 19, 2022—and you’re invited! 

This highly anticipated event is for advisors, by advisors. And we’re honored to announce that Indigo Marketing Agency is listed as a Prospective Vendor!

What does this mean for you? As a friend of Indigo, you can save $50 on your ticket when you use code KitcesIndigo at checkout.

What’s the Kitces Marketing Summit About?

Kitces Marketing Summit is a four-hour event that teaches you how to use education-based marketing to showcase your (unique) expertise. 

More specifically, it’s a laid-back series of 30-minute conversations between Michael Kitces and real advisors who use podcasts, videos, and blogs to attract ideal clients. 

So, if you’re interested in education-based marketing—and you want to hear how successful advisors are doing it right—register now. This is one event you don’t want to miss. 

Your ticket includes access to event recordings, so if you can’t attend live, that’s okay! You can watch all the videos afterward and still walk away with loads of actionable advice on how to improve your marketing. 

Save $50 on Your Ticket Now!

Regular tickets start at $297. But Indigo clients can save $50 with code KitcesIndigo at checkout. 

Get your ticket here: https://www.kitces.com/kitces-marketing-summit-2022/

Use this discount code for $50 off: KitcesIndigo

The post Save $50 on Kitces Marketing Summit—Get Your Ticket Now! appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

Should You Outsource Marketing or Hire Internally? (Pros & Cons)

When it comes to marketing your financial advisory firm, you have two main options: outsource it to professionals or hire an internal person. 

Each option has its own set of pros and cons, and the decision ultimately depends on your budget and what you want to get out of your marketing efforts.

In this blog post, we will discuss the budget and the pros and cons of each option so you can make the best decision for your firm!

How much should advisors spend on marketing? 

A good rule of thumb is to invest 5-7% of your revenue into your marketing efforts each year. Of course, this number will vary depending on what you’re trying to achieve with your marketing. 

For example, if your firm is near capacity and you simply want to maintain your current flow of referrals, 2-3% of your annual revenue may be enough. However, if you’re really trying to grow your business and increase your AUM by 15% or more, a 5-7% investment is the sweet spot. 

How much does it cost to hire an internal marketing person? 

The average salary for a marketing director is around $74,000, plus benefits. Throw in the fact that the average cost of benefits for private-sector employees is around 29.2% of total compensation, and that brings your total up to $95,608. And that’s just for one person! 

If your dream marketing team also includes a content writer, graphic designer, video editor, or social media manager, it could quickly escalate to a quarter of a million dollars or more once you include benefits. 

What should your marketing person do for your firm?

Generally, a marketing director should be responsible for overseeing all aspects of your firm’s marketing efforts, including:

Developing and executing a marketing planManaging social media and website contentCreating collateral and advertising materialsPlanning and organizing eventsForecasting business growthPros and Cons of Hiring an Internal Marketing Person

If you hire an internal marketing person for your financial advisory firm, you can expect these benefits and drawbacks: 

Pros

You have an in-house person who is available on a whim to execute any last-minute marketing requests.They can help out with other parts of your firm if trained properly.They will develop a deep, firsthand understanding of your clients’ needs and desires over time.

Cons

This position can cost almost $100,000 a year by the time you factor in benefits.You may also need to hire other members of the marketing team if you’re looking for specialized skills.The role may also incur additional costs for subscriptions, ads, campaigns, and other marketing strategies they plan on deploying.How much does it cost to outsource your marketing?

If you outsource your marketing to a firm that specializes in digital marketing for financial advisors (as we do at Indigo Marketing Agency), you can expect to pay around $10,000 to $12,000 per year. That’s about one-eighth the cost of hiring an internal marketing person!

When you look purely at costs, outsourcing is much more cost-effective. But beyond that, when you outsource to the right people, it also cuts out the time you’d spend hiring and training someone new. As a result, you get instant access to a team of experts who specialize in designing a custom marketing strategy that helps you grow your business.

Long story short? If you don’t have the budget to hire an internal marketing person (which, let’s face it, most independent financial advisors don’t), outsourcing to a marketing firm for financial advisors can be a Goldilocks alternative.

What do we do for you?

At Indigo Marketing Agency, we help financial advisors grow their businesses and attract more clients they love with our Total Marketing Package. It’s our most popular service for advisors because it helps you:

Increase leads and conversions with our cutting-edge SEO, social media, and email marketing servicesGet a 12-month custom marketing plan, designed specifically for your businessSave time and money by having all your marketing needs taken care of in one placeGrow your business with the help of our experienced team of experts

To put it simply, this package takes marketing off your plate for good. As in, give us your passwords once, and you never have to remember them again. We’ve got it covered from here. So, you can kick back, relax, and focus on what you do best—serving your clients.

How much does it cost?

Our Total Marketing Package costs $795 per month, plus a one-time $3,500 setup fee—in other words, a fraction of what you’d spend to hire someone internally. 

We also don’t believe in contracts or commitments because we want you to feel like you can cancel at any time if we’re not delivering on our promises.

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Your Marketing

Outsourcing your marketing to professionals generally has these benefits and drawbacks: 

Pros

Save time and energy by letting the experts take care of it.Get more for your money by outsourcing to someone who costs less than a full-time hire.Gain access to the latest trends and techniques in marketing.You don’t have to go through the process of hiring and training someone new.

Cons

The quality could be lacking if you don’t take the time to find a firm that offers exactly what you need.The turnaround time may be slower than if you hired internally because agencies juggle multiple client requests at once.Which option is best for you?

Okay, now that you know the main differences between outsourcing your marketing or hiring someone internally, which should you choose? 

In a nutshell, an internal marketing team may make more sense if you:

Have a large team consisting of many financial advisorsHave a bigger budget that can accommodate an average $60k salary plus benefitsWant more control over how your marketing is executedNeed more custom marketing than the average independent advisor

On the other hand, outsourcing your marketing as a financial advisor may make more sense if you: 

Have a smaller teamAre working with a smaller budgetDon’t want to manage another team memberAre short on timeDon’t want to learn marketingWant access to a team of experts who can offer a fresh perspective on how to grow your businessReady to take marketing off your plate for good?

If you’re here reading this article right now, there’s a good chance you feel burned out with your marketing. You’ve wasted a lot of time and energy, and now you’re considering outsourcing to professionals or hiring an internal marketing person instead. 

The good news is, we know we can help you. But it all starts with a phone call. Schedule a free strategy call with us, and our team will take a look at your current marketing strategy and give recommendations on how to improve. 

It’s totally free—no strings attached! We hope that by talking more about your marketing goals, we can help you grow your business more efficiently than ever before. So, schedule your free strategy call today!

Oh, and if you’re interested in our Total Marketing Package, we can also discuss that during the call too. But fair warning: we’re an efficient team that only wants to work with advisors who are a perfect fit for our services. This means we’ll be 100% up front about whether Indigo is a good fit for your needs. We can’t wait to chat with you!

For weekly marketing tips for financial advisors by video, subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/IndigoMarketingAgency.

____________

(1) https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries...
(2) https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec...

The post Should You Outsource Marketing or Hire Internally? (Pros & Cons) appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

Should You Outsource Marketing or Hire an Internal Marketing Person? (Pros & Cons)

When it comes to marketing your financial advisory firm, you have two main options: outsource it to professionals or hire an internal person. 

Each option has its own set of pros and cons, and the decision ultimately depends on your budget and what you want to get out of your marketing efforts.

In this blog post, we will discuss the budget and the pros and cons of each option so you can make the best decision for your firm!

How much should advisors spend on marketing? 

A good rule of thumb is to invest 5-7% of your revenue into your marketing efforts each year. Of course, this number will vary depending on what you’re trying to achieve with your marketing. 

For example, if your firm is near capacity and you simply want to maintain your current flow of referrals, 2-3% of your annual revenue may be enough. However, if you’re really trying to grow your business and increase your AUM by 15% or more, a 5-7% investment is the sweet spot. 

How much does it cost to hire an internal marketing person? 

The average salary for a marketing director is around $74,000, plus benefits. Throw in the fact that the average cost of benefits for private-sector employees is around 29.2% of total compensation, and that brings your total up to $95,608. And that’s just for one person! 

If your dream marketing team also includes a content writer, graphic designer, video editor, or social media manager, it could quickly escalate to a quarter of a million dollars or more once you include benefits. 

What should your marketing person do for your firm?

Generally, a marketing director should be responsible for overseeing all aspects of your firm’s marketing efforts, including:

Developing and executing a marketing planManaging social media and website contentCreating collateral and advertising materialsPlanning and organizing eventsForecasting business growthPros and Cons of Hiring an Internal Marketing Person

If you hire an internal marketing person for your financial advisory firm, you can expect these benefits and drawbacks: 

Pros

You have an in-house person who is available on a whim to execute any last-minute marketing requests.They can help out with other parts of your firm if trained properly.They will develop a deep, firsthand understanding of your clients’ needs and desires over time.

Cons

This position can cost almost $100,000 a year by the time you factor in benefits.You may also need to hire other members of the marketing team if you’re looking for specialized skills.The role may also incur additional costs for subscriptions, ads, campaigns, and other marketing strategies they plan on deploying.How much does it cost to outsource your marketing?

If you outsource your marketing to a firm that specializes in digital marketing for financial advisors (as we do at Indigo Marketing Agency), you can expect to pay around $10,000 to $12,000 per year. That’s about one-eighth the cost of hiring an internal marketing person!

When you look purely at costs, outsourcing is much more cost-effective. But beyond that, when you outsource to the right people, it also cuts out the time you’d spend hiring and training someone new. As a result, you get instant access to a team of experts who specialize in designing a custom marketing strategy that helps you grow your business.

Long story short? If you don’t have the budget to hire an internal marketing person (which, let’s face it, most independent financial advisors don’t), outsourcing to a marketing firm for financial advisors can be a Goldilocks alternative.

What do we do for you?

At Indigo Marketing Agency, we help financial advisors grow their businesses and attract more clients they love with our Total Marketing Package. It’s our most popular service for advisors because it helps you:

Increase leads and conversions with our cutting-edge SEO, social media, and email marketing servicesGet a 12-month custom marketing plan, designed specifically for your businessSave time and money by having all your marketing needs taken care of in one placeGrow your business with the help of our experienced team of experts

To put it simply, this package takes marketing off your plate for good. As in, give us your passwords once, and you never have to remember them again. We’ve got it covered from here. So, you can kick back, relax, and focus on what you do best—serving your clients.

How much does it cost?

Our Total Marketing Package costs $795 per month, plus a one-time $3,500 setup fee—in other words, a fraction of what you’d spend to hire someone internally. 

We also don’t believe in contracts or commitments because we want you to feel like you can cancel at any time if we’re not delivering on our promises.

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Your Marketing

Outsourcing your marketing to professionals generally has these benefits and drawbacks: 

Pros

Save time and energy by letting the experts take care of it.Get more for your money by outsourcing to someone who costs less than a full-time hire.Gain access to the latest trends and techniques in marketing.You don’t have to go through the process of hiring and training someone new.

Cons

The quality could be lacking if you don’t take the time to find a firm that offers exactly what you need.The turnaround time may be slower than if you hired internally because agencies juggle multiple client requests at once.Which option is best for you?

Okay, now that you know the main differences between outsourcing your marketing or hiring someone internally, which should you choose? 

In a nutshell, an internal marketing team may make more sense if you:

Have a large team consisting of many financial advisorsHave a bigger budget that can accommodate an average $60k salary plus benefitsWant more control over how your marketing is executedNeed more custom marketing than the average independent advisor

On the other hand, outsourcing your marketing as a financial advisor may make more sense if you: 

Have a smaller teamAre working with a smaller budgetDon’t want to manage another team memberAre short on timeDon’t want to learn marketingWant access to a team of experts who can offer a fresh perspective on how to grow your businessReady to take marketing off your plate for good?

If you’re here reading this article right now, there’s a good chance you feel burned out with your marketing. You’ve wasted a lot of time and energy, and now you’re considering outsourcing to professionals or hiring an internal marketing person instead. 

The good news is, we know we can help you. But it all starts with a phone call. Schedule a free strategy call with us, and our team will take a look at your current marketing strategy and give recommendations on how to improve. 

It’s totally free—no strings attached! We hope that by talking more about your marketing goals, we can help you grow your business more efficiently than ever before. So, schedule your free strategy call today!

Oh, and if you’re interested in our Total Marketing Package, we can also discuss that during the call too. But fair warning: we’re an efficient team that only wants to work with advisors who are a perfect fit for our services. This means we’ll be 100% up front about whether Indigo is a good fit for your needs. We can’t wait to chat with you!

For weekly marketing tips for financial advisors by video, subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/IndigoMarketingAgency.

____________

(1) https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries...
(2) https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec...

The post Should You Outsource Marketing or Hire an Internal Marketing Person? (Pros & Cons) appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.