Claire Akin's Blog, page 20

Happy Holidays From Indigo Marketing – 2021

Happy Holidays from Indigo Marketing Agency! We wanted to take a moment to say thank you to a few people: our hardworking Indigo team, incredibly supportive family members, and you—thank you for being part of our network! Please watch the video below to hear a bit more from our CEO, Claire, personally.

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How Testimonials Can Drive More Traffic to Your Site (Video)

If you’re looking for a way to increase traffic to your website, have you considered using testimonials? Good news: The new testimonial rule for financial advisors has officially gone into effect as of May 4, 2021! 

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

In this video, I break down the results from our testimonial program and 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. 

The best part? Our testimonial service is COMPLETELY FREE for current clients with a Total Marketing Package! 

Are You Interested in Our Testimonial Program?

Current clients can enroll in our testimonial program for no additional cost (consider it our way of saying thanks for being part of the Indigo Marketing Agency family!). Simply email your account manager to get started. 

Not a current client? That’s okay too! You can sign up for the testimonial program by scheduling a call with our team here. 

No matter what, we’re here to help you look your best online!

Looking for more ways to improve your marketing as a financial advisor? Find more information on our blog. Or learn more about how we help financial advisors just like you grow their businesses with our Total Marketing Package.

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

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The 10 Top-Performing Financial Advisor Blog Posts of 2021

If you’re a financial advisor, you’ve likely had these questions go through your mind at some point in your career, “How do I position myself as an expert in the field?” and “How do I stay top-of-mind so I’m the first call when someone realizes they need a financial professional?” The answer to both is strategic marketing. And financial advisor blog posts are an integral part of marketing strategically.

At Indigo Marketing Agency, we work with top advisors to use content marketing to generate awareness and referrals. Each blog post we create for our advisors is published on their website, sent through email, and shared across social media. To give you a glimpse into the type of content that increases an advisor’s online presence and generates more referrals, here are the 10 top-performing advisor blog posts of 2021!

1. Hello and Goodbye; Our Team Updates 

Believe it or not, your clients and readers want to know what’s happening at your firm. No one likes getting an email or call (especially concerning their finances) from someone they don’t know. This type of content has two purposes: updating your current clients on what’s happening at your firm so they are in the know and feel like family, and showing prospective clients that you care about your clients’ experience and that you are communicative and responsive to their needs. 

2. Our Client Stories

Let’s face it—when we have a question or concern, it’s comforting to know that others have faced the same thing. When we publish your clients’ stories, it not only gives a peek into your processes and services, but shows your prospects that you understand their situation and have the solutions to help them achieve their goals. Plus, these articles showcase the relationships you build with your clients. 

3. See a Sample Financial Plan

This is a blog post we do for almost all of the advisors we serve because we know it works. We even go one step further in your marketing to add a link to our advisors’ home pages so visitors can click to see a sample plan. Prospects want to see a tangible example of what they can expect from working with you. This is always one of the most visited pages on our advisors’ websites. 

4. How I Invest My Money 

Your clients probably aren’t investment experts—that’s why they need you. Since you have all the knowledge and experience, sharing your personal investment strategies is eye-opening for others. This article has, by far, been one of the most read and enjoyed posts we’ve done this year.

5. Getting the Most From Your Microsoft Benefits Package 

Or Wells Fargo benefits or federal benefits…you get the idea. Employer benefits are just that—benefits. But many employees don’t maximize what’s available to them because they lack information or feel paralyzed by their options. By setting yourself up as the niche expert for a specific company or market, you’ll open the door for many employees to come to you with their financial needs.

6. Tips for Amazon Open Enrollment 

This is a top-performing post for two reasons: it’s employer-specific and timely! If your readers recently got a notice that they need to update their benefits for the new year AND they see this post from you, their interest will be piqued and you will be set up in their minds as someone who is an expert in an area they may need your help with, either now or in the future.

7. How to Prepare for an Unexpected Death 

No one likes to think about a loved one dying, let alone set up their finances to prepare for it. Actionable content like this helps clients by giving them the tools they need to see the big picture, while also showing them the need for a financial advisor to guide them through challenging decisions and phases of life.

8. Here’s Why the DOW Doesn’t Really Matter 

You know what you’re talking about, so why not share your opinion and give your readers insight into how you think? Remember the goal of setting yourself up as an expert? That’s what this category of articles accomplishes. 

9. 10 Things to Do Within 10 Years of Retirement 

How many times have you thought, “I wish someone could just tell me what to do” when faced with decision fatigue? Retirement planning is one of the top 3 reasons for financial anxiety. (1) Meet your prospective clients where they are at by showing that you can help them with the things that keep them up at night. 

10. Why I Love Living and Working in Newport Beach 

Not only do these posts help with your search engine optimization (SEO) rankings, but the local and personal elements help your prospects get to know you better.

Bonus: Why I Became a Financial Advisor

We couldn’t write a top-performing articles post without including this one. It’s always the first blog post we write for our clients and it’s consistently a top performer. Why? Prospects aren’t going to entrust their finances to a stranger. By sharing who you are and your passion for what you do, you take the first step in building trust and inviting a prospect into a relationship.

Will 2022 Be Your Best Year Yet?

What about your marketing? What was your top-performing blog post this year? If you haven’t been sending out content to remind your clients and prospects what you do and how you can help, now is the time to get started. Check out a Sample Marketing Calendar and learn more about our Total Marketing Package today!

To learn more about what we do for financial advisors and their marketing, watch my free webinar on What We Do & How We Help. In this webinar, I walk you through everything financial advisors need to know about marketing. You can even use this information to do your own marketing if you don’t want to work with us directly. And if you’re ready to partner with Indigo to maximize your marketing, schedule a free strategy session here!

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

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(1) https://time.com/nextadvisor/in-the-n...

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A Real-Life Example of a GREAT Financial Advisor Blog Post

Many times advisors ask me, “What should I blog about?” or “What should I talk about in my marketing?” So, today I want to share an example of a great financial advisor blog post that was both really successful and really memorable. Plus, I’ll show you how you can replicate its success for your own financial advisor blog.

Watch this two-minute video or keep reading to learn more.

The blog post came from Steve Allender of Acute WealthCare and is titled “4 Life Lessons I Learned on the Colorado Trail.” 

Steve wrote it after taking a backpacking trip through the Colorado mountains where he covered 486 miles and over 86,000 feet of elevation gain. His blog post was a beautifully written story about his hike, the life lessons he learned on trail, and how they relate to investing and financial planning.

This post has it all—pictures of Steve, insights that occurred to him while he was in the thick of backpacking, relevant financial planning advice. It was so authentic, memorable, and likable. 

When we sent this blog post to his email list, it had an open rate above 30%, which is just incredible considering the average open rate is usually between 15% and 20%. The people on his email list couldn’t wait to open it, see the pictures, and read his insights.

So, how can you replicate Steve’s success? 

Tips for Perfecting a Financial Advisor Blog Post: Elements of a Great Post

The very best financial advisor blog posts are personal, authentic, and have a strong call to action. In Steve’s case, he had all three.

It was personal because it included pictures from his life outside of the office and talked about some of the personal struggles he went through while backpacking. 

It was authentic because he was able to take this experience and really relate it to what he does and the challenges he helps his clients solve. In the post, Steve cites four life lessons he learned on trail, two of which were:

Never quit on a bad dayPrepare well and be flexible to changes

And lastly, Steve included a strong call to action at the end that encourages his readers to ask questions about their specific situation by scheduling a complimentary call.

What Personal Stories Can You Share With Your Clients?

I encourage you to take a look at Steve’s blog post here. Then think about how you can relate your own personal experiences to your business. Is there a hardship you’ve overcome? Can you talk about why you became a financial advisor? 

Getting personal on your blog and sharing your story, your passions, and what you’re thinking about is a really great way to connect with your clients. It opens up the door for communication and helps you stand out as an authentic and genuine advisor in today’s digital world. 

I hope more advisors out there will talk about their own experiences and make these really memorable blog posts that people can relate to. 

Need Help With Your Marketing?

At Indigo Marketing Agency, creating custom articles that help you connect with prospects and stand out from the crowd is our specialty. If you’d like help executing a stellar marketing calendar that helps you grow your business and attracts more clients you love, schedule your free strategy session now. We love working with advisors like you and look forward to hearing more about your story, how you got your start, and where you want your marketing to take you from here.

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Who Is Our Ideal Client? 4 Traits We Look for in a Financial Advisor (Video)

At Indigo Marketing Agency, we got together as a team, identified our favorite financial advisor clients, and picked apart some of the characteristics they share. Whether you’re a new client of ours or are thinking about partnering with us, you may be wondering if you’re a good fit for our services. 

In this two-minute video, I walk you through the four characteristics we look for in a new client. If you’re a financial advisor who has these traits, reach out to us today! We’d love to help you with your marketing. Watch now or keep reading to get the inside scoop.

Trait #1: Easy to Work With

First and foremost, our ideal client is someone who is easy to work with. In other words, they: 

Respond to emails promptly (usually within 48 business hours)Review their marketing articles and approve them in a timely mannerDon’t need many reminders to get things done (e.g., We send them an article and they immediately submit it to compliance without us having to send multiple follow-up emails.)Trait #2: Optimistic About Their Firm

Our ideal client at Indigo Marketing Agency is pleasant to work with. They’re optimistic about the growth of their firm and know that they’re providing tremendous value to their clients. They’re proud of the work they do, and their passion energizes us to help them further their mission. 

Trait #3: Trusts Us to Do Their Marketing for Them

How many times have you worked with a client who wanted to micromanage their investments instead of letting you do your job? It’s never a pleasant experience. The same applies to our business. If you trust us enough to outsource your marketing to our firm, we encourage you to let us do the system that we know works for financial advisors. 

At the end of the day, our ideal client knows we can do their marketing better than they can and they trust us to make it happen.

Trait #4: Believes in Our Process

We’ve built our digital marketing process after working with thousands of financial advisors over the course of nearly a decade. We know we’re doing the most important things for our clients from a marketing perspective, and we designed our system to get you more exposure, position you as a subject matter expert in your field, and get you more referrals and ideal clients. 

Our ideal client trusts us and our process. Even when it seems like you’re not that involved in your marketing, our best client knows that’s actually a good thing because then you have time to focus on everything else going on in your business.

Does This Sound Like You?

If you’ve made it this far and you’re thinking, “Yes! This is exactly the type of advisor I am.” Well, then…we want to work with you! Schedule your free strategy session now to learn how we can help you grow your firm and attract more clients you love all while saving you time.  

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BONUS: Like This Article? Use Our Methodology to Discover Your Own Ideal Client!

Our team had fun digging into our favorite clients and figuring out why we love them so much. And let me tell you, following this same exercise with your firm can be a great way to figure out the types of clients you want to serve as a financial advisor so you can sharpen your marketing message and attract more of them. 

So, if you have 30 minutes or so to spare, take a moment to think about your top 5 clients and what they all have in common. If you’re feeling stuck, here are some questions to get you started: 

How old are they?Where do they live?At which company do they work?What is their job title?What is their income level?Where did they go to college?What do they do for fun? What causes are they passionate about?Where do they get their news?What is one of the biggest problems they’re facing right now?What is their biggest financial goal?

Once you finish this exercise, examine your answers for all five clients. Do you see a common theme? Maybe they all work for the same company, live in the same area, or share the same goals. If you see any commonalities, then you may be on to the ideal client for your firm! 

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

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My Top 10 Marketing Tips for Financial Advisors of 2021

This has been our best year yet at Indigo Marketing Agency, with more marketing tips for financial advisors than ever before. Take a moment to review our top 10 blog posts of 2021!

10. How to Create a Provocative Value Proposition (Webinar)

Your value proposition is THE keystone of your marketing strategy. It tells prospects how you’re different, why they should choose you over other advisors, and how their lives will be transformed by working with you. It’s your secret sauce—the key to piquing the interest of your ideal A+ clients! Read more here.

9. How to Send Quick Video Messages With Loom (for Financial Advisors)

It happens all the time. What was originally supposed to be a quick email with a client ends up being an hour-long ordeal helping them locate a financial document in their web portal. Is there an easier way to communicate with clients? Yes! Loom is a free video-recording tool that will make your life 10x easier. Read more here.

8. Webinars: The Secret to Increasing Your Conversion Rate

I truly believe webinars are the next marketing frontier for financial advisors. When done correctly, they have a 20% to 40% conversion rate compared to just 3% to 5% for email. (You’ll be hard-pressed to find conversion rates this high with other marketing strategies.)

So, why are webinars so powerful? Read more here.

7. 5 Expensive Marketing Tactics That Aren’t Worth the Money (& What to Do Instead)

Marketing for financial advisors can be frustrating because no one really tells you what works and what doesn’t. When I talk to advisors who are investing heavily in their marketing and not seeing results, I often find out they’re paying exorbitant prices for certain services. The truth is, these five marketing tactics aren’t worth the high price tag. You can spend less and still reach your ideal client. Read more here.

6. How Much Time (and Energy) Do You Waste on Internet Passwords?

We’ve all experienced the headaches of trying to locate and resetting passwords. Studies show that you’ll spend 12 full days throughout your life remembering and resetting passwords. As much as I love technology, I’ll be the first to admit that having to remember dozens of passwords is a huge burden and a waste of time. That’s why I recommend every financial advisor use a secure password manager to store their information. Read more here.

5. Why You Should Publish Your Advisory Fees on Your Website (Video)

There are so many advisors who are hesitant to put their pricing and services front and center on their website (and most don’t have their fees listed on their site at all). I believe you should clearly list your fees and services on your website because it saves you time, weeds out unqualified prospects, and helps website visitors immediately see the value you offer. Read more here.

4. How Often Should You Email Your Network?

Many financial advisors who are just getting started with their digital marketing often ask, “How often should I email my network?” A recent study shows that 36.6% of clients prefer monthly emails, while 30% prefer weekly emails. I personally recommend emailing your list at least once per month, but no more than once per week. Read more here.

3. The One Sentence Used to Add $2 Million in AUM Last Month (Video)

Here’s a quick video highlighting the one sentence my dad used to add two $1 million accounts in one month. I’ll also review the two mistaken assumptions advisors have about client referrals. Watch the video now!

2. How to Invite Friends to Like Your Facebook Page (Video)

Some of my advisor clients are incredibly successful on Facebook, and for some it’s a waste of time. What’s the difference? Demographics. Facebook marketing is not for everyone. If your clients are under 50 or are mostly women, you should get serious about your Facebook strategy and focus on getting more likes for your business page. One first step is to invite relevant personal friends to like your page. Read more here.

1. Podcasting for Financial Advisors (Webinar)

Podcasts have seen a steady rise in popularity over the past decade, and monthly listeners are projected to rise 10% year-over-year. Have you ever thought about starting a podcast as a financial advisor? Podcasts are a great content channel for advisors and can help you rise above the noise. I want to share which type of advisor is best suited for starting a podcast, how to start a podcast the right way, and how to avoid the biggest mistakes advisors make when getting started. Read more here.

Will 2022 Be Your Best Year Yet?

Thank you for being a part of the Indigo Marketing Agency family! I hope that you’ve enjoyed my blog posts, webinars, and marketing tips this year.

If you found these insights helpful, please forward to the financial advisors you know so they can sign up for my newsletter here.

To learn more about what we do for financial advisors and their marketing, watch my free webinar on What We Do & How We Help. In this webinar, I walk you through everything financial advisors need to know about marketing. You can even use this information to do your own marketing if you don’t want to work with us directly. And if you’re ready to partner with Indigo to maximize your marketing, schedule a free strategy session here!

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

 

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I Was Featured on Marie Swift’s Podcast! Check it Out Here.

I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on Swift Chats—a video podcast series about best practices in the financial services industry, hosted by Marie Swift of Impact Communications.

For those of you who don’t know, Marie and I both run digital marketing firms for financial advisors. And while you may think this would be breeding grounds for competition, Marie and I have taken an abundance approach instead. You can often find us collaborating with each other, swapping marketing notes, and making cross-referrals when an advisor may be a good fit.

During my time on her podcast, Marie and I dove deep into all things digital marketing for financial advisors. Specifically, we talked about:

What’s working for advisors todayThe 3 M’s of marketing successHow to create a hyper-relevant message that cuts through the noise and speaks to your target audienceHow to be authentic and show your pro-personal side onlineMy #1 piece of advice for financial advisors when it comes to marketing

This episode is perfect for advisors who feel like they’re constantly spinning their marketing wheels or are just confused on where to start. It’s chock-full of valuable tidbits guaranteed to help you improve your marketing, so give it a listen today!

You can watch the video version of the podcast here:

Swift Chat with Claire Akin: Digital Marketing for Financial Advisors from Impact Productions Group on Vimeo.

You can listen to the audio version here:

You can learn more about Marie Swift and Impact Communications by visiting www.ImpactCommunications.org. 

You can learn more about what we do at Indigo Marketing Agency by checking out our Total Marketing Package here—our most popular service for independent financial advisors!

Have Questions About Your Marketing? We Have Answers!

I truly believe I was put on this earth to help independent financial advisors do more of what they do best—help their clients transform their lives. If you have questions about your marketing or just feel completely stuck, please schedule a free strategy session with us today. We’d love to talk through your concerns and give you actionable tips on how you can improve your marketing today.  

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How We Help Financial Advisors Build a Strong Marketing Foundation (Video)

How much money have you wasted on marketing tactics that promised good results and never delivered? Whenever I talk to financial advisors who are frustrated with their marketing, almost all of them have one thing in common: they don’t have a strong marketing foundation. 

Building a strong marketing foundation is key to seeing successful, long-term results in your marketing. It’s what drives growth and consistently generates qualified referrals. 

At Indigo Marketing Agency, we’ve developed a framework for helping financial advisors get more clients—and it starts with building a strong marketing foundation. 

Here’s a closer look at why building a strong marketing foundation is so important—and the step-by-step process we’ve created to help financial advisors do it. 

Why Is a Strong Marketing Foundation Important? 

Have you ever heard the parable of the wise and foolish builders? One built his house on sand and the other built his house on a rock. The same is true for your marketing foundation. 

If you cut corners and build it on “sand,” you may see results initially, but you’ll have to sink more money into maintaining it as time goes on. 

But if you invest in a strong marketing foundation straight from the start, your marketing actually gets easier over time. You build a strong base that continues to generate high-quality leads and referrals for years to come. 

How We Help Financial Advisors Build a Strong Marketing Foundation in 9 Steps

When an advisor decides to work with Indigo Marketing Agency, the very first thing we do is set up their marketing foundation. Here’s a closer look at the 9-step formula we use to do this: 

Step 1: Have Your Strategy Call With Our Marketing Consultant

The purpose of this strategy call is to figure out which clients you love working with most. We start by defining your ideal prospect—who they are, what they do, how much money they make, what phase of life they’re in, everything! We then brainstorm marketing calendar topics that address the biggest doubts and fears they have right now.  

Step 2: Gather Your Login Credentials

Our marketing is truly done-for-you, so for Step 2, we gather all the login credentials we need to fully take your marketing off your plate. This includes gathering credentials for your website, social media accounts, email marketing system, Google Analytics, Google My Business, and more. 

Step 3: Create Your Marketing Calendar

A big part of our marketing strategy is creating custom content for financial advisors that goes out monthly to your website, email list, and social media followers. 

We build all this content out ahead of time in a 12-month marketing calendar, so you always know what articles we’re writing for you and when. Want to see an example? Check out this sample marketing calendar for financial advisors. 

Step 4: Set Up Your Social Media Marketing

Even if you already use social media, your profiles may not be optimized to connect and engage with prospects. That’s why for this step we focus on optimizing your social media pages. This includes: 

Creating background images for your social media channelsSetting up your social media scheduling platformConnecting your social media profiles for automatic schedulingGetting compliance approval and making edits as requested

We do this for all your channels: Facebook, Twitter, Google My Business, and your personal and company LinkedIn profiles.

Step 5: Set Up Your Email Marketing System

Did you know that email marketing has an ROI of up to 440%? It even outperforms social media! That’s why having a solid email marketing system is a critical component of your marketing foundation. 

When you work with Indigo Marketing Agency, we take care of every aspect of your email marketing system. We set up your account through Mailchimp or Constant Contact, build your custom-branded email template, get it approved by compliance, and manage your email lists. We then email your contacts each time we create a new article for you.

RELATED ARTICLE: Email Marketing Best Practices for Financial Advisors

Step 6: Complete Your Full Website SEO Project 

Fine-tuning your SEO is the meat of our marketing foundations package for financial advisors. It’s where we help you rank higher, look better in search results, and generate more traffic to your website. It’s a really technical step that includes: 

Performing keyword research and setting up tracking through RankwatchUpdating your site titles, page titles, and meta descriptionsConducting on-site image optimizationAdding a Google My Business map to your websiteConnecting Google Search Console and submitting a sitemap for itAdding structured data and schema markups to your websiteVerifying and optimizing your Google My Business pageAdding optimized images to your Google My BusinessAdding a blog page and social media links to your websiteCreating a video report that details what changes we made to your SEO and recommended next stepsStep 7: Create Your Databox Account 

Your Databox account allows us to track your marketing metrics and gives us real-time insights into what’s improved. We set your account up for you, then connect all your data sources to it: Google Analytics, Facebook, LinkedIn company page, Twitter, and Mailchimp or Constant Contact. We then send you a marketing metrics snapshot each month so you can see how your marketing is working.  

Step 8: Create Your Digital Marketing Plan

We finalize all these steps by putting together a Digital Marketing Plan (DMP) that highlights everything we’re doing to help you grow your business. In this PDF, you’ll see snapshots of your: 

Target marketContent calendarCompany biosSocial media profilesEmail templateMarketing metricsMarketing goalsUpcoming checkpoints to watch out forContact info for Indigo Marketing Agency

Similar to a financial plan, this digital marketing plan serves as your go-to resource for what we’ve done (and will continue to do) to build your marketing foundation. See a sample Digital Marketing Plan here! 

Step 9: Get Started on Your Marketing! 

It’s showtime, baby! By now we’ve built a strong marketing foundation for you—and we’re ready to start putting your marketing plan into action. Here’s where we hand you off to your dedicated Account Manager who will serve as your go-to contact at Indigo Marketing Agency. 

We then get busy creating a custom article for you each month that improves your SEO and keeps you top of mind. We also post on your social media channels three times a week and perform one hour of website management each month. You can read more about our Total Marketing Package (which includes our marketing foundations setup) here.  

Ready to Build Your Marketing Foundation?

At Indigo Marketing Agency, helping you build a strong marketing foundation is what we do best. It’s our bread and butter, our lifeblood, if you will. 

A lot goes into building a strong marketing foundation. And we’ve spent years perfecting the process and developing a system that saves you time, money, and headaches. 

If you’re looking for marketing that’s truly done for you, schedule a free strategy session with us now! During this one-hour call, we’ll talk about some of your favorite clients, identify what’s worked for your marketing and what’s not, and give our honest advice on how you can strengthen your marketing foundation today. 

Ready to get started? Schedule your call here. We can’t wait to chat with you!

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5 Blog Post Topics Every Financial Advisor Should Have on Their Site

If you’re a financial advisor, you probably know that creating consistent content is key to increasing your online presence and generating referrals. But when it comes to your blog, what should you write about? 

Every time I meet an advisor who hasn’t done much marketing in the past, one of the first questions they ask is, “What should I post on my blog?” Having written thousands of blog posts for financial advisors at Indigo Marketing Agency, we’ve learned a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t. 

With that in mind, I want to share our 5 top-performing blog topics for financial advisors in 2021! These topics have been wildly popular so far, so add them to your content calendar now for maximum exposure.

1. How I Manage My Own Money

I don’t care what you put in this post—people are going to click on it. Your clients, your friends, your colleagues, anyone who gets their hands on this article will be curious to know how you manage your own money. In fact, this topic is so popular that our advisor clients who have used it have seen a 30% click-through rate, which is insanely high.  

What you actually write about will depend on how you manage your own money and how much you’re willing to share. But the overall purpose is to get people thinking about your process and how they should manage their finances and investments. 

Insider tip: If you’re a client of ours, we’ll write this article for you! 

2. Lessons I Learned From the Last Recession

People are nervous. The market is high. Recessions are inevitable, and people want to know how they can prepare for the next one. This article is an opportunity to talk about the lessons you learned from the last recession and how you help your clients protect their own portfolios in times of turbulence. It’s a great conversation starter. 

3. Empathy During Uncertain Times

The word “unprecedented” has been overused these past two years, but it’s true. We’re living in uncertain times and your clients are likely missing the “human” element that was once a common part of life. (You know, like seeing family on the weekends and having advisor meetings in person.) This blog post is a great way to be more authentic with your audience by talking about what you’re grateful for and how you’ve helped your clients during the pandemic.  

4. How My Family Lost Everything

This topic won’t apply to everyone, but it’s pure gold if it fits your situation. Here’s some backstory on it…

We actually got this blog post topic idea from one of our own advisor clients. His grandfather had built a fortune, only to lose it by making one wrong mistake. Subsequent generations lost out on what should have been a family legacy, so this advisor was inspired to rebuild it for the generations to come after him. (His grandfather’s misfortune was actually his motivation for becoming a financial advisor.)

If you have a similar story—even if it’s on a smaller scale—opening up and sharing it with your audience can be a great way to make connections and encourage them to contact you. 

5. Why I Became a Financial Advisor

This last topic is tried and true. It’s the very first topic we write about for all our new financial advisor clients because it’s almost guaranteed to be your top-performing blog post. 

One of my favorite sayings is, “People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.” This starts with sharing your story. People want to know the “why” behind your firm. They want to know what inspired you to get into this industry and what keeps you motivated to keep going. 

Ready to Level Up Your Blogging Game?

Content is king—and blog posts are critical to positioning yourself as an expert and staying top of mind online.

At Indigo Marketing Agency, we specialize in creating custom content for independent financial advisors. Our most popular service (our Total Marketing Package) includes one custom blog post or video each month. We take this blog post and add it to your website, send it to your email list, and share it across all your social media channels to help keep you top of mind. 

If you haven’t been sending out content to remind your clients and prospects about what you do and how you can help, now is the time to get started. Schedule your free strategy call with us and we’ll go over which custom topics we think will perform best in your marketing. 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.

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How Financial Advisors Can Use Videos in Their Marketing

If you know me, you know I love creating videos. It’s one of the easiest, most efficient ways to reach your audience. It requires no editing, no proofreading, and no time spent at the keyboard trying to figure out what to write. 

Videos also perform really well. For the advisors we work with, we know that if we send out a blog post with a video, it will receive twice as many clicks as the same topic in text format. If you’re comfortable creating videos, I highly recommend you jump in front of a camera and commit to using them in your marketing. They’re effective and almost guaranteed to work.  

Wondering the best way to create videos as a financial advisor? Watch this short video as I walk you through how I make creating videos for myself really easy—and how you can too.

3 Easy Ways to Create Videos As a Financial Advisor

There are three main ways I recommend financial advisors create videos. The right method for you will depend on your firm, style, budget, and preferences. 

Method 1: Record Yourself on Zoom

At this point, we’re all comfortable hopping on Zoom calls. Because of this, one of the quickest ways to create a video is to simply record a Zoom call of yourself talking on whichever topic you think will resonate with your audience.

If you’re a client of ours, this type of video service is included in your marketing. We take your Zoom video, edit it, deploy it on your website, promote it on social media, and make you look great. All we need is the raw video footage. 

Method 2: Go to a Video Studio

The second method is to actually go into a studio and have a professional video made. This can be a cost-effective way to create high-quality, evergreen videos for your website as the studio has all of the best camera, lighting, and audio equipment. I personally went to a studio to create the videos for my home page (the ones with the white background). It was a great investment in my business and a great use of my time. 

Method 3: Bring a Video Crew to Your Office

The third way is to have a video crew come to your office and shoot the footage for you. This is the method I use most. Twice a month, I set up a video shoot, have the crew come to my office for about an hour, and we shoot small videos like the one in this article. 

This is a great method for busy advisors who need help sticking to a schedule. If you have a crew coming to your office every month, then you have a built-in deadline to prepare your videos and get them out on time. 

3 Video Topics Every Financial Advisor Should Have

Okay, by now you may be sold on the idea of using videos in your marketing. But now the question is, what should you talk about? I recommend every advisor start with these three video topics: 

1. Why You Became a Financial Advisor

Every person who happens upon on your website wants to know why you started your firm and why you’re passionate about what you do. Put this video on your About Me or Team page and it’s guaranteed to grab some attention.

2. Who You Serve and How You Help

This is a great video to add to your home page as it gives a brief overview of the types of clients you serve and how you help them accomplish their goals. 

3. What to Expect When You Work With Us

This last video is great for your Services page. It gives an overview of your process and what potential clients can expect when they hire you. 

Do you start new client relationships with an introductory call? A short survey? How many times do you meet before you create a personalized financial plan? This video addresses all these unknowns, so prospects feel at ease about taking the next step with you.

Need Help With Your Marketing?

If you need help creating videos as a financial advisor, schedule a free strategy session here. Together, we’ll brainstorm the best ways for you to connect with your audience on camera. 

And if you’re a current client of ours, reach out if you’d like to put some video topics on your calendar. Once you record, we’ll edit your raw footage, make it look great, and deploy it across your website and social media channels. 

To learn more about what we do for financial advisors and their marketing, watch my free webinar on What We Do & How We Help. In this webinar, I walk you through everything financial advisors need to know about marketing. You can even use this information to do your own marketing if you don’t want to work with us directly. 

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

The post How Financial Advisors Can Use Videos in Their Marketing appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.