Claire Akin's Blog, page 23
January 11, 2021
We’ve Been Featured In The Investments & Wealth Monitor!
We are thrilled to have a new article published in the December 2020 issue of the Investments & Wealth Monitor, a bimonthly educational magazine for financial professionals published by Investments & Wealth Institute.
The November/December 2020 issue was all about behavioral science; most notably how advisors can help clients make rational investment decisions by understanding and identifying common biases they hold.
My article, “How to Choose the Best Technology for Your Investment Advisory Firm,” takes it a step further by diving into how you (as a financial professional) can invest in yourself through proper technology.
In the article, we cover:
Five tips for choosing the right technology for your firmThe best technologies for client experienceThe best technologies for growing your businessHow much of your budget should go toward digital marketingHow to decide if you should outsource your marketingWhere advisors can find more supportIt’s an information-packed feature full of wonderful ideas to help you leverage technology to fuel your business goals.
Read the full feature here and let me know what you think!
About Investments & Wealth InstituteInvestments & Wealth Institute is a professional association, advanced education provider, and standards body for financial advisors, investment consultants, and wealth managers who embrace excellence and ethics. Through their events, continuing education courses, publications, and advanced certifications, Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®), Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), and Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®), the Institute delivers premier-quality, practical education to advanced practitioners in more than 38 countries.
Need Help Growing Your Business?The coronavirus pandemic has brought on a digital revolution in the financial services space. The advisors who embrace this change and adopt new technologies are the ones who will make the biggest impact on their clients’ lives. More than ever, you need integrated tools and solutions to show your clients you care and help them continue moving forward during these challenging times.
If you need help leveraging technology to grow your business, please reach out to us. We’d love to hear about your situation and offer suggestions on how you can attract your ideal clients, increase your AUM, and accomplish your goals through digital marketing. Schedule your complimentary meeting now to get started.
The post We’ve Been Featured In The Investments & Wealth Monitor! appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.
December 23, 2020
Happy Holidays and My Gift To You This Year! (Video)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all the financial advisors out there! Today, I am wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday. As my gift to you, learn everything there is to know about marketing for financial advisors with The Marketing Guide For Financial Advisors on Amazon now at our lowest price ever! Also, please join us for our latest webinar, How To Grow Your Business by 25% in 2021 by clicking here to register. See you in 2021!
The post Happy Holidays and My Gift To You This Year! (Video) appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.
November 23, 2020
Happy Thanksgiving & Personal Update! (Video)
Happy Thanksgiving to all of the amazing independent financial advisors out there. Thanks so much for being a part of the Indigo Marketing Agency family. Please enjoy this brief 2020 business and personal update. If you need help sending a video update like this to your clients and network, get in touch today by scheduling your marketing strategy call now. Stay safe and have a great holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!
The post Happy Thanksgiving & Personal Update! (Video) appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.
Do You Know SEO? Webinar featuring BuddyIns CEO Marc Glickman
Indigo Marketing Agency’s marketing expert Claire Akin and BuddyIns CEO Marc Glickman recently joined forces in a new webinar, Do You Know SEO?
During this webinar, Claire and Marc share secrets to SEO success.
Claire and Marc discuss:
How search engine optimization works
What content leads to the best outcomes
Tips to help your website generate more traffic
Why SEO is important for more than just leads
Register for the webinar here.
The Presenters
About Claire Akin
Claire runs Indigo Marketing Agency, a firm dedicated to helping independent financial advisors embrace a specialty to serve more of the clients they love. Her team creates custom content for advisors and runs their website, email, and social media marketing.
About Marc Glickman, FSA, CLTCMarc Glickman is CEO and co-founder of BuddyIns.com; a community of long term care planning experts. His mission is to help families across the country get an LTC plan and to support the 44 million caregivers in the US.
Ready To Grow Your Business?
If you’re struggling to figure out the type of clients you want to target with your marketing, follow these three steps. It’s worked for dozens of other independent financial advisors, and I know it’ll work for you too.
If you have any questions about your marketing, schedule a free strategy session with our team. We’d love to help you put together a marketing plan that attracts your ideal client, grows your business, and positions you as the go-to expert in your niche.
The post Do You Know SEO? Webinar featuring BuddyIns CEO Marc Glickman appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.
Do You Know SEO? Webinar featuring Indigo’s Marketing Expert Claire Akin
Indigo Marketing Agency’s marketing expert Claire Akin was recently featured as a guest exert on BuddyIns webinar “Do You Know SEO?” with Mark Glickman.
During this webinar, Claire shares her secrets to SEO success with BuddyIns CEO Marc Glickman.
Claire and Marc discuss:
How search engine optimization works
What content leads to the best outcomes
Tips to help your website generate more traffic
Why SEO is important for more than just leads
The Presenters
About Claire Akin
Claire runs Indigo Marketing Agency, a firm dedicated to helping independent financial advisors embrace a specialty to serve more of the clients they love. Her team creates custom content for advisors and runs their website, email, and social media marketing.
About Marc Glickman, FSA, CLTCMarc Glickman is CEO and co-founder of BuddyIns.com; a community of long term care planning experts. His mission is to help families across the country get an LTC plan and to support the 44 million caregivers in the US.
Ready To Grow Your Business?
If you’re struggling to figure out the type of clients you want to target with your marketing, follow these three steps. It’s worked for dozens of other independent financial advisors, and I know it’ll work for you too.
If you have any questions about your marketing, schedule a free strategy session with our team. We’d love to help you put together a marketing plan that attracts your ideal client, grows your business, and positions you as the go-to expert in your niche.
The post Do You Know SEO? Webinar featuring Indigo’s Marketing Expert Claire Akin appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.
November 20, 2020
What You Need To Know About The Financial Advisor Landscape in 2021
There are more than a few reasons to look forward to 2021. Here at Indigo Marketing, we feel that too. So, we wanted to give you a sneak peek into what the financial advisor landscape may look like next year, starting with what the most current trends are today.
What The Statistics Say
Right now, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are approximately 263,000 financial advisors in the United States. While data surrounding how many people actually use financial advisors is scarce, one recent survey suggested that only 17% of the survey’s respondents indicated that they used a financial advisor. If that statistic holds true across the board, this signifies that approximately 56 million Americans use financial advisors and each advisor has approximately 212 clients, on average.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for financial advisors is $87,850 per year, with the average salary being approximately $121,770 per year. The average age of a financial advisor is estimated to be 51 years old in 2020.
As you know, fees for financial advisors vary depending on the investment amount, and the average fees this year ranged from $590 for smaller investors to $117,000 for mega-investors. The average advisor fee for an investment of $1 million was 1.02%, or $10,200, and for an investment amount of $500,000, the average advisor fee was 1.05%, or $5,250.
From 2013 to 2016, the median assets under management (AUM) grew 6% from $86 million to $92 million. If this trend continues, by 2021, the median AUM for financial advisors will hover around $97 million.
Shifting Generations
As baby boomers continue to retire, financial advisors across the country have started targeting the younger generations, Generation X and millennials, to varying degrees of success. One recent study suggested that the scarcity of new relationships are undercutting AUM growth. In any case, the next decade will be critical for financial advisors to connect with younger generations, as baby boomers shift from saving to spending their assets, and interest from newer clients continues to wane.
However, the profession of financial advisors will continue to grow at an average pace, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By the year 2029, employment of financial advisors will increase by 4%., which means at that time there will be 274,600 financial advisors.
According to one recent report, the number of independent broker-dealer firms has been in a steady decline for the past decade, resulting in 819 firms in 2018. Meanwhile, the number of RIA firms has increased from 9,538 to 15,645 over the same time period.
The Top In The Industry
The top five broker-dealers by AUM includes Fidelity Investments, Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, Edward Jones, and Raymond James. Fidelity boasts 8,200 advisors. Coming in second and third, respectively, Charles Schwab has 1,200 financial advisors and TD Ameritrade has 6,000. Edward Jones has 14,000 advisors, and Raymond James has 8,100 financial advisors.
According to Barron’s, the top five registered investment advisors (RIAs) includes Edelman, CIBC Private Wealth Management, Hightower Advisors, Creative Planning, and Mariner Wealth Advisors. Edelman serves just over a million clients and has a team of 332 financial advisors. CIBC has 8,110 clients and 130 financial advisors. Hightower boasts 37,890 clients and 178 advisors. Creative Planning has 252 financial advisors and 33,085 clients. Mariner Wealth Advisors has 346 advisors serving 23,500 clients.
Are You Ready For 2021?
Do these numbers excite you? With all the uncertainty that 2020 brought, it’s refreshing to have confidence that the financial advisor landscape looks bright for 2021 and beyond.
If you have any questions about your marketing strategy for 2021, schedule a free strategy session with our team. We’d love to help you put together a customized marketing plan that attracts your ideal client and keeps your business growing for decades to come.
The post What You Need To Know About The Financial Advisor Landscape in 2021 appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.
October 22, 2020
How To Select Your Niche (For Financial Advisors)
Struggling to figure out the best niche for your firm? You’re not alone. When a financial advisor tells us they need help to select their niche, we recommend they do three things:
Watch our workshop webinar on embracing a specialty.
Send out a client survey.
Create a “Who We Serve” statement.
We’ve had dozens of advisors follow these three foolproof steps. Every single one of them has come out on the other side with a clearly defined niche that allows them to duplicate their favorite clients and grow their business.
This process takes a few hours to complete, but I promise it’s valuable and worthwhile.
Ready to get started? Here’s how to select your niche in three simple steps.
1. Watch This Webinar On Choosing A Radically Relevant Niche
Before you invest money into your marketing plan, you need to know who you’re trying to reach. That’s why for Step 1, we recommend watching this webinar on How To Choose Your Niche & Create A Radically Relevant Marketing Message.
This is an exclusive workshop webinar that I created with Bill Cates, bestselling author of Get More Referrals Now! and Beyond Referrals.
Together, Bill and I help you:
Figure out what you do best.
Identify potential niches.
Create a clear vision for growing your firm.
Decide which top clients you truly love working with & which ones you want to repel.
We recently had an advisor who had no clue what his niche should be. After going through our webinar, he discovered that 95% of his favorite clients are executives making between $150k and $300k a year.
In just a couple of hours, he went from having no clue what he should specialize in to having a clear vision of who he serves best.
2. Send A Survey To Your Favorite Clients
You may have some unanswered questions about your ideal client after you watch the webinar. Jot those questions down and send them out to your favorite clients in a quick survey format.
Their responses will help you understand your ideal client better and craft a marketing message that compels them to take action.
Here are some sample questions you could include:
Why did you choose to work with us instead of someone else?
What do you think we do best?
How do you describe us to friends or family?
What do you do for fun?
What causes are you passionate about?
Where do you get your news?
What is your biggest financial goal?
What problem do we solve for you?
What don’t we do that you would like us to do?
What’s one thing you wish we would stop doing?
Once you have your questions, it’s time to create your survey. If you’re an Indigo client, just let us know which questions you like and we’ll create your survey and send it out to your list for you.
If you’re not a client of ours, you can use the website Typeform to create your survey. It’s free and easy to use.
3. Create Your Final “Who We Serve” Statement
The final step is to create your “Who We Serve” statement. This statement answers an important question in your marketing strategy: “What one urgent problem do you solve for your specific niche?”
Your answer should be succinct because you and your clients will use it to describe your firm to other people.
Instead of clients saying, “My financial advisor is great! They helped me put together a financial plan,” they can say, “My financial advisor specializes in helping women make smarter decisions with their money.”
See how powerful that is? It’s short, easy to remember, and most importantly, it’s descriptive. It clearly states the specific problem you solve for a particular group of people. When someone hears it, they’ll automatically know if your firm is a good fit for their needs.
Two Templates To Use For Your “Who We Serve” Statement
There are two different templates you can use for your “Who We Serve” statement. The first one is: “I help [TARGET AUDIENCE] do [XYZ].”
Here are some examples:
I help individuals and families prepare for all of life’s milestones and events.
I help retirees and pre-retirees bridge the gap from work to retirement.
I help business owners and entrepreneurs stress-test their financial plan to identify red flags and missed opportunities.
I help individuals live comfortably in retirement and enjoy the assets they have spent their career building.
I help individuals and families pursue financial independence.
The second template is “I specialize in providing [SERVICES] to [TARGET AUDIENCE].”
Here are some examples:
We are a faith-based independent financial services firm providing financial planning and retirement planning to pre-retirees and 401(k) plan participants.
I specialize in providing comprehensive wealth management and financial services to individuals, professionals, and families who enjoy simplicity and seek a professional to help them pursue their goals.
I specialize in providing retirement and income planning to state and federal employees.
At Indigo, our “Who We Serve” statement is: “I help specialist advisors target their ideal prospects with content marketing.”
Ready To Grow Your Business?
If you’re struggling to figure out the type of clients you want to target with your marketing, follow these three steps. It’s worked for dozens of other independent financial advisors, and I know it’ll work for you too.
If you have any questions about your marketing, schedule a free strategy session with our team. We’d love to help you put together a marketing plan that attracts your ideal client, grows your business, and positions you as the go-to expert in your niche.
The post How To Select Your Niche (For Financial Advisors) appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.
October 6, 2020
4 Things Millennials Need From Their Financial Advisors
Millennials—you either love ’em or you hate ’em. They’re passionate about causes like sustainability and social responsibility, but they’re also upending traditional American institutions like marriage and casual dining.
Either way, millennials now make up the majority of the global workforce, and as they rise to the top, they’ll be looking for financial advisors to help them manage their growing wealth.
Benefits Of Working With Millennials
Even though millennials have been labeled as entitled, picky, and impatient, they have good qualities too. They are intentional about making choices that align with their values. They like to work for companies that boast a greater purpose to make the world a better place to live. They’re achievement-oriented and love to collaborate to solve problems.
But besides these good qualities, there are three main reasons why financial advisors might want to start setting their sights on millennials.
Majority Of Workforce
As I said, millennials now make up the majority of the workforce. They’re in the early wealth-building stages of their lives. And although they’ve gotten off to a rocky start after the Great Recession of 2008, many have found success as entrepreneurs and in higher-level positions in their careers.
Over the next couple of decades, millennials will replace older generations as investors and real estate owners, so they’ll need financial advisors to guide them toward financial success.
Inheritance From Older Generations
Millennials are also projected to inherit over $68 trillion from their baby boomer parents by the year 2030. Some believe that millennials will be the richest generation in history after this wealth transfer occurs.
And huge inheritances will mean that financial advisors are in high demand.
Growing Complexity Of Financial Needs
As millennials get older, their financial complexity keeps growing. In fact, I’m one of the oldest of the millennial generation and I need help from my advisor with all of the following:
Retirement planning
Tax planning
Life insurance
Real estate
College planning for my kids
Long-term care planning
Estate planning
Because of the life stage that millennials are in or approaching, they have a lot of financial planning needs you can help with.
What Millennials Need From You
Working with millennials might seem less desirable than serving older, high-net-worth clients. But financial advisors who choose to work with them now are playing the long game. This could ensure the success of your business for decades.
Millennials do come with unique challenges, and financial advisors may have to adopt new strategies in working with them. Below, I explain a few things to be aware that millennial clients might need.
1. Debt Repayment Plans
Millennials are reckoning with enormous amounts of debt, mostly stemming from student loans. At this point in their financial journeys, millennials need advice on debt repayment plans. They’re looking for strategies to pay off their debt faster. As an objective financial advisor, you can offer them strategies and plans that they may not otherwise see as options.
And when it comes to net worth, millennials’ current positions are (to put it mildly) lagging behind. In 2019, millennials’ net worth averaged at a mere $8,000, even though they’re between 24-39 years old. As they pay down their debt, their net worth will increase. They’re getting there.
For now, they need your advice on how to grow and manage their net worth so that they can develop into the high-paying clients you want to see down the road.
2. Comprehensive Financial Planning
In addition to debt repayment plans, millennials need comprehensive financial planning advice. They need help starting or boosting their retirement plans and saving as much as they comfortably can.
Millennials are also increasingly entering the real estate market. Most millennials state that the biggest obstacle they face when it comes to purchasing a home is not being able to save enough for a down payment.
Helping your millennial clients set realistic savings goals—and keeping them accountable to those goals—will bolster their confidence in your expertise and advice for years to come.
Not surprisingly, millennials may not have the capital right now to meet your minimum investment requirements. If possible, you may want to consider lowering your minimums for this clientele in the early years to develop relationships that could pay off in the long run.
3. Virtual Availability
Millennials prefer to work virtually as much as possible and spook at the prospect of phone calls and in-person meetings. Even before the COVID-19 crisis compelled many companies to switch to remote operations, millennials were already working online and seem to prefer careers that allow them flexible remote-work options.
As first-generation digital natives, millennials are comfortable using online spaces in almost all areas of their lives. And millennials often work multiple jobs to make ends meet, so they appreciate saving as much time as they can by scheduling meetings and other work online.
In fact, a Gallup poll found that 87% of millennials already use the internet to manage their finances. They’ll likely be comfortable meeting with you virtually and using screen-sharing options to go over financial documents and plans. If you’re able to accommodate millennials’ online preferences, they may be even more inclined to work with you over other financial advisors.
4. Reassurance
Perhaps most of all, millennial clients want to know that they can trust you. They want to understand your process and know that you’re working with their best interests in mind.
Millennials have been through two financial crashes since reaching adulthood, so they’re skittish when it comes to investing in the stock market and buying their first home. Your reassurance in these areas—as well as your transparency—will encourage them to put their money to work for them.
Millennials value education and transparency. Most advisors I work with value client education as well. You won’t find more eager listeners or invested self-educators than millennials, and you may find their enthusiasm for what you do to be rewarding in and of itself.
We Can Help You Attract Strong Millennial Clients
Ultimately, millennials want to do better for themselves and for the world they live in. In the coming years, we predict that they’ll be hiring financial advisors at record rates. Financial advisors who understand and adapt to millennials’ unique needs (and quirky personalities) are setting themselves up to be in business for decades to come.
If you need help marketing in a digital world and adapting your firm toward millennials, we’re here for you! We’ll start by aligning your marketing strategy with the unique needs of this clientele. Schedule your free call and get customized recommendations on how you can best reach the next generation to keep your business growing for decades to come.
About Claire
Claire Akin runs Indigo Marketing Agency, a marketing firm serving top independent financial advisors. Claire is a former Investment Advisor Representative who holds her MBA in Marketing from the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego as well as a BA in Economics from UC Davis. It’s her goal to help specialist advisors target their ideal prospects with content marketing.
The post 4 Things Millennials Need From Their Financial Advisors appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.
September 9, 2020
What Advisors Are Saying About My Latest Book (The Marketing Guide For Financial Advisors)
I released my latest book, The Marketing Guide For Financial Advisors, about a year ago. It’s always nerve-racking to pour your heart and soul into a book because you never truly know what people will think.
But I’m happy to report that The Marketing Guide For Financial Advisors has received glowing reviews since its release. In fact, it has a perfect 5-star rating on Amazon. I can’t believe it!
I want to take this time to share some reviews with you, so you know why advisors find it so valuable.
What Is The Marketing Guide For Financial Advisors About?
For those of you who don’t know, The Marketing Guide For Financial Advisors uncovers the truth about how independent financial advisors really get new clients in today’s digital world. It gives you step-by-step instructions on how to:
Create a user-friendly website that converts prospects into clients
Build a content strategy that starts the conversation
Utilize social media to get in front of your ideal prospects
Use SEO to get more traffic to your website
Embrace a specialty that commands higher fees
Use webinars to warm up prospects
And more
FA News reviewed my book in February 2020 saying, “Claire Akin’s The Marketing Guide for Financial Advisors has something for all advisors, from those who hold their noses at the mere thought of self-promotion, to FAs eager to fine-tune their current marketing strategies.”
Here’s a closer look at what advisors love about this book.
1. It takes the guesswork out of building your marketing engine.
I talk to advisors every day who want to grow their business but have no idea how to do it. Strategies that used to work don’t anymore, and they’re frustrated. I created this book to teach you everything I know about digital marketing for financial advisors. It’s full of actionable advice you can trust.
Here’s what two advisors had to say:
Kevin R. says:
As a practicing financial advisor and CPA, I have read what seems like all of the marketing books centered around marketing a professional services practice. Claire is one of the very few that I believe have helped my businesses the most. This book provides clear and concise strategies and tactics that I’m sure will help your advisory business succeed. I know it has helped mine.
Madison WI user says:
We’re a small RIA firm and I happened to run across Claire’s name in an XY Planning Network chat on Facebook. With some of her suggestions, we’re consistently rated high in Google searches. Highly recommended.
2. It’s written in plain language.
The marketing industry is full of technical jargon: search engine optimization, Google Analytics, click-through rates, and so on. It’s enough to make you want to stick your head in the sand. I wrote this book so that even the most technologically challenged advisors will find it useful.
Here’s what some advisors had to say:
Charlie Van Derven says:
The Marketing Guide for Financial Advisors is a concise explanation of marketing concepts, from simple to complex. Claire offers a very clear explanation of all concepts and provides a game plan for advisors to follow step-by-step.
Amazon user billthinx says:
It’s refreshing to read a book written in “plain English” without jargon and needlessly complicated prose. You won’t need to be a marketing wiz to understand the logic behind the recommendations. I picked up some new ideas and tools to try.
Ray Dunlap says:
I have been a financial advisor for 36 years and have read countless books about our industry…But I have never read a better book than this one. While the message is primarily about marketing, it’s also about effective ways to manage a practice—from maximizing the technological tools available to getting the most for your marketing dollar. [Claire] takes important marketing ideas and makes them easy for anyone to understand and to apply to their practice. If you’re an advisor, you really need to add this to your library of great books!!
3. It breaks down each marketing channel and gives practical tips on how to use each one to grow your business.
The Marketing Guide For Financial Advisors is only 145 pages, but it’s jam-packed with practical advice on how to grow your business and connect with your ideal prospect. I use each chapter to break down a different financial advisor marketing channel. And I teach you how to use each one to build a career (and life) you love.
Richard H. Moon says:
Excellent book and tremendous resource for financial advisors. Many similar books talk about general marketing concepts. This book, however, gave extremely practical and tactical guidance on how to make the most of social media and other platforms and technology available in this day and age. Highly recommend!
Amazon user Marc Glickman says:
In her book, [Claire] goes through the major digital marketing channels and tips for each one. Content marketing, email, website, webinar, SEO are all covered. Don’t hesitate—buy this book. It will be an investment that you won’t regret!
Amazon user David says:
I tell my coaching clients that their team’s top 5 jobs are:
Relationship management (i.e. delivering on your Client Service Promise)
Growing your business at your desired rate
Management oversight of your team and their work product
Portfolio management (whether or not outsourced)
Ensuring messes are cleaned up quickly
This book focuses on the “growing your business” part with a focus on digital marketing. It does that better than any book or manual I have seen.
Want to read The Marketing Guide For Financial Advisors for yourself? Order it now on Amazon and check out more 5-star reviews.
Are You Ready To Grow Your Business Through Digital Marketing?
I gave away 90% of what I know about digital marketing for financial advisors in my latest book. But if you want even more help growing your business through digital marketing, I’d like to invite you to schedule a free strategy session with our team. During this call, we’ll talk about your current marketing strategy, what’s working, and what could be improved. From there, we’ll offer suggestions on what you can do to grow your business and attract new clients. Schedule your free strategy call here.
The post What Advisors Are Saying About My Latest Book (The Marketing Guide For Financial Advisors) appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.
7 Blogging Mistakes Advisors Make (& How To Avoid Them)
Could you be making the following blogging mistakes?
Are you interested in creating your own content? I come across financial advisors every day who are eager to write their own websites, articles, newsletters, and more.
But having worked in this industry for quite some time, I’ve come to realize some common blogging mistakes advisors make when creating their own content. My goal is to share those mistakes with you today, along with some tips on how to avoid them.
Ready? Here are 7 ways advisors go wrong in creating their own content.
Mistake 1: Focusing On The Wrong Topics
Most advisors want to talk about technical topics, such as investment strategies, Monte Carlo simulations, and sequence of returns risk. But your clients and prospects couldn’t care less about these topics. Instead, they want to know that you empathize with them and understand their unique situation.
Put yourself in your client’s shoes and write about the concerns they have. Ask yourself:
Who will read this article?
What questions or concerns do they have?
Then write based on these answers. Not only will this help you master the art of empathy, but it’ll help you connect with your audience on a deeper level.
Wondering what you should write about? We put together a list of 170+ content ideas for financial blogs.
Mistake 2: Failing To Include A Call To Action
What do you want your audience to do after they land on your web page? Schedule a call with you? Download a free report? Sign up for your newsletter?
You can have the most captivating website on the planet and still have your marketing message fall flat if you don’t have a strong call to action (CTA).
CTAs are an effective way to convert prospects into clients because they create a sense of urgency. They make it easy for people to take the next step.
For financial advisors, your CTA might be something like:
Schedule your complimentary 15-minute phone consultation.
Get your free financial review.
Download your free Social Security report.
Need more inspiration? Check out these three top-performing CTA examples for financial advisors.
Mistake 3: Writing Too Complex
The financial services industry is loaded with complex jargon and terminology. But remember, your ideal client has never heard of these words before. If they land on your site and see a bunch of phrases they don’t understand, you’ll scare them away.
Ideally, you want your writing to be on a 6th- or 7th-grade reading level. This ensures the majority of people who land on your site will understand what you’re saying.
There are two tools you can use to make sure your writing is both engaging and easy to read. The first tool is the Flesch Ease Reading Test. It uses a complex formula to measure the readability of your writing:
206.835 – 1.015 x (total words/total sentences) – 84.6 x (total syllables/total words)
You then get a score of 0 to 100. The higher your score, the easier your content is to understand. For example, a score of 90 means your writing is on a 6th-grade level, while a score of 30 means it’s on a college level. If you use the Yoast SEO plugin for your website, it calculates your Flesch Ease Reading score for you!
The second tool is the Hemingway Editor, a free website that I personally use all the time. All you do is copy and paste your writing onto the web page. Then the editor gives you a readability score, highlights difficult-to-read sentences, and suggests words you can remove or replace to make your writing more clear and concise.
Mistake 4: Not Being Consistent
Most advisors write when inspiration strikes, then disappear into the internet ether until inspiration strikes again. But this isn’t good for your audience or your content marketing strategy.
Writing high-quality content on a regular basis is key to staying top-of-mind, driving traffic back to your website, and helping your posts rank better in search results.
You don’t have to publish something every day, but it should be consistent. Think about how much content you can comfortably write each month—even if it’s just two blog posts and a newsletter—and stick to that schedule.
To prevent overwhelm, I recommend using an editorial calendar to hold yourself accountable. The Indigo team created a free marketing calendar for financial advisors; feel free to use it to create consistent, high-quality content your prospects will love.
Mistake 5: Not Being Authentic
People hire you because they trust your insights and recommendations, so put that into your writing. If you believe all debt is bad and strongly encourage your clients to pay off everything (including their mortgage) before they retire, write about it. If you believe a second-to-die life insurance policy is the best way to leave a tax-free legacy to your heirs, write about it.
Don’t be afraid to take strong positions on the topics that matter most to you. Your website is often the first impression prospects will have of you and your firm. Show them what you value most.
Here are three tips for infusing authenticity into your writing:
Write the way you speak. This isn’t a college paper you’re writing, so there’s no need to be dull or overly technical. Remember, the point of writing is to connect with your audience. Imagine what you’d say if your ideal audience was sitting right in front of you, and then put those words on paper.
Stick to topics that excite you. Create a list of topics that excite you intellectually and creatively. When you’re passionate about a topic, your personality has no choice but to shine through.
Write first, then edit. Set a timer for 25 minutes and just write down whatever comes to mind. Don’t edit. Don’t reread. Just write. Let whatever thoughts and ideas you have about a particular topic land on paper. Then go back and edit for clarity.
Mistake 6: Going At It Alone
As an advisor, your schedule is already full to the brim with client meetings, financial planning, and administrative tasks. There’s only so much time you can devote to writing. And even if you have the time, you may not have the expertise to craft a digital marketing strategy that generates leads and helps you grow your business.
Don’t make the mistake of going at it alone.
There are several digital marketing agencies out there—such as Indigo Marketing Agency—that specialize in digital marketing for financial advisors. When I ask advisors what they value most about our services, their #1 response is that we take the marketing work off their plate so they can focus on their clients. We’re more than happy to do the same for you.
Mistake 7: Not Embracing A Specialty
Most advisors make the mistake of wanting to be all things to all people. They fear that choosing a niche will alienate high-quality prospects that may not fit that mold.
But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
One of the most effective ways to maximize your marketing ROI is to embrace a specialty. When done correctly, you can choose a niche that doesn’t alienate anyone. Then you can become a go-to expert by writing extensively on that topic.
If you specialize in serving pre-retirees, you may write about:
Withdrawal strategies they can use for each of their retirement accounts
Common mistakes they’ll want to avoid during their first 10 years of retirement
Tax strategies they can use to maximize their legacy
How to cover healthcare costs in retirement
Then, when a pre-retiree lands on your website, they’ll get sucked in by all the valuable content you’ve created. Before you know it, they’ll be scheduling a call with you to learn more.
Need help selecting a niche? Watch this free workshop webinar on how to choose your specialty.
Ready To Grow Your Business With High-Quality Content?
Creating content that drives your audience to take action requires a special skill set (not to mention it adds more work to your plate). Instead of sinking time and energy into creating content yourself, consider outsourcing it to professionals who specialize in marketing for financial advisors.
At Indigo Marketing Agency, we craft custom marketing strategies for financial advisors. Our Total Marketing Package includes a monthly article that’s written with your tone and target audience in mind. Schedule a free strategy call with our team to learn more.
The post 7 Blogging Mistakes Advisors Make (& How To Avoid Them) appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.
