Claire Akin's Blog, page 35

How to Market a Boring Product

Is financial planning boring? I don’t think so, you probably don’t think so, but it is almost certain that a large number of our clients and prospects think so. The perception that our industry is boring is actually a gift. If it were fascinating and easy to understand, clients wouldn’t be so interested in outsourcing the job. However, marketing a less-than-exciting product takes some extra creativity in order to stand out in the minds of potential customers. Check out these three tips on how to market a boring product in a memorable way.

Engage Your Clients’ Imaginations

The US Navy owns thousands of technologies, many of which they market to the public in order to create licensing agreements with private industry. Some of the technologies are complicated early-stage engineering ideas in the form of patent filings. However, when the marketing team for the Department of Defense made this video about the Robotic Relay System, they focused on what the technology can do, not how it is used. The viewer is free to use their own imagination to come up with unique possibilities. As a result of the video’s success, the Robotic Relay System was licensed to multiple different private companies for completely different applications.

Focus on what financial planning could bring to your clients’ lives and let their imaginations do the rest. Invite them to dream about what they would do with an early retirement, or fully funded college plans, or excess savings to travel anywhere in the world. Their imagination will create a scenario far more exciting and motivating to them than anything you could prescribe.

Weave a Story

Humans are social creatures and we relate to each other through stories. We also perceive more value in objects if we attribute an interesting story to an item. It is for this reason that great works of art can be worth millions and conversation pieces in a home create interest. Consider The Significant Object Project, an experiment that set out to prove the hypothesis “Narrative transforms insignificant objects into significant ones.” The study’s authors purchased $128 worth of junk from a thrift store and sold the items for over $3,600 on Ebay after crafting a unique backstory about each object.

This experiment proves the value we place on a compelling narrative. What is your story? Clients love a context with which to relate to their financial advisor. Think about where you came from and your core values to hone in on your story. Successful examples include father-daughter teams or San Diego’s Callan Capital, made of three brothers: Tim, Ryan and Trevor.

One very successful financial advisor engages clients with the story of why planning is important to him. Before he was an advisor, he worked as the business manager of his local art museum. Members of the museum were setting off for a trip overseas to tour the great museums of Europe when their small plane crashed, killing several married couples with small children that had not had life insurance in place. He witnessed the devastating affect, inspiring him to make a career change in order to offer comprehensive financial planning to the families in his community. These types of narratives allow prospects to understand why you do what you do and to put their faith in your services.

Find a Niche

Everybody wants to feel special. We don’t want to eat in generic restaurants, we don’t want to drive boring cars and we don’t want to hire forgettable advisors to invest our money. Clients want to feel like they’ve found the very best suited advisor for their unique circumstances. We hear it over and over, but it being all things to all people doesn’t do well. Find a niche and embrace it.

Whether it be a non-profit Christian financial planning firm, specialty planning for divorcees, wealth manager to dentists who own their practice, you must know exactly who your customers are. As a specialist, you are able to better serve your clients and understand their unique needs. Owning a niche also allows you to know exactly where to find your prospects and to market directly to them. They will feel special in your hands and be much more resilient when approached by generic competition. Another important benefit of nurturing your own niche is that clients have friends who are a lot like them. It’s easy for your clients to refer friends to your specialty practice if you are the best in your niche.

We agree that financial planning is fascinating and complex, but our prospects see it as a problem to solve. It’s up to you to engage their imagination and help them feel unique. The key is to tell your story, embrace a specialty and be the most memorable advisor within that niche. It may be challenging to put an exciting spin on financial planning, just be grateful that you aren’t an accountant.

If you want to boost your marketing success,  click here to learn more about my Monthly Marketing Package and stay in touch by signing up for my weekly marketing newsletter.  If you have any questions about how I can help you boost your online marketing, schedule a phone call with me here!

The post How to Market a Boring Product appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

LinkedIn Quick Tip: How to Add Bullet Points to Your Summary

For more LinkedIn Quick Tips, check out The LinkedIn Guide for Financial Advisors, available on Amazon now!

Your LinkedIn Summary section determines how often you will come up in keyword searches and introduces people to your firm in 2,000 characters or less. But lengthy summaries can be intimidating and tedious. While you’ll want to include relevant keywords and tell your story, your summary shouldn’t read like a novel.

The solution? Add bullet points to your summary to break up your profile and focus your reader’s attention. Bullet points have been proven to increase sales in advertisements and help convey complex ideas more clearly. Well-written bullet points can:

Make your summary less intimidatingHighlight important informationFocus your reader’s attentionClarify complex ideas

Bullet Point Best Practices

Before you add bullet points to your summary in excess, let’s review some bullet point best practices. First, you’ll want to keep your list short; between four and seven bullet points is ideal.

Second, you’ll want to keep harmony within your bullet points. Try writing bullet points of the same length and use the same grammatical format.

Finally, never use sub-bullet points. They add confusion and remind me of the year I spent working for the Department of Defense, sitting through the worst PowerPoint presentations ever created.

What Should You Bullet?

Use your bullet points wisely to highlight the most important points of your summary. Because the eye is naturally drawn to bullet points, your bulleted content will get the most attention. Be sure you’re featuring what you most want prospects to know about you. Here’s one example:

At Thomas J. Dobransky & Associates, we’ve been helping scientists and researchers at UC San Diego and The Scripps Research Institute prepare for a secure retirement for over 30 years. Our firm puts our clients’ best interests first with our commitment to:

IndependenceFee-Based AdviceA Fiduciary Standard

We only take on new clients who we believe we can help. To learn more about our firm or to get a second opinion on your retirement plan, contact our office today.

How Do You Get Bullet Points to Show Up on LinkedIn?

There’s little chance you would uncover this trick unless you went searching for the answer (or read my book), but it’s actually really easy to add bullet points to your profile. There are a few options available when editing your summary section. First, you can cut and paste this bullet point symbol ● directly into your profile.
Second, you can use the built-in formatting for Windows or Apple. For Windows, put your cursor where you’d like to add the bullet point, then hold down the “Alt” key and type 0149 on the keypad, then release the “Alt” key and the bullet will appear. For Apple, press “Option/Alt” and “8” and your bullet point will appear. Give it a try!

Need Help?

I hope this Quick Tip was helpful to you. If you have questions about this topic or anything regarding LinkedIn, send me a message or email me at claire@indigomarketingagency.com. To get all the latest marketing tips, join my newsletter here. And of course, for more LinkedIn Quick Tips, check out The LinkedIn Guide for Financial Advisors, available on Amazon now! We also offer a Social Media Optimization Service to help you make the most of your social media accounts.

ABOUT CLAIRE

Claire Akin runs Indigo Marketing Agency a full-service 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 advisors leverage content marketing to grow their businesses by embracing a true specialty.

The post LinkedIn Quick Tip: How to Add Bullet Points to Your Summary appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

How To Make The Most Of Your Referral Marketing Package

Our most popular marketing package is our Referral Marketing Package. It includes custom content, written specifically for you and posted to your website each month. We share the content by email to your network and across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. What’s more, we include automated LinkedIn campaigns and Facebook-boosted posts.

How Advisors Grow Their Business Through Referral Marketing

Our Referral Marketing Package is designed to create more referrals by keeping you top-of-mind with your network. Why? Because research shows that people choose a financial advisor by asking friends, family, or coworkers for a referral. Referrals tend to also be better-qualified prospects and easier to close.

To make the most of your Referral Marketing Package, follow these important steps:

Stay On Schedule

Marketing only works if it’s consistent, so our team will contact you frequently to keep your marketing plan on schedule. If you fall behind, that means you’re losing out on valuable presence with your network. The most important thing you can do for your marketing is get it done on time!

Use An Online Calendar Scheduler

Our team is happy to help you set up an online calendar scheduler so prospects can make an appointment online 24 hours per day. Our advisors who use an online calendar scheduler get over 7 times the new appointments as those who do not use an online calendar scheduler! It makes a big difference if you can get your online appointment scheduler set up so that we can use it as a call to action at the end of each blog post and on your social media profiles.

Embrace A Specialty

The more you specialize, the more effective your marketing will become. By focusing your marketing, we can create more valuable content and better target your prospects. A specialty makes you more memorable so that people can refer you easily and more likely to attract qualified referrals. Embrace one or two niches for your content and we’ll create content for you to engage those niches. Examples of content we can create for your specialty include:

How To Make The Most Of Your XYZ Employee BenefitsHow Dentists Can Catch Up For Retirement In A HurryThe Biggest Financial Mistakes Architects MakeGrow Your Email List

Your email list is your marketing engine. It’s critical to always be adding to your email list to increase the size of your network. Who should you add? Everyone that you know, so when they come across someone who needs your help, they can refer you. Try to include:

ClientsReferral PartnersCPAsAttorneysReal Estate AgentsLocal InfluencersFriendsFamilyAcquaintances

Don’t be shy about adding people in your network to your email list. The people you know like to see what you’re up to and learn more about the important work you do!

Do What Works

We know which content typically performs best for financial advisors. The five highest viewed pages on our top advisors’ sites are:

Why I Became A Financial AdvisorCase Studies Of Clients We’ve HelpedSee A Sample Financial PlanOur Prices And ServicesHow To Prepare For Your Introductory Meeting

If you’re comfortable, add these to your marketing calendar so we can create the content for your site and share it with your network. These pieces help prospects feel more at ease making an appointment with you.

Make It Personal

We know from working with hundreds of advisors that the content that does best is personal. People want to do business with a person, not a brand. Your clients and prospects want to understand your story and why you do what you do. Add a few personal posts to your calendar, such as:

Why I Became A Financial AdvisorThe Most Important Thing I Learned About Financial PlanningWhat I Wish I Knew About Money When I Was YoungerMy Three Rules For Financial SuccessThe Biggest Financial Mistakes I SeeDon’t Forget About Client Education

Part of marketing is staying top-of-mind with proactive client communication in good times and bad. Any time you’d like to communicate with your audience, let us know and we’ll draft up a blog post. Popular topics include:

What To Do When The Market Is UpSteps To Take During A Market DeclineOur Mid-Year Economic UpdateAnnouncing Our New Team MemberWe’ve Moved: Our New Office LocationDon’t Forget About Medicare Open EnrollmentWhat To Do When You Turn 65 Years Old

Simply send us a quick email about what you’d like to cover, and we’ll get started!

Let Us Help Promote Your Events

If you’re planning on having an upcoming event, let us help you promote it. As your marketing content for that month, we’ll get as many RSVPs as possible by:

Creating a registration page for your eventSending a “Save the Date” emailSending a “Register Now” emailSending a “Last Chance to Register” emailPromoting across social media

Let us know 8 weeks in advance of your event, and we’ll get started promoting!

Take Advantage Of LinkedIn Campaigns

Did you know that automated LinkedIn campaigns are included in your marketing package? This means we’ll set up LinkedIn sequences that will send connection requests and messages on your behalf. Here’s one example:

Hi, {firstname},

Thanks for connecting. I specialize in helping business owners to create a better retirement plan.

You can learn more about how I may be able to help you catch up for retirement in a hurry here (Link).

If you have specific questions about your own 401(k) plan, I’m happy to answer them. You can schedule a 15-minute phone call here (Link).

I look forward to speaking with you!

To get started, we’ll just need to know who you’d like to target so we can set up your custom search parameters. Email me today at claire@indigomarketingagency.com for more info.

Get More Referrals Now

Our Referral Marketing Package is designed to keep you in front of people who can refer you business and to remind them exactly what you do and how you can help. This way, when they come across someone who needs your help, it’s easy for them to forward an email or a social media post to the referral. To make the most of your marketing package, follow the steps above to make it easy for new referrals to get introduced and make an appointment on your calendar!

If you’re not yet a client and would like to get started on your Referral Marketing Package, click here to sign up today! To learn more about how the Referral Marketing Package works, check out this video.

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 How To Make The Most Of Your Referral Marketing Package appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

Ten Steps to Your Ideal Marketing Plan

Advisors ask me every day, “What should I be doing with my marketing?” The truth is that “should” is a relative term. The answer depends on two things:

What are your marketing goals?How much are you willing to put into your marketing?

Similar to attending a conference or working out with a trainer, you can expect to get out what you put into your marketing, as long as you use resources in an effective way. Because we know what works in marketing for financial advisors today, the outcome is a function of the goals you set and the time and energy you put towards those goals.

If you would like to grow your AUM by 15% next year, I recommend investing at least 5-7% of your revenue into your marketing budget. However, if your goal is to help support your referral process and double your referrals next year, putting 2-3% of your revenue will likely suffice.

Most advisors understand that marketing is important, but many have been burned in the past by marketing “experts” and expensive schemes that did not deliver results. For this reason, many want to build their marketing plan slowly over time. If you’re looking to create your ideal marketing plan, here are the most important building blocks, in order of importance:

1. A BRAND THAT CREATES TRUST

Your DBA and logo affect all other aspects of your marketing. Creating a brand that speaks to your specific niche makes all of your other marketing efforts more effective. At the heart of your brand is your logo. It’s mission critical to have an updated logo that inspires trust.

Consumer brands update their logos every 3-5 years to stay current. If your logo is cluttered or busy, get a new logo. If it’s outdated, a facelift will only cost you a few hundred dollars and will go a long way towards improving your overall brand. Cost: $400 for new logo, $200 for update.

2. A WEBSITE WITH HORSEPOWER

Advisors need a great website to compete online. But before you get too hung up on design and content, think about function. Your website should be mobile responsive, have built in “forms” that capture leads, include blogging functionality, and have event registration capabilities. This well-built engine will make your marketing more powerful and will save you time and energy in the long run.

One of the biggest marketing mistakes I see is spending thousands of dollars and months on perfecting a new website. When we look at the before and after statistics, as long as your site looks good and functions well, additional time and money will give diminishing returns. Cost: From $300 for a basic website to $6,000+ for a custom site.

3. AN AWESOME LINKEDIN PROFILE

Because Google gives preferential treatment to LinkedIn when returning search results, your profile is as likely to come up for a name search as your website. For this reason, your profile should look as great as your website and maintain your branding. Optimize each of your social media profiles for SEO and match them to the look and feel of your website. Cost: About $200.

4. VERIFIED BUSINESS LISTING ON GOOGLE

Verified business listings show up on Google Maps, include photos and business information, and can be dialed from a mobile phone with one click. This improves your website’s SEO and helps prospects find you. Registering your business with search engines is the fastest way to improve SEO and does not need to be updated unless you change your business address. Cost: $400.

5. BEAUTIFUL EMAIL CAMPAIGNS

By using an email marketing engine, it’s easy to create great looking, mobile-friendly email campaigns that include powerful features like A/B testing, targeting, automation, and analytics. I recommend MailChimp, Hubspot, or Benchmark. Cost: $0-$100 per month, depending on how many contacts you have.

6. ORIGINAL CONTENT

You’ve read to this point in this blog post because I wrote it specifically for you, a financial advisor seeking a marketing plan. If it was for a dentist or a musician, you wouldn’t be reading. I didn’t purchase it online or copy it from another blogger. The bread and butter of an effective marketing plan are quality, custom content that your prospects find interesting and valuable.

Luckily, you’re the natural expert on the financial topics your clients and prospects want to know more about. Turning that expertise into consistent content marketing is where the magic happens. I recommend at least biweekly custom articles that go out via email, blog, and social media. Cost: $400 per month.

Advanced Techniques

The above tactics are an excellent baseline to jumpstart your marketing plan. If you want to make a big impact on your business, I recommend taking those steps over the next six months. Next, we’ll cover some advanced techniques you can employ if you already have the basics in place or if you are motivated to take your firm to the next level.

7. LIVE AND ONLINE EVENTS

Webinars and live events are effective in generating referrals and prospects. I recommend a minimum of two annual live events and quarterly webinars. By promoting these on an ongoing basis, you give prospects who come across your firm a way to get to know you better. Live events also help support your referral process by encouraging existing clients to bring friends. Cost: $500-$25,000+. I’ve seen advisors have awesome events for a few hundred dollars and very expensive events that still provide a positive ROI. If possible, get partners and sponsors to help you foot the bill.

8. VIDEOS

Using video increases email open rates and keeps people on your website longer. You can expect about double the views for a video than a similar blog post. Featuring a compelling video on your homepage can significantly increase your website conversion rate.

There are two ways to do video. First, you can hire a videographer and produce professional on-location videos, which are awesome but expensive. Second, you can buy some equipment and produce your own videos in your office. If you are somewhat tech-savvy and want to create videos on a regular basis throughout the year, I recommend the do-it-yourself approach. Cost: $350 for DIY equipment, $4,000 for professional shoot.

9. WHITEPAPERS OR AN EBOOK

Lead bait encourages folks to download something of value in exchange for their email address. Featuring free downloads on your website is a great way to capture email addresses and introduce prospects to how you can help. I recommend a whitepaper, checklist, or eBook available for download on your website. Cost: $200-$2,000.

10. THE HOLY GRAIL: A BOOK

Writing a book sets you apart as an expert in your field, especially if you have a unique niche. Completing your book is less expensive than you may think and can help you get speaking engagements and media exposure. All of my top advisors have written books and successfully incorporate them into ongoing marketing. If you have been in this business over 10 years, you certainly have a book’s worth of expertise, stories, and insight. Cost: Depending on how much existing writing you can use in your book, the cost ranges from $5,000-$25,000+.

Before you invest in your marketing, take some time to think through your long-term goals and consider which pieces of the puzzle you may already have. There are plenty of effective techniques to get more mileage out of existing content, videos, and publications you have already created. Fancy websites and marketing materials are only as powerful as the traffic that you drive to them. By building a cohesive marketing framework and using existing collateral, you’ll be able to get the most out of your marketing budget.

Want to start building the ideal marketing plan?  Learn more about our Monthly Marketing Package or schedule a virtual meeting to discuss your marketing. Not ready to start building your marketing framework? Stay in touch by connecting with me on LinkedIn, visiting my blog, and watching my video courses.

The post Ten Steps to Your Ideal Marketing Plan appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

How To Grow Your Business Using Technology

In the information age, the technologies we use on a daily basis are the fuel to grow our businesses. A Federal Reserve Paper found that technology use can drive business growth by 3-5% per year. Technology can be overwhelming to evaluate, but has the power to make your days either easy and efficient or difficult and maddening. Use these steps to evaluate how you can grow your business using technology.

I always ask which of the following technologies Advisors are using:Customer relationship management (CRM) system for managing clients and prospects. Your command center for staying organized and keeping client information at your fingertips.Website and marketing tools to manage your website, blog, email newsletter, social media, and other marketing communications.Financial planning software for preparing client reports, creating financial plans, and collaborating with clients on their accounts.Financial research tool to access data on funds, companies, and markets.

If you ask ten different advisors which of these technologies they use, you’ll get 5-7 different answers. I know from my experience working with my Dad’s firm that mistakes in choosing technologies can waste hours of productivity each week and cause incredible headwinds to growth. At worst, they could disrupt your client experience and cause confusion for your clients.

But choosing new technologies for your firm doesn’t have to be risky. Take your time in selecting new tools so that you can be confident in your decision, fully invest in learning how to use them, and have to change systems less frequently.

Succeed with technology by following these steps:Ask advisors with similar business models.

Some advisors query which systems the top producing advisors are using, which may or may not apply to the size and complexity of their own firm. Top advisors may use technologies that are more complex and expensive than an advisor with fewer clients needs. Seek out a few firms that you admire who are the same size or slightly larger than your firm. Chances are, technologies those firms recommend will be a smart fit for you.Consult your Home Office (but take their suggestions with a grain of salt).

It’s important to ask your home office folks which technologies they recommend because they are aware of negotiated price discounts and integrations that may make your life easier. But be wary if they suggest in-house technology providers, as broker-dealers have built some of the most poorly constructed technologies out there.Use a LinkedIn Group to get recommendations.

I love to pose technology questions within groups because members are quick to give their experience, and you can get a consensus quickly. Most broker-dealers have LinkedIn groups for their advisors where you can browse discussions and ask questions.Make a short list, then do a demo.

Get together a list of 3-5 highly recommended providers for the system you are looking for, then do a one-on-one demo if possible to ask questions and see the tools in action. Take notes of anything you think is lacking or a deal breaker. Compare your notes on your short list and you should have a clear winner.Call customer service before you purchase.

I see advisors leave technology providers most often because of service related problems. Call the customer service department before you purchase to check the wait time as well as their friendliness & capability. Ask a few questions to kick the tires.Check out the available ongoing education.

Make sure the technical support and resources fit your needs. If you are the type of person who prefers to watch how-to videos, make sure the technology provider you select offers a video library. If you need to pick up the phone and speak with a person, be sure that option is available.Think of the future.

We all plan to grow our businesses in the future. But if you’re serious about growing in the double digits each year, make sure your technology can scale with your firm. Be sure to evaluate pricing that will serve your needs now and at double the size to be sure the price increases won’t be prohibitive in the future.Manage your risk.

All technologies will fail from time to time. If your tablet breaks down before a lunch meeting, your business will survive. But if your clients can’t access their accounts for a week, it’s a catastrophe. Think through the risk involved if the technology fails and formulate an emergency backup plan if necessary.Take advantage of the free trial.

I’m always amazed that it’s commonplace to purchase a home to live in for years without having ever spent a night inside. Doing a test drive is the surest way to find out if you love or hate a particular technology. If a free trial is offered, take advantage and see how you feel when using the tool. See if you are excited to use the technology, impressed by the features, and it seems fun to use then you have a winner. However, if it’s overwhelming, complex, or frustrating, you may want to keep evaluating.Immerse yourself in learning the new technology upfront.

Learning a technology well from the start is a lot like investing for retirement early, in that it will continue to reap rewards over the long term. Putting time and energy towards learning the basics will make you more powerful and efficient each day you use the new system. You will take advantage of more features, waste less time, and enjoy the process more.

Spending time upfront to carefully evaluate new technologies is like carefully constructing a portfolio that gives a tailwind over time. Be patient, try to develop a curiosity in your hunt for the best tool, and enlist experts to help.

What is the best technology your firm has adopted? Have you made any big mistakes? Share your thoughts and stay tuned for my upcoming posts on recommendations for CRMs and financial planning software!

For more access to my exclusive online marketing expertise, click here to learn more about my Monthly Marketing Package and stay in touch by signing up for my weekly marketing newsletter.  If you have any questions about how I can help you boost your online marketing, schedule a phone call with me here!

The post How To Grow Your Business Using Technology appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

So You Want To Write A Book?

Does writing a book sound like a daunting challenge or an exciting adventure to you? Many advisors have thought about writing a book but aren’t sure where to start or if the benefit would justify the time investment. Without a doubt, most of the advisors I know have more than enough experience and expertise to fill several books. But few ever make it happen. So, should you write a book?

The reality is that writing a book can be fun, fulfilling, and an incredibly powerful marketing tool. I’ve seen books open doors for advisors for speaking engagements, media appearances, educational seminars, and more. By creating a hard copy proof of your expertise, it’s easy to engage your ideal prospects and share what makes you different.

What Are the Benefits of Writing a Book?

Creating a publication that showcases your expertise gives you instant credibility. Publishing a book can turn you “from the hunter into the hunted” when it comes to prospecting. Gurus like Tony Robbins and Ken Blanchard built their empires on the books they’ve published. Writing your book can provide:

CredibilityCollateral to engage prospectsA foot in the door for speaking engagementsContent for future blogs, presentations, and more

One advisor I work with created a book that has been approved for Continuing Education credit for medical professionals in his target market. His ideal prospects are required to read his book (or take an in-person class) and become familiar with the value he offers his clients. He quickly gained credibility with the book and is now the sought-after expert in his niche.

Who is Your Reader?

Writing a book is a lot like blogging, and the cardinal rule of blogging is that people want to read your opinion on a subject that interests them, not read about you. The same is true for a book. Write in your authentic voice and write for your ideal client. Visualize your favorite client to paint a picture of which topics interests folks in that segment. While you write, use the same voice with which you would speak to them and consider asking for their guidance along the way.

What Should You Write?

One trick to deciding what to write about is to consider what you think about in your idle time. When you have no obligations and a few minutes of quiet, what do you research, ponder, and analyze? For many advisors, it could be investment philosophies or financial planning strategies. For some, it’s a step-by-step guide for clients to set and pursue their financial goals. Often, the topic of a book is born out of one experience or story. What do you read about in your spare time? In which topic do you feel you are an expert? Be honest about your intrinsic curiosities and writing your book will be fun and exciting.

Whether You Think Your Book Will Take You 30 Days or 30 Years, You’re Right

The hardest part about writing a book is getting started. The average book on Amazon has 64,000 words or about 240 pages. A review of the length of literary classics confirms that length does not correlate with quality. George Orwell’s Animal Farm has just under 30,000 words while War and Peace has over half a million words.

In today’s digital world, I recommend 150-200 pages as the perfect length to engage readers, yet allow people to not feel overwhelmed by your book. This length makes readers more likely to start and finish your book, which makes everyone feel good. That amounts to about 46,000 words.

Most writers complete at least 1,000 words per day, and from experience I know that when you’re in the zone, it’s easy to write 2,000 words per day. So, if you were writing full time about a subject you love, it might take you only 23-46 days to write your book. By writing 20% of your time, or one day per week, it would take you six months to one year to finish your manuscript.

One Surefire Way to Finish Your Book? Outsource the Job

Outsourcing the writing of your book is like hiring a maid to clean your house. Does it matter that you didn’t mop the floors yourself? No, the result is the same, if not better, and takes you much less time. Experienced writers can create something better with your ideas than you could on your own. They’ll bring new solutions to the table, prod you to take your insights further, and most importantly, get the project done on time. Because writers are paid when the project is completed, they are perfectly incentivized to get your project done on time.

Check It Off Your Bucket List!

The desire to write about one’s experience is as old as the invention of writing itself. With millions of books in circulation, publishing is still at an all time high because completing a book can be incredibly fulfilling. Writing a book is in the top 10% of bucket list items, just behind running a marathon and traveling to an exotic place. The difference is, it’s much easier to achieve than running a marathon!

If you’ve been thinking about writing a book, I challenge you to make it happen this year. The time and energy you invest will pay off next year in your marketing, and the sense of fulfillment will stay with you for many years to come. Have you written a book? Share your challenges and results with me. Writing a book now? I want to hear about it! Send me an email to claire@indigomarketingagency.com.

For more access to my digital marketing expertise, click here to learn more about my Monthly Marketing Package and stay in touch by signing up for my weekly marketing newsletter.  If you have any questions about how I can help you boost your online marketing, schedule a phone call with me here!

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How Advisors Can Show Up for Specific Keyword Searches

Financial advisors aren’t typically familiar with search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. Because SEO is complex, many advisors ignore the potential benefits completely. But after working with over 50 advisors to optimize their websites, we have seen some powerful results with a few small changes. Especially for advisors with a specific niche, it pays to focus on showing up for specific keyword searches.

Case Study: One Advisor Goes from #100 to #1 in Search Results

SEO results are driven by supply and demand. Keywords like “financial advisor” and “financial planning” can be competitive in large metropolitan areas. But if you operate in a smaller location or have a unique specialty, SEO can make a huge difference in the visibility of your site.

In this example, we worked with one advisor through our SEO Package who specializes in helping business owners sell their firms. He wanted to show up for the following keywords:

Business Longevity Advisor Clearfield UTKey Person Insurance Clearfield UTDeferred Compensation Agreements

The first thing we did was take a “before” snapshot to see how his site was currently ranking for those keywords. He hadn’t done any SEO work on his site, so he was not showing up in the top 100 search results.

After our SEO Package, the results were impressive! He was showing up as the top search result for Business Longevity Advisor Clearfield UT! For the second and third keywords, he was showing up as the #6 result. This is powerful, since he does not have to pay per click for traffic generated to his website from organic keyword searches. The results will continue to pay dividends for months and years into the future with no ongoing costs.

How To Improve Your SEO for Targeted Keywords

Google and other search engines use complex algorithms to decide which sites to return for a given set of keywords. One strategy they use for local businesses is the triangulation between three key factors:

1. Your Google My Business Page

It’s critical to set up and optimize your Google My Business page to tell search engines who you are, what you do, and who you serve. Google requires that you verify your business via U.S. Mail. Your verified Google My Business page will list your business category, link to your website, and display your photos. This is the single most important action you can take to improve your website’s SEO.

2. Your Website’s Keywords

The second thing search engines look for is a website that lists relevant keywords. You’ll want to update your site with the keywords you wish to rank for. Use best practices for the keywords you are targeting, like optimizing your headings, images, and blog posts for the same set of keywords.

3. Local Citations

The third verification search engines like to see is a large set of citations that list your business name, address, phone number, and business category. Be sure to use the exact same data for each listing you create. By building citations for your business with online listings, you can create a strong signal to search engines. Try for at least a dozen; our SEO Package creates 20 local citations for your firm.

By updating these three items, you can make a significant impact on your search rankings. Of course, results will vary based on the competitiveness of the terms. Adding your location for the search term will improve your results.

Which Keywords Are Important to You?

The more you can focus your services and specialty, the easier it is to rank at the top of search results. Spend some time thinking about what you do best and who you most enjoy serving. Then, consider the keywords these prospects might type into Google to find help. Make a list of relevant keywords and optimize your Google My Business profile, website, and citations for those terms.

How to Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about how to optimize your website’s SEO, read our Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Optimization for Financial Advisors. If you need help with your SEO, you can save $100 on our SEO Package here. Register for our exclusive webinar below to learn more.

The post How Advisors Can Show Up for Specific Keyword Searches appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

How Is an Advisory Firm Founded in 2013 Raking in Over $4 Million in Revenue Each Year?

Great Waters Financial has grown at a rate of 87.8% each year from 2014 through 2016. They started 2014 with just six employees and now have more than 30. I’ve been told that they’re not even financial services veterans, but former car salesmen (not confirmed). How is this young new firm growing at such an incredible rate? Three things: technology, specialization, and great marketing.

The Great Waters Financial Marketing Machine

Great Waters Financial was recently ranked number 3,139 on the 2017 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies, with a three-year sales growth of 105%. Last year, the firm added over $140,000 in revenue each month. To attract that much new business, you need a brilliant marketing strategy. Here’s how Great Waters is making it happen.

A Powerful Website

First of all, they have a beautiful, mobile-responsive and secure website. Their site is built on the WordPress platform, so it looks great and has all of the technical features you could ask for. Their site is also optimized for search engines, so people searching for help with social security in their locations can easily find them.

A True Specialization

Great Waters markets themselves as social security experts. Front and center on their homepage, they invite visitors to learn how to get the most from your Social Security benefits.

Leveraging Video

At the top of their website, they prominently feature a beautiful video that highlights who they are, how they help, and what makes them different. This allows prospects to better understand the firm and start getting to know them. Investing in a high-quality video is an important step to help your marketing convert.

A Clear Process

One of my favorite things about their site is that they clearly lay out their client process. It’s critical to lower the emotional stakes for prospects who are considering taking the next step with your firm. By letting visitors know exactly how you work with clients, they feel more comfortable getting started with your firm.

A Compelling Call to Action

On every page of their site, visitors are invited to join their Online Social Security Strategy Video Class. By entering their name, email address, and phone number, anyone can watch the video class immediately. At the end of the presentation, the viewer has specific questions about their social security benefits and are prompted to schedule a call to get answers.

Elegant Simplicity

One of my favorite things about the Great Waters Financial website is that it’s really simple. They don’t have hundreds of pages or rabbit holes for visitors to go down. You can watch a video, sign up for a class, or contact them to learn more. Sometimes, marketing is better when you cut out distractions instead of giving people too many choices.

Upgrade Your Marketing Plan

We help independent financial advisors to embrace a specialty through their marketing and create marketing campaigns that convert. Learn more about our websites and SEO package here. To get started creating your custom marketing plan, schedule a phone call today.

The post How Is an Advisory Firm Founded in 2013 Raking in Over $4 Million in Revenue Each Year? appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

What is an SSL Certificate and Why Do You Need One?

Things change quickly in the world of websites and digital marketing. One concept you may have been hearing a lot about lately is SSL Certificates. You may have noticed that when you go to your site and look in the upper-left corner, there’s a warning that your site is not secure. This is unfortunate because it erodes trust with your website visitors and keeps your site from getting as much traffic as possible. But what is an SSL Certificate? And does your site really need one?

What is an SSL Certificate?

Secure socket layer (SSL) certificates are small data files that create a secure connection between your website and a visitor. This keeps hackers or malware from intercepting any information entered on your website. Securing your site also changes your website prefix from HTTP: to HTTPS: and displays a “Secure” padlock icon next to your website’s address.

Only the owner of a website and its domain can purchase an SSL Certificate for the site. In this way, securing your site tells search engines that you are who you say you are and that your site is representing a legitimate business. This is why search engines give more credibility to sites with certificates installed.

Does Your Site Need One?

Years ago, SSL Certificates were only required for websites where users entered sensitive information or made online purchases. But today, Google and other search engines are cracking down on cybersecurity and putting more emphasis on websites installing SSL Certificates.

There are a few important reasons to install one on your website including:

Removing the “not secure” warning from your websiteCreating a secure connection to protect your site visitors from hackersGaining trust and credibility with website visitorsImproving your search engine optimization and getting more traffic to your siteHow Hackers Can Exploit Non-Secure Sites

Hackers are creative and innovative. If your site is not secure, that can use inventive ways to try to trick your website visitors into entering their financial information. For example, if the images on your website are not secure, it’s possible that hackers could display another image encouraging site visitors to click on a link to enter sensitive financial information to be intercepted by the hackers.

How to Get an SSL Certificate

The good news is that it’s relatively easy and inexpensive to get an SSL Certificate for your website. GoDaddy sells them for $69 per year. You can purchase your certificate and ask your web developer to install it for you. Be sure to check with your website provider first to make sure they can support an SSL Certificate.

If you need help, our SEO Package comes with SSL Certificate installation. Once your site is secure, you may see better rankings with search engines and more traffic to your site.

To learn more about recent website changes and the best new technologies for your website, check out our exclusive webinar below!

The post What is an SSL Certificate and Why Do You Need One? appeared first on Indigo Marketing Agency.

Case Study: How One Advisor Upgraded His Website AND Saved Over $2,500 Per Year!

When was the last time you thought about how much you are paying each year for your website? If you’re like most advisors, you rarely think about this cost. The problem is, it adds up to thousands of dollars each year. Is there a better alternative? Today, we’d like to share the story of one advisor who was able to upgrade his website AND save over $2,500 per year. Let’s take a look!

The Project

We recently completed a website upgrade for a client who had been using an industry-specific hosting platform with a price tag of $240 per month. The advisor decided to move his site because this platform does not provide an SSL certificate and visitors were receiving a warning that read “site is not secure” when they visited the site.

He came to us because we build Independent Websites for Independent Financial Advisors using WordPress. WordPress is the largest independent website platform in the world, with over 20% of the internet’s websites on WordPress. The platform unlocks tremendous marketing power at an impressively low price. WordPress hosting with an SSL security certificate only costs around $15 per month! That’s a savings of $2,700 in the first year alone!

The best thing is that our clients own their WordPress websites outright. They are free to do as they please with them and no one can turn their site off. Independent sites make sense for independent advisors.

Check out the advisor’s new site here!

Start a Conversation

If you’re ready to upgrade your website and lower your costs, our sites are priced so competitively that you’ll likely break even in 6 months or less.

Start a Conversation Today!

How We Did It

Step 1: Creating Secure & Responsive Website

It’s critically important that any website in 2018 be both secure and mobile-responsive. This allows your website to:

Perform better in search (SEO)Provide a better experience for users (higher conversion)Inspire greater trust

Step 2: Custom Content to Attract a Relevant Audience

After working with thousands of advisors over the past three years, we know that advisors with a specialty have a much easier time marketing their business and attracting new clients. We’ll help you articulate your specialty on your home page and throughout your site.

Step 3: Lead Generating Tools Like Riskalyze Help Turn Visitors into Leads

We use a variety of lead generation strategies and install the most popular lead generation tools for advisors on our sites.

The end result was a better website: secure, mobile-responsive, and customized towards the advisor’s demographic. The cost savings of over $2,500 per year was the cherry on top!

If you would like to discuss how we can help you upgrade your technology and save money at the same time, let’s start a conversation.

Start a Conversation

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