Are you wondering how to get clients as a Financial Advisor? It’s probably the most popular question I get asked. Landing your ideal clients and growing your firm is the dream, right?
It doesn’t have to be just a dream, though. Getting clients as a Financial Advisor is a whole lot easier when you embrace a digital-first approach, which is what I’m going to unpack here today.
First, some context. I believe that Financial Advisors form the spine of the financial services profession. Especially with the industry’s landscape undergoing a dramatic transformation since the pandemic.
At some level, many new-age Financial Advisors have embraced a more digital-first approach. Yet others are now reverting to the more traditional prospecting methods as COVID has subsided. Trust me, you don’t want to do the latter.
The financial services profession is all about engaging with and serving your current client base with an advice-led approach while also effectively prospecting new clients. Using digital tools, you can get this right AND achieve the work-life balance you deserve.
Read on to learn how to get clients as a Financial Advisor and the content creation strategies and tactics I continue to use in my firm.
Social media marketing
Social media marketing for Financial Advisors doesn’t have to be complicated if you follow one simple approach: providing value with an advice-led strategy before promoting or selling your services.
Authenticity and value
When it comes to social media platforms for Financial Advisors, authenticity is key and goes a long way. Building trust and relationships and developing genuine client rapport is paramount.
The posts you publish on your social media platforms must offer real value and include various styles of content.
Steer away from sales
You may be tempted to simply use social media as a hard sell. This isn’t an effective approach for Financial Advisors. You’re an expert in financial advice, investments, insurance, etc., use this to create content that educates, inspires, and engages your audience. When done right, this will naturally result in conversions.
Having a healthy blend of personal and business content is important rather than simply selling your services and financial products. Show them who you are as a person not just an advisor.
Follow my content on LinkedIn to see a variety of examples on how I am currently doing this with success.
A great way to attract your ideal client is to answer the questions that they already have on their minds through your social media content. What are they thinking about, what questions are they trying to answer, and what problems are they trying to solve? What’s keeping them up at night?
This can be easily done through blog articles, social media posts, explainer videos, or infographics – to name a few. What types of questions and problems do your ideal clients have? Create content around those topics.
Networking
In addition, Financial Advisors can network with people of influence online who work with their ideal clients but offer different but complementary services, such as tax professionals. Such people of influence can subtly showcase you to their network, inadvertently getting your foot through the door of untapped potential. But they will only do this if you are providing content of value that’s relevant.
Paid advertising
If your budget allows, you can try paid advertising on social media platforms to improve your chances of reaching your target market specifically.
But I caution you here. Any money spent on paid advertising can end up putting you into a black pit of despair if you don’t know exactly who you are talking to and what your message is.
Up until now, we’ve spoken about social media for Financial Advisors in general. Let’s take a closer look at my favorite platform for Advisors: LinkedIn.
I believe this platform is mainly for professionals and offers those in the financial field an incredible opportunity to network directly with prospects.
Here is how many times my posts have been viewed on LinkedIn in a 12-month period:
This exposure didn’t cost me anything other than a little bit of my time three to five days per week. Think about that for a moment, how many potential ideal clients could you acquire with your own content?
As a Financial Advisor, having LinkedIn should be a no-brainer. It gives you a great avenue to reacquaint old contacts and build up a reputation as an industry expert & thought leader. It also offers plenty of opportunities to grow your professional network and client base. This is a great way to nurture and get new clients as a Financial Advisor.
I wrote a series of blog posts that talk about LinkedIn for Financial Advisors, check out part one here. If Twitter is more your jam then definitely check out my friend Thomas Kopelman on Twitter. He’s a Rockstar on the platform and consistently brings on new clients.
Keep your Financial Advisor website updated
As an Advisor, it’s vital that you have your own website to attract your ideal clients. Your website can be thought of as your virtual storefront. Prospective clients can visit your website and learn more about your products and services and, of course, how you are best qualified to help them solve problem XYZ specifically.
The focus of your website should be to show prospects how your business can help them with their current needs.
Irrespective of how prospective clients discover your business, the very first place that they are likely to go to is your website to see what you are all about. That said, your website should be easy to use and have accurate information about your products and services, team, and contact information.
The best Financial Advisor websites are simple, clean, and have the right type of information that your ideal client would be looking for. It is important for your website to showcase the following:
- Who you are – your personal side
- Who you specialize in helping
- What your services are
- What your process is
- What your prices are
Perhaps the most important aspect of your website is to have clear calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout the pages to direct your audience to where you want them to go next. This could be something like booking a meeting, contacting you, or downloading a lead magnet like an eBook (more on this shortly).
At the end of the day, when it comes to websites for Financial Advisors, it’s important that you make it as simple as possible for potential clients to find out what you do, who you do it for, what your prices are, and how they can contact you.
Create free lead magnets
A lead magnet is a piece of free downloadable content that you provide to users who visit your website in exchange for their contact details. This is an excellent way for Advisors to generate leads and grow their databases of potential clients.
Providing this free content also establishes your brand and builds trust with prospects, all while giving valuable information and guidance without any strings attached.
When you’re building your client base, details like names and email addresses are invaluable and will help you boost your ROI.
Some examples of lead magnets for Financial Advisors are:
- Educational webinars that have already been recorded
- An eBook that addresses a specific topic or problem that your potential client may be facing
- A how-to guide regarding something you help your clients with
Your prospects are more likely to do business with you if your free content adds value to their lives and helps you nurture your leads simultaneously.
Finally, it’s essential to remember that it’s a privilege to obtain a prospect’s contact information. Don’t abuse this privilege by spamming them unnecessarily. By sending them valuable content at appropriate intervals – with the option of unsubscribing easily – your prospects will start to look forward to your content rather than being scared off.
Email marketing for Financial Advisors
Now that you have your prospects’ email addresses, you can start engaging with them through email marketing. This allows you to nurture each lead over a period of time and slowly nudge them through your sales funnel.
Most clients will want to get to know you over time. They will reach out when they’re ready or when they have a problem that needs solving. In the meantime, you can provide them with valuable content while also staying top-of-mind. This positions you as a thought leader and trusted resource.
Some best practices for successful email marketing campaigns will include:
- An automated email sequence that you can set up once and let run on autopilot
- Write out your entire automated email sequence in one sitting
- Send valuable and educational content, not cheesy sales tactics
- Tell your prospects what to do next with clear CTAs
I’ve written a two-part series where I share my top advice on email marketing for Financial Advisors. Check out part one here.
Why you should step into the digital age to get clients as a Financial Advisor
I understand that you may be hesitant to use digital methods to get new clients as a Financial Advisor. But let me discuss some of the benefits of making an impact by entering the digital age as a 21st-century Advisor.
Shifting to a digital first approach can offer more visibility, greater client engagement, and a more efficient service offering. By leveraging technology to reach and accommodate your clients, your work as an online Financial Advisor is made easier as you can focus your energy on delivering the personalized services that clients expect.
Remember, Google processes over 8.5 billion searches per day! The oldest marketing trick in the book is to go where people already are and then be present.
Convenience for your clients
While clients have the assurance that you are there to offer them specific guidance based on their portfolio, finances, insurance, and so on, they also have the convenience of conducting business virtually as opposed to the traditional manner that Financial Advisors have become accustomed to.
Reduced costs
By working in the digital space, 21st-century Financial Advisors can cut down on costs drastically.
Expenses like physical infrastructure with fancy offices are no longer required, as meetings can be conducted on a digital platform from anywhere. There are no rental expenses, and utility bills such as office supplies for your staff, internet subscriptions, insurance, payroll taxes, electricity, water and sewage, and a cleaning company can all be reassessed and most likely reduced. I cut my overhead by 61% when I went virtual/remote back in 2013.
Without the need for physical offices, online Financial Advisors may not require as much staff, so savings can be extended to the reduced payroll of the practice.
Other savings associated with a digital financial advisory practice include not paying for utilities, taxes, maintenance, and of course lets not forget the time & cost savings of not having to drive to and from your office and client meetings.
Outsourcing
For core elements of the practice, many businesses that have recently made digital transformations have chosen to outsource specific work to industry professionals.
Outsourcing specific parts of your practice, like the digital marketing activities I outlined above, will help online Financial Advisors save on added costs while ensuring that all clients get the best possible service.
Online Financial Advisors also have the luxury of using outsourced services only when necessary, so they do not have to worry as much about the traditional payroll and employee benefits regarding those tasks.
Outsourcing is cheaper than hiring permanent staff, and you can get expertise in various skill sets.
I’ve been running virtual teams for 5 years now and love it!
Creating a balance
Online Financial Advisors have many digital tools at their disposal to help with the reorganization, administration, and financial planning associated with their business.
Improving infrastructure is beneficial in reducing overhead costs that traditional Financial Advisors have typically been burdened with. All these savings that the practice takes advantage of can then be filtered back into the business. Invest it in creative methods that reach out to clients in a novel and engaging way.
With a newfound way of doing business, Financial Advisors will not be bound to a specific physical location and can determine how their virtual (or hybrid) office will operate.
This is extremely important in creating a healthy balance between your work and personal life, thus contributing positively to your well-being. By embracing the 21st-century Financial Advisor model, you are able to position yourself as a leader and resource for current and potential clients.
Make sure to listen to our Rethink. Financial Advice Podcast episode on work-life balance to learn just how important this is.
Final thoughts on how to get clients as a Financial Advisor
Financial Advisors have the world at their fingertips, literally. Do you want to answer the question: “how to get clients as a Financial Advisor?” Learn and implement what you just read and give it time, Rome wasn’t built in a day!
My company, Conneqtor, empowers online Financial Advisors to grow their financial service practices by using our highly-effective strategies. Make sure to visit my website and download my free eBook that will inspire, motivate, and show you how to take your business to the next level in the digital age.
You can also consider my online training for Financial Advisors to get your hands on a master blueprint and expert techniques and strategies that are perfect for growing your Financial Advisor practice in the 21st century.
Sending positive vibes your way,
Derek Notman
