In the digital age, it’s becoming easier to engage with clients in different cities and states throughout America, and many of our advisors are doing just that.
If you’ve been considering getting rid of your expensive office suite and going completely digital, know that it is possible. In fact, some of our advisors have already built their practices around this model. Here are some tips to harness the power of the internet to expand your firm outside of your local area.
- Embrace Virtual Meetings
The pandemic popularized video conferencing tools to conduct virtual meetings and appointments, and now nearly everyone understands the technology. In fact, some clients may prefer to operate online only. Schedules can be tight, and you may be able to defy barriers created by time zones by meeting on Zoom or similar platforms.
As an advisor looking to grow throughout the country, take advantage of these opportunities and embrace the possibilities that come with virtual meetings. Spend time mastering your pitch and perfecting your presentations to give you a better chance of success during initial consultation meetings with new prospects. Your ability to embrace the virtual side of the industry could mean the difference between continuing to build your book of business and being left behind by competitors and clients looking to adapt to the modern methods of interacting.
- Build an Online Presence
Establishing a strong online presence is paramount. The best way to start is by developing a professional website that showcases your services as well as everything that makes you special. Your website is effectively your way to show those who don’t have the privilege of meeting you in person everything you believe in, from your story to your philosophy to your style. A website with a custom look and feel can help legitimize you with prospects and clients, and a fully built-out brand that sticks in the minds of visitors can differentiate you from other advisors.
Additionally, optimizing your website for search engines can mean that you show up when potential clients search for your company. And remember, make sure you have your own bio page so that you can also rank in search for your own personal name.
- Use Email Marketing Effectively
It might sound simple, but email marketing can be extremely effective and cost-efficient if done properly. It can also reach clients and their inboxes no matter how far away they are. This is the perfect way to maintain your relationships with clients and potential clients, whether that be with consistent communication, content that helps them understand their financial circumstances or a call to action that pushes them to take the next step in the relationship.
Before you begin outlining your email marketing campaign, it’s important to do two things. First, understand email metrics that can help you measure the success of your campaign, giving you insight into exactly how many open your emails instead of leaving them in their inboxes never to be touched. Second, it’s crucial to collate your list of recipients with intention. Sending your email to one person who will open it is infinitely more valuable than sending it to a hundred who won’t. To read our entire blog post about how to effectively market yourself via email, click here.
- Take Your Brand to Social Media
Social media can be extremely valuable in helping you rank on search engines. We often recommend one post every couple of days to let followers (and searchers) know that you’re actively posting and that you are a legitimate firm.
While Quantum offers assistance with social media to help with search engine optimization, there’s truly no replacement for a more personal touch on your pages to boost engagement. If your office holds an event, post about it! Is it someone’s birthday? Post it! Did a dog visit the office? Take and post tons of pictures!
Most advisors don’t get significant engagement on their financial posts, but personalizing your message usually gets you more exposure because social media algorithms favor custom posts with original photos and videos. If you want engagement, this is what you have to do.
- Become a Content Machine
A large part of being a financial advisor is educating your clients on the principles you’re implementing into their plans, making educational content even more valuable. Furthermore, anyone can become a content creator with a bit of commitment and determination. This can mean posting content to your website or your various social media accounts, potentially answering the questions that a large portion of your clients have, breaking down standard financial concepts, or offering tips and anecdotes that your clients can use and relate to.
Oftentimes, the easiest way to populate your website and social media outlets is with unique, personalized blog posts, but more exhaustive measures can include videos, radio shows and podcasts, training modules, whitepapers, news, and more. Content that shows your personality and your brand can showcase everything that’s special about you, such as your opinions and your personality. In what tends to be a homogenized industry, your personality can often draw clients, even over long distances, as they want to work with someone they enjoy interacting with.
- Set Yourself Aside with Your Services
Part of drawing clients from outside your state can be offering specialized services that cater to a very specific demographic. For example, if you help clients who are federal workers or belong to a specific union or organization, you might be able to pull them from other states simply by marketing the fact that you assist with those distinct needs. For those types of workers, it may be more difficult to find someone who truly understands their circumstances, giving you an opening.
It could also include investment strategies for individuals in particular regions, tax planning for residents of different states or planning for very specific ages. Marketing your ability to comprehend and address specific problems can make you much more attractive to those with problems that fall into your areas of expertise. Furthermore, you might even be able to enhance your presence online with better SEO. While it can be difficult to rank for the term “financial advisor,” you may have better luck with more specific terms you use on your website.
At Quantum, we focus on finding what’s special about you and helping you expand by playing to your strengths. If you’re ready to enlarge your prospect pool and reach clients virtually, give us a call today at 800.440.1088.
A natural coach and leader with 20 years in the industry, Jim uses his vast experience to deliver the most successful strategies to our advisors.
