ADVISOR MARKETING

Susan Theder

These four concepts will help you take advantage of the new way AI prioritizes information.

RTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS REVOLUTIONIZING THE FINANcial advisory landscape, especially the ways advisors communicate their value to prospects and clients. In 2026, people are no longer starting their advisor searches with Google. They’ re asking AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google Gemini for recommendations. These tools analyze advisor websites, summarize reviews, and compare advisors before prospects ever pick up the phone.

However, while 15 % of advisors already report receiving leads from an AI search, most haven’ t adapted their marketing strategy for this new reality. That means there’ s still time to gain a competitive edge.

I’ m sharing four crucial pillars of an AI strategy, designed specifically for this era, to help you get found online, stay visible, communicate consistently, and create meaningful connections that the technology can’ t replicate.

1. Get Found Online: Appear in AI Search Results

AI platforms now bypass traditional search results, giving prospects instant answers instead of lists of links. To appear in these recommendations, advisors should focus on three key ideas:

In 2026, people are no longer starting their advisor searches with Google. They’ re asking AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google Gemini for recommendations.

• Reviews are ranking signals: AI tools prioritize businesses with recent, detailed reviews across multiple platforms. So advisors will want to get one to two new client reviews per month. The clients will need to be specific about the challenges they were facing and how you offered solutions.

• Reputation through authority: One way to create authority is to have your work featured in reputable publications. You’ ll want to create comprehensive content that demonstrates your expertise. And you’ ll want to showcase your media appearances prominently on your website.

• Content formatting for AI: One way to structure your content is in a Q & A format with clear questions and answers. AI tools scan for this conversational approach because it matches the way people naturally search. Add FAQ sections to your website, use blog titles that ask questions, and update your content regularly with fresh dates and examples.

2. Stay Active and Visible on Social Media

AI can also help you remain more visible on social media since the algorithm can help amplify your voice. That can help you manage time as well— many advisors know they have to use this channel, but maybe they don’ t have time to post consistently between client meetings. Getting the AI to help means using it the right way. Consider these approaches:

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2026 | FINANCIAL ADVISOR MAGAZINE | 17