volvement within their communities , the charities they ’ ve chosen to support and what organizations they partner with . By emphasizing these activities and passions in your marketing , you can differentiate yourself while demonstrating your core values and principles . All these things will appeal to prospective clients .
3 . Short-Form Video Marketing
As I ’ ve written before , video is a popular marketing method , and over the last few years , more internet users have flocked toward shorter clips like the ones on TikTok . According to Hub- Spot , 73 % of consumers prefer to watch short-form videos when learning about products or services .
Most of us want to get our facts as quickly as possible . If we have a choice between a video that ’ s 10 minutes long or two , we ’ ll likely try the latter first — and are much more likely to watch the whole thing .
TikTok has become a social media powerhouse by allowing users to share only these shorter clips . YouTube responded by rolling out a “ Shorts ” feature with video submissions of similar length .
Financial advisors can use this trend to boost their own marketing . We recommend that they create both longand short-form video content to ensure they ’ re reaching a new audience without isolating the old one .
One easy way to do this is by creating a longer video and then carving out the most popular portions from it to create shorter videos that promote the original . Consider creating a series of “ What Makes Us Different ” videos . Here you can communicate your core value propositions and areas of expertise , creating a video to align with each . I recommend filming your principals outside or in a place special to them to create a more relaxed feel to the video , which will make them more relatable and likable . Try to speak from the heart , as if a prospect just asked you a question and you ’ re answering it rather than reciting a script word for word . When you are more authentically you , you ’ ll do better .
4 . Mobile Messaging
Most advisors know that they ’ ll do better turning prospects into clients ( and getting current clients better engaged ) by improving the quality and quantity of their communications .
And though email is still most preferred by clients and prospects , texting ( or SMS ) has quickly become commonplace as a business communication channel . Advisors have to follow their firms ' policies and procedures when it comes to texting , of course , but when they find a compliant solution , they ’ ll want to use this channel to confirm meetings ; to set reminders about upcoming webinars ; to send clients personal messages on their birthdays , anniversaries and other holidays ; and share links to new blogs or articles of interest .
Because of the advantages offered by this channel , I believe you ’ ll see more advisors using texting as a marketing tool .
5 . Emphasizing Emotion In Your Marketing
It ’ s important when building your brand to demonstrate to potential clients your passions , personality and interests . Whether you ’ re doing so on a website , in social media posts , via email , or in client or prospect meetings , when you show your authentic self and focus on the emotional connection between money and people , you ’ re going to get the best results . As we ’ ve all heard , emotions are what steer our decisions . That ’ s a core element of behavioral finance .
Financial services is a serious industry , and at times it can seem like you need to impress more than connect . But the reality is that unless you connect first , you cannot truly impress . I like to suggest that you focus your marketing on the most common questions or challenges your clients and prospects raise . Keep your messaging honed on the emotional aspects of their goals ( the “ why ” behind them ) and show how your expertise and firm can help them attain both financial and emotional well-being .
SUSAN THEDER is the chief marketing and experience officer at FMG Suite .
SEPTEMBER 2023 | FINANCIAL ADVISOR MAGAZINE | 17