3. What mix of events— live, virtual, webinars or podcasts— delivers the best return on investment?
Virtual events and webinars consistently offer the strongest return on your marketing investment today. They’ re cost-effective, scalable and rich with engagement data. According to Cvent— a meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider— 67 % of people would watch a video over 60 minutes long to learn a new skill or ability to use at their job or increase their knowledge on a certain topic. When you record these events, you are also left with material that can be repurposed for email, blog posts or social media content, which gives you greater impact for minimal extra effort.
In-person events are still valuable, especially when you want to build relationships— live interaction builds trust, drives referrals and sparks conversations. However, they cost more to host, and they require more complex logistics, which means you’ re getting less return on your dollar for them. When you host such an event, it’ s better to do it strategically.
Podcasts belong in a long-term brand strategy. They’ re excellent for thought leadership, help add to your credibility and offer you a way to provide consistent content, especially when you’ ve already established strong digital marketing fundamentals: a polished website, an active social presence and a strategic email program.
4. Do I really need a formal marketing plan— and what does one even look like?
Yes, a written plan keeps you focused and consistent. However, you don’ t need a marketing degree or a 30-page PDF. A good plan answers three things:
• Who are you trying to attract?
• What problems are they trying to solve?
• What content or outreach will you use regularly to connect with them?
When you’ ve answered these questions, you can pick two or three core channels— like social media, email or webinars— and map out a simple monthly rhythm for sending out new material.
Schedule those actions on your calendar like appointments.
Marketing without a plan leads to stopand-start activity. Advisors who plan in advance stay more consistent, and consistency is what drives results.
5. How can I involve junior team members in marketing without taking time away from their client work?
To involve your team members in marketing without pulling them away from
their client work, you can assign them repeatable, high-impact support tasks that are tied to key metrics. For example, after events or webinars, you can have them update your CRM with new contacts and add relevant follow-up notes. This ensures organizational continuity and makes sure there will be no missed opportunities.
They can also draft social media posts or curate content from third-party providers( FMG Suite, for instance) to keep your channels active, and importantly, to track basic marketing performance indicators— like prospect inquiries, engagement rates and email open rates— on a weekly dashboard. That data-driven approach not only helps surface what’ s working, but also lets you see where you should double down.
You should have a calendar for these activities and make sure everybody knows what their roles are— for example, you could have CRM updates on Mondays, content prep on Wednesdays, and key performance indicator tracking on Fridays— which allows you to work consistently without overlapping client duties. This gives you reliable marketing
support and frees you to focus on what matters most: client service.
Asked and Answered
Marketing in 2025 doesn’ t have to feel overwhelming. Small, consistent activity wins every time, and you can succeed by keeping your messages focused, your efforts steady and your human side visible. Clients and prospects want to work with real people who understand their problems and who show up often enough to stay top-of-mind.
SUSAN THEDER is the chief marketing and experience officer at FMG.
SEPTEMBER 2025 | FINANCIAL ADVISOR MAGAZINE | 17