Today’s financial planning and wealth management sector is highly competitive. With all the options available—and more emerging constantly, including virtual ones—people take time to research firms to ensure they find the right ones for them. Because of this, financial planners today must also be master digital marketers.

This guide explains the online tactics wealth managers must master to bring in clients and assets.

Website Improvement

The primary way people will experience your financial firm in the virtual realm is on your website. It must look polished and professional and be easy to navigate. Your site is a prospective investor’s first point of contact with your organization. It’s your opportunity to make a positive initial and lasting impression. Not only that, it must also seamlessly pay off your digital marketing strategies, be the center of your content marketing efforts, and support getting found online through search engine optimization (SEO). It should also be mobile-first, so visitors have a good smartphone experience.

Your website must include information about your team members, services offered, investment options, approach to managing wealth, and anything it takes to earn trust and convince people to schedule an appointment for a first meeting with you.

Search Engine Optimization

People today research investment strategies and options–and financial planning professionals–online. Of course, you want to ensure prospective clients in the areas you serve find you there. That’s where local search engine optimization for wealth managers comes in.

For your financial service business to rank prominently in the areas where you do business, reference your metro area on your website and include your address prominently. (If you have multiple locations, add a page for each.)

Publish content on your blog that references the places you serve, such as “Top Retirement Planning Strategies for People in Alexandria, Virginia.”

Finally, ensure your Google Business Profile (GBP) is complete and current. It provides the information required for Google to understand your financial business and what makes it unique, enabling it to serve it up to the right people seeking the services you offer in the areas you serve.

Content Marketing

Regularly publish authoritative content about your approach to wealth management and areas of specialization on your blog. It will signal to Google that your site is current and you’re an expert in your area of planning, whether saving for college or retirement, helping affluent families, or recommending stocks. It will also demonstrate to prospective clients that you know your stuff, helping you earn their trust. If people understand your approach to wealth management, the more likely they will feel comfortable and confident about entrusting their money, life goals, and dreams to you and your team.

You should format content in ways the people you’re targeting prefer, including articles, images, videos, podcasts, and ebooks. For instance, retirees with poor eyesight might prefer receiving information through audio podcasts. Younger people who engage with short-form videos in their every day lives might like to do the same when learning about investing concepts. Business owners with limited time might prefer short-form, scannable content like checklists.

If you focus on any tactic in this article, developing quality content is likely THE one. It will give prospective clients the information they need to feel confident about meeting with you.

Google Ads

Financial professionals who invest in Google Ads will rank at the top of searches for specific keywords and terms related to the services and strategies they offer and the types of clients they serve. Google Ads typically appear in the top three or four positions in search results depending on the keyword (for instance, “retirement planning” or “saving for college”) and bidding strategy (the amount you’re willing to pay for a top position for your keywords).

Google Ads are particularly effective for financial services businesses because searchers will eventually want to book a consultation. If your ad appears at the top of a local search engine results page, people are likelier to click on it. If your website delivers the right information and leaves people with a positive impression, they will almost certainly book a meeting.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is an effective way to promote your financial operation to prospective clients who have offered their email addresses and to stay connected with clients so that it is top-of-mind when they have new financial service needs. Email can also remind clients to check in with you when you become aware of investment strategies and solutions aligned with their goals.

Building an email list allows you to generate additional revenue for your financial operation without spending money on ads. It’s essentially a free way to promote your business. Add lead forms to your website to gather new emails and ask for them as part of your client onboarding process. Make it a point to request clients’ permission to send them informational emails.

When adding email addresses to your list, assign them to different segments and groups to ensure people receive relevant information. It will create a negative impression of your financial planning business if you email a retiree explaining the basics of college planning.

Videos

Video content has become more popular than most other forms, especially among younger people.

Videos are an effective way to introduce your areas of specialization, approach to investing, and team to current and prospective investors. They can help improve engagement, build authority, generate qualified leads, and retain clients. Videos are a great way to make complex financial and investing concepts simple.

Videos can be distributed through many marketing channels, including websites, emails, YouTube, and social media.

Some of the most common types of videos for financial advisors are:

• Client success stories and testimonials
• Educational videos about investing strategies and solutions
• Team introductions and interviews
• Explainers about what it’s like to work with your firm
• Market and economic commentaries
• Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).

If you’re concerned about the cost and complexity of producing video content, you shouldn’t be. Today’s smartphones, along with microphones, lighting equipment, and editing software which are available online, make it easy and cost effective to film and produce professional-quality finance videos.

Reputation Management and Enhancement

People only want to work with top financial professionals. And they won’t take an asset manager’s word for it. That’s why they check online ratings and reviews and press coverage.

It’s critical that you develop a system to collect positive ratings and reviews on your Google Business Profile (GBP) and other review sites. Not only will this help you earn people’s trust, but it will also send positive signals that will improve your SEO.

Go above and beyond by seeking out press coverage in respected financial media outlets. While time-consuming, getting an interview with a reporter the people you’re targeting respect will add an extraordinary halo of credibility to your firm.

Digital Marketing for Wealth Managers: The Final Word

Digital marketing for financial professionals is constantly changing. To grow your firm, build credibility, attract clients, and increase assets under management, leverage the strategies in this article. Then, schedule a free consultation with Dan Sondhelm to explore other ways to enhance your digital presence.