Introduction to Content Marketing for Financial Advisors
If you are looking for help to take your marketing efforts to the next level, I have created a series that aims to serve as a one-stop guide to content marketing for financial advisors, The Ultimate Financial Advisor’s Guide to Content Marketing.
In this series, I will answer questions such as:
What is content?
Why use content marketing?
What types of content should advisors create?
What strategy should be using?
How do I optimize my content so I know the right people are finding it?
Do images matter?
Do I need to follow a schedule?
How do I reach my readers?
How do I reach prospects?
Over the next 10 weeks, you will find the answers to those questions and more to ensure you are getting the most out of all the content you are creating for your prospects and clients.
Now, let’s begin by diving into what The Ultimate Financial Advisor’s Guide to Content Marketing is all about.
What is content?
Content is a term that’s challenging to define because we engage with it every day in various forms without necessarily thinking about what it is or how it’s affecting us. Put simply, content is information that’s directed towards an audience. Because that audience chooses to read, watch, or listen to it, content is valuable – it captures and holds attention and delivers messages when people are most open to receiving them.
The jokes in a television sitcom, the lessons delivered in a live workshop, or a chapter in a book are all considered content.
But when it comes to content marketing, the definition of content is more specific.
Content, in a marketing context, refers to blog posts, articles, social media posts, videos, infographics, podcasts, e-books, white papers, special reports, books, and other forms of valuable information that a professional or company uses to showcase what they want to be known for and to promote their brand.
Content differs from advertising in that people want to consume it rather than avoid it.
Think about searching for how to do something on YouTube. You find a video claiming to show you “How to Promote Financial Services” and when you click to open the video, you have to watch the latest Lincoln Navigator automobile commercial first. The content is the “How to Promote Financial Services” video, and the person sharing it is a content marketer who provides a product or service that will help you promote your financial services firm.
Now that you know what I mean by content, let’s talk more about content marketing.
What is content marketing?
As you can see from the above example, content marketing is a strategic marketing approach based on creating and distributing content that a target audience would find valuable and relevant.
For content marketing to be effective, it needs to have a strategy and a clearly defined audience.
As a financial advisor, it isn’t enough to say you want to be known as a financial advisor and simply start blogging about financial planning topics. That would work to a certain extent, but it would be more effective if you’re strategic. Think about exactly who you want to consume your content — the people who will hire you or refer you to others – and consider how to serve them what they want.
Your content marketing strategy also needs to be consistent, because it is a long-term strategy that works by showing up on a regular basis again and again and building trust over time.
Ultimately, your goal is to move the prospective client through your sales funnel from the awareness stage (that they need some help with their finances), to the attract stage (researching possible solutions for financial guidance), to the build stage (considering hiring you as their financial advisor), and finally to the convert stage (signing on the dotted line as a client). Each stage requires a different content marketing approach, but it all begins with top-level content that gains their initial interest and attention.
Why use content marketing to promote financial services?
Content marketing is a powerful way to tap into the first stage of the prospect’s journey. It raises awareness and educates potential clients about things they may not have considered.
When you use content to market your financial services, you’re letting prospective clients know you understand their financial challenges and you’re an expert financial professional who can guide them in areas such as retirement planning and wealth building.
Content marketing showcases your personality and firm’s brand. It illustrates to people who have never met you that not only are you knowledgeable, but you’re also relatable and approachable.
Plus, when you show up consistently, sharing valuable content, it gives prospects a chance to get to know you and see that you are a reliable, dependable, and trustworthy source who is committed to your profession and your clients for the long haul.
Content also boosts your search engine optimization (SEO). Publishing high-quality relevant content to your website consistently and distributing it through social media and other channels is the best way to attract organic (i.e., free) traffic and grow your brand online.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve had a peek into The Ultimate Financial Advisor’s Guide to Content Marketing, you know what to expect in this series. I will be taking a deep dive into each topic I noted at the beginning of this article. By the end of the series, you will have everything you need to get started or take your financial advisor content marketing to the next level. At the end of the series, I will provide a recap of exactly what to do, how to streamline your efforts, and how to get the best possible results from your financial content marketing strategy.
Download a free copy of the Financial Advisor Content Marketing & Optimization Guide here. Sometimes content marketing can seem like an overwhelming task to undertake on your own. This is exactly what we do for our clients! We help create and select the right content, optimize it so it is reaching the right people, and handle the scheduling to ensure it is as far-reaching as possible.
