It is that time of year again, when you review your marketing efforts and build your plan for the next 12 months so you can begin anew in January. Whether you are a small or large business, you must create an annual marketing plan in order to grow your firm.
At Kaleido Creative Studio, we believe there are four building blocks to a well-balanced marketing plan for financial advisors: infrastructure, awareness, lead generation and conversion. I will walk you through each block so you have a clear understanding of what they are and how you can build your 2017 marketing plan.
Marketing Plan
Building block #1: Infrastructure
I always begin with the infrastructure block as it is the foundation of the plan. Start by reviewing your branding to see if it is working or if it is an area on which you need to focus. Your brand includes your company name, logo and colors. Are you happy with your brand? Does it resonate with your clients and potential clients? If so, then you can move on to review your messaging.
Messaging comprises the key words and phrases that you use to define your firm and that differentiate you from other financial advisors. These key words and phrases should be incorporated throughout your marketing. It is vital to ensure that you are sending out the appropriate message to your clients and potential clients.
The next step in infrastructure is to review your website. Is the design outdated? Do you have calls to action inviting people to sign up for a free portfolio review or your newsletter? If you have not changed anything on your site in a couple of years, then focus some of your marketing efforts on your website.
It is easy to get stuck in the infrastructure stage of the marketing plan process. Even though infrastructure is very important, don’t fall into the trap of remaining in this stage. You need to move on to the other building blocks.
Building block #2: Awareness
Now that you have a strong infrastructure block, it is time to build your awareness. This block is all about building awareness of your name. You will not get new clients if no one has ever heard of you. There are many ways to build your awareness: word of mouth, speaking engagements, direct mail, social media, sponsorships, newsletters and so on. You need to make sure that you are using a couple of these strategies consistently.
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Article by Kristen Luke, read the full article here.
