Financial Advisor Marketing - Finding a Balanced Approach. A Webinar with Blueleaf.

1. Balancing Inbound and
Outbound Marketing in Your
Financial Advisory Business
Presented by John Stone III
1

2. Finding the right marketing balance.
• For many advisors, about 70% of business has traditionally come
through outbound marketing and referrals
• Yet, studies show that 89% today’s ‘buyers’ begin their evaluation
with a web search and 70% of their decisions are made before they
meet you face to face.
• Engaging this ‘new wealthy’ requires a strong digital presence and
an inbound marketing capability.
• Yet, many advisors are out of balance – either relying too much on
the traditional outbound or on the new inbound marketing models.
• In our view, the key is to develop balanced approach driven by the
metrics of your business.
2

3. How do you build a balanced approach?
There are three dimensions of a balanced approach:
1. Strategy: Figuring out your revenue metrics.
2. Systems: Building your balanced ‘system’.
3. Programs: Amplifying with digital.
A Revenue Architecture is an agile marketing approach that helps
businesses respond to today’s dynamic business environment.
3

4. 1. Figuring out your revenue metrics.
Why do it?
Keys to success:
•
Revenue goals
need to be
translated into
specific metrics
and inbound and
outbound
activities.
Set SMART goals and
metrics by segment.
•
Build out your ‘model week’.
•
Leverage your “Net
Promoters”.
4

5. Set SMART goals by segment.
• Map clients you have now into
segments and AUM sizes.
• Define your growth goals (metrics).
• Understand retention rates and cost
of acquisition.
–
–
How to measure your CAC: http://hub.am/1ak4GFL
How your CAC ratio impacts cost of growing your
business: http://hub.am/1ak4beT
• Determine how many new clients
do you need in each segment.
• Determine how many are going to
come from outbound and inbound
marketing.
• Translate these metrics into your
‘Model Week’.
5

6. Build out your ‘model week’.
• Set process goals by translating your client acquisition metrics into
monthly and weekly activities.
• Set specific times for client meetings, outbound calls, administration.
• Strike a work-life balance for sustainability.
6

7. Leverage your ‘Net Promoters’.
•
•
•
•
Your best referrals are going to come from your “Net Promoters”
The Net Promoter® methodology offers an effective framework.
Use surveys or client interviews – which also helps you gain insights to
improve your practice and value propositions.
Equip promoters with tools – e.g. access to web content they can share.
7
7

8. 2. Building your balanced ‘system’.
Why do it?
Your ‘system’ is
the foundation for
your inbound and
outbound
marketing and
can help drive
more predictable
performance.
Keys to success.
• Understand your DXI!
• Engage clients and prospects on
the web.
• Build a ‘right-sized’ social media
presence.
• Take advantage of revenue
technologies.
8

9. Understand Your DXI!
The Revenue Architects’ Digital Experience Index (DXI) evaluates eight
dimensions of online presence across web and social.
• Digital experience transcends the
website and includes outposts.
• Design and performance matters
– you must capture interest in
seconds.
• Headlines, forms and buttons
help drive the web conversion
impact.
• Mobile optimized landing pages
increase conversions 40%.
• Functionality and private portals
deepen client engagement.
9

10. Engage clients and prospects on the web.
• The web is your engagement
AND marketing hub.
• A media-forward presence adds
validation and drives
confidence.
• Blog and social media extends
your reach.
• Content and social media
makes you ‘discoverable’
Read: “9 Examples of Advisor Websites That Work
and Why” http://hub.am/1hzVXWi
10

11. Expose prospects to your web services.
• Web-based services and tools
can ease transition from
prospect to client.
• Your client portal can improve
client service as well as help
engage and qualify prospects.
Engaging both prospects and clients creates a smoother more effective ‘funnel’
11

12. People respond to video.
• Use video to introduce your firm and
help clients “self-sell”.
• Example: Dave Grant, a Blueleaf customer
http://financeforteachers.com/
• Keep videos short and modular –
“snackable content”.
• Publish on YouTube for search visibility
and sharing.
• Make a natural, personal, authentic and
high quality video – but don’t over
produce it.
• LinkedIn posts with YouTube links have
a 75% higher sharing rate.
12
12

13. Build a ‘right-sized’ social media presence.
Investors are
social
They want
to connect
87%
52%
of high-net-worth
investors are social
media users
of investors want to
connect with
advisors on
LinkedIn
And they want
insights
50%
of high-net-worth
investors want
market, trend, and
product information
via social media
Source: Adapted from Socialware and Cogent High-Net-Worth Investor Research, 2012.
13

14. People engage who they know, like and trust.
• Earning trust is enhanced through
your remarkable targeted content
and peer recommendations.
• Interesting and informative content
adds value and creates a positive
connection in the eyes of clients
and prospects.
• Consistent and professional social
media profiles extends your brand.
• Content and social media can help
you build a “proprietary audience”
14

15. Take advantage of revenue technologies.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Content Management Systems deliver higher
performance and managability.
The Mailchimp ecosystem helps manage
campaigns and convert leads.
Larger firms can take advantage of integrated
marketing automation like Hubspot and Marketo.
Tools like MOZ and Google Analytics help manage
visibility and performance.
SalesLoft helps with LinkedIn prospecting.
Cloze helps you focus your social media
engagement.
Cirrus Insight connects Gmail and Salesforce.
15

16. 3. Amplifying with digital.
Why do it?
By extending
your relationships
in social media
and on the web,
you take
advantage of the
network effect.
Keys to success:
• Curate, share and comment.
• Team up with influencers for a
‘network effect’.
• Help people refer you.
16

17. Curate, share and comment.
• Companies that blog have 97% more
inbound links.
• Write and curate good content.
• Invite clients your LinkedIn page
• Publish and Comment in LinkedIn
groups.
• Use clickable hashtags on Twitter.
• Retweet and like the posts of your target
prospects and existing clients.
• Bring your audience back to your website (like your blog)
• Mix in personal and charitable content appropriate to your brand.
List of content “Fuel” and “Vehicles” you can use: http://hub.am/1hzVGmm
17
Image from integraphix.com

18. Team up with influencers for a ‘network effect’.
• Run webinars with your COI partners to reach
their clients and prospect network.
• Use client portal tools to help bring the COI
network together.
• Leverage content for webinars or to host
Meetups.
Additional Help with Referrals
Free Guide - http://hub.am/1ak1iur
”How To Attract COI Referrals
to Your Advisory Business”
Blog - http://hub.am/1ak0YvR
“Making COI Work: I send them
clients and nothing comes back.”
• Consider a charitable program.
18
Image source: businessknowhow.com/marketing/webinar-tips.htm

19. Help people refer you.
• Change the way you think about
referrals – reduce friction by enabling
the “soft referral” - People can refer
your content, not just your services.
• A resource page or FAQ page and a
video helps clients introduce you.
• Publish articles that your promoter
clients can share – and add value.
• Consider emerging tools like Referron
for your close referrer network.
19

20. Summary
Build a Revenue Architecture driven by the metrics of your business to
achieve a balanced marketing approach.
1. Strategy: Figuring out your revenue metrics.
2. Systems: Building your balanced ‘system’.
3. Programs: Amplifying with digital.
20

21. Special Offers
1. Announcing the “New Marketing Coaching Program”!
Blueleaf and Revenue Architects are teaming up to offer a tailored ‘New
Marketing’ coaching program for financial advisors.
Visit here to learn more: http://hub.am/1hzNKkW
2. Special Offer for Blueleaf Customers: Complimentary Digital Review
Revenue Architects will use the DXI assessment to review your website,
social media presence, content and email marketing and identify
opportunities that you can address right away!
http://bit.ly/17qzbvI
21

22. Thank you
John C. Stone III
www.revenuearchitects.com
jcstone@revenuearchitects.com
877.REV-EARN (738-3276)
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jcstone3
Twitter: @jcstone3
22

23. Credits
•
The following are sources for some of the quotes and statistics shared today.
– http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2297719/over-50-percent-of-unique-email-opensnow-mobile
– http://blog.linkedin.com/2013/09/05/20-tips-to-amplify-your-brand-on-linkedinslideshow/
– http://www.quicksprout.com/2013/08/01/7-conversion-optimization-lessons-learnedfrom-eye-tracking/
– http://contentverve.com/10-simple-things-fix-your-website-copy/
– http://www.cmswire.com/cms/customer-experience/3-tips-to-make-mobile-leadgeneration-more-effective-than-desktop-022197.php
– http://www.yext.com/blog/2013/07/facebook-popular-source-of-local-informationresearch/
– http://www.fourthsource.com/search-marketing/seo/four-points-about-backlinks-stillrelevant-2013-15849
– http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33511/Answers-to-Your-Top-7Questions-About-the-State-of-SEO-in-2012.aspx
– https://blog.twitter.com/2013/survey-how-small-and-medium-sized-businessesbenefit-from-their-twitter-presence
– https://blog.twitter.com/Tweet-tips-Most-effective-calls-to-action-on-Twitter
23

24. An Advisor Compliance Checklist
ü Prohibit specific recommendations.
ü Maintain database/ archive of
communications.
ü Approve blogs and static content as
‘advertisements’.
ü Real‐time interactive
communications does not require
prior approval.
ü Avoid past or specific
recommendations or ‘performance
advertising’.
Revenue Architects recommends that you confirm all compliance policies
through your own compliance procedures and resources.
24