Crigger, Russell Discuss the Value of Content Marketing

Content marketing is increasingly important for advisors. A BNY study indicates that most financial advisors make similar promises, meaning that it’s hard to tell the differences between them. “We’re selling a relationship more than a service,” Russell said.

According to Russell, “money is emotional,” and many people have anxiety around it, hesitating to book appointments with financial advisors. This means in order to get clients to make the plunge and set up a meeting, there are challenges that need to be overcome. “Content marketing is the way to do this,” Russell said.

Sharing examples of good marketing, Russell underscored that much of the marketing that works creates emotions. Whether it’s a cleverly meme’d tweet, or an image of Beyonce, drawing in the audience an advisor wants is critical.

Noting that much of this marketing relies on knowing who the audience is, “We all have shiny object syndrome. We’re always thinking about what tactics we should use,” Russell said. “You want to stop asking what marketing tactic will work and what makes my business marketable in the first place.”

Russell shared research indicating a disparity between what most clients expect and what they actually receive from their financial advisor. This can create opportunities for advisors who can set themselves up as one-stop shops.

Of course, getting the message out can be a challenge. “Most people don’t read a website,” Russell said, noting that people tend to scroll and skim, which increases the importance of visuals. Even if you are putting out words, breaking up the sentences and paragraphs, using subheads, and thinking about readability is critical.

Content that offers stand alone value without needing a click can be highly appealing. Traditional social media would involve a tease then a click away. “The algorithms are rewarding you for keeping people on Twitter, on LinkedIn,” Russell pointed out, adding that because of this, likes, reshares, and dialogue are likely to be higher. Right now, zero-click content is underutilized. According to Russell, “If you do this enough, the idea is that eventually people will click on your bio, go find out where you’re from, and book a meeting with you.”

She used an example of her own content, noting that it was a 10-Tweet thread, a 150-word email, a 200-word LinkedIn post, and a three-minute video. Despite the same content being delivered multiple times, the market wasn’t saturated, and few if any people saw the content repeated.

Though many people are good at putting themselves out there on social media, few people actually respond to and comment on other people’s content. She advised using "five comments for everything you post” as a useful rule of thumb. “We forget the social part.”

Currently, Google Reviews are an untapped way to get a digital referral. Having more reviews helps with SEO. Setting up a “Google My Business” profile page can be incredibly useful. “This is what I’d like to call the new search path that people are going through to find an advisor.”

Crigger asked if a one-star review might doom the business, but Russell offered that you can reply in the comments. “One bad review is never going to sink a business.” She advised adding at least six photos of your business. Once the reviews start coming in, businesses have the opportunity to showcase their best reviews.

Short-form video offers a huge exposure opportunity. “This is a great opportunity for any business to put someone on camera and build those connections.”

Video can be housed on a company website or put on YouTube or social media.

Russell added, “If it’s under two minutes, you can add it to Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, all the platforms.”

Crigger noted that you’ll want a transcript with keywords, both as an accessibility issue and from an SEO angle.

Russell shared that the mere-exposure effect is something to keep in mind in terms of getting videos out there. “The more we see or hear something, the more likely we are to report that we like it.”

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