As an IFA it’s unlikely you’re a marketing specialist as well, so how do you make sure you get your marketing right? Here are some simple marketing tips to help you do just that!
Know your audience
This may seem obvious, but you really need to know exactly who it is you want to target and tailor your messages and methods accordingly. For example, if your clients are predominately high net worth individuals looking to mitigate inheritance tax the messages you send them will be very different to if your target market are first time home buyers.
The way in which you target them will also be different.
Review your website
Your website is your ‘shop window’ so it’s important to make it as appealing to your target market as possible. When did you last give your website a once over? Make sure you give yourself ample time to fully review it and look at it from a potential client’s point of view.
Check the following:
- Does it still reflect your offering?
- Is it optimised for mobile?
- Is it easy to navigate?
- Can clients easily make contact with you via your website?
- Are your keywords working for you?
- Does it still look as fresh as it did when you first designed it?
- Does it hold the relevant FCA warnings and legally required information?
If the answer to any of these is no, you’ve got some work to do!
Get social
Social media has revolutionised the way in which companies interact with potential clients. It has created a much more collaborative approach which involves the client from a much earlier stage and places a higher importance on relationship development than ever before.
It can however be trickier when you’re in such a highly regulated industry as finance BUT if you’re willing to put in the legwork, it really can pay dividends.
Create great content
Great content is essential. It shows potential clients that you know what you are talking about and have the expertise that they need.
Take stock of what you already have and check whether it is still fit for purpose or if you could make it even more compelling. Don’t forget that great content comes in many different forms; from blogging and vlogging, to infographics and podcasts so you can be as creative as you like!
Email isn’t dead
Email marketing isn’t dead, in fact it’s great when used properly!
If you have clean opted-in list, email is a highly effective way to get your message out to interested parties. You can email product information, news worthy content, top tips or anything else that helps build a lasting relationship. And what’s even better, is it’s relatively inexpensive.
Team up & Networking
Team up with non-competing businesses and work out a reciprocal referral scheme. If you are happy to refer clients to them, then they will be happy to refer to you.
Attend networking events. Effective networking is key, attend groups that are more than just about breakfast and work on developing meaningful business relationships.
Outsource it
Of course, if these marketing tips all seems too daunting, outsource your marketing instead! Outsourcing some or all of your marketing can allow you to focus your time on other areas of your business.
Bringing in an expert to review your current marketing situation and to develop and implement a marketing strategy is often a lot easier than tackling the whole thing yourself!
To find out how BEAN Marketing can help with your marketing simply drop me a line at annabel@beanmarketing.co.uk