10 Best Digital Marketing Strategies for Financial Advisors

Are you a financial advisor looking for digital marketing strategies to win more clients?

For the last 10+ years, I’ve helped hundreds of financial advisors get leads, appointments and clients with digital marketing.

In this article, you’ll learn my 10 top digital marketing strategies for advisors that actually work.

Let’s jump in.

Executive Summary

The best digital marketing strategy for financial advisors combines paid advertising with helpful educational content and valuable follow-up emails. This process will attract and convert your ideal clients on autopilot and at scale. Watch my free masterclass to learn how to do this in more detail.

What is the best digital marketing strategy for financial advisors?

In this article, here are the top digital marketing strategies for financial advisors:

1. Create a strategy focused on results

Focusing on results (not vanity metrics like followers or engagement) is a crucial first step to any successful financial advisor’s digital marketing strategy.

Why focus on a results-driven strategy?

By focusing on results, financial advisors can ensure they are using their resources efficiently. Some digital marketing strategies may require a high input of work or money with very little output (results). The best digital marketing channels require little input (time, work, or money) and give the most significant output from digital marketing efforts (results).

For example, some advisors have told us they post daily on social media without getting any leads. This is because posting on social media is great for “brand awareness” but doesn’t directly contribute to leads and clients.

Instead, we’ve found our clients can get much better results by focusing on lead generation strategies that directly contribute to more clients.

So, in your firm, ask yourself…

Is this digital marketing strategy focusing on vanity metrics (likes, views, followers and engagement)? Or is it focused on real-tangible results (leads, appointments and clients)?

Advisors who get the best results from digital marketing will focus on real-tangible results.

There are hundreds of ways advisors can get more clients with digital marketing. But you don’t need 10, 50, or 100 ideas. You just need one (or a few) that work well.

Less is more when using social media as a financial advisor. In other words, it’s better to focus on a few social media strategies and get great results than focus on many social media channels and get poor results.

So what are the best social media channels for advisors?

In our experience, here are the digital marketing platforms currently working best for advisors:

YouTube (best for free leads)
TikTok ads (best for paid leads)
Facebook ads (the largest social media platform for targeting seniors).
SEO (another great free marketing channel)
LinkedIn (best for targeting business owners or employees)

Want to learn how to use these marketing channels in more detail? Check out ‘Step 4’ of our free Masterclass training.

3. Search engine optimization (SEO)

Generating leads through search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the best free digital marketing strategies for financial advisors.

Why?

Because anyone searching on Google for financial services is actively looking for a financial advisor right now. In other words, they’re looking to work with an advisor right now.

As a result, financial advisor leads from SEO will likely convert into clients much quicker.

In fact, I’ve found that financial advisor leads from Google are typically 2-5x more likely to convert within 3 months when compared to other marketing channels (like paid advertising).

Benefits of using SEO include:

Leads that are more likely to convert
Leads that are likely to convert quicker
Predictable leads each month
Free leads each month (no paid ads needed)

To learn more about what financial advisors need to do to rank higher on Google (and why it’s easier than you may think), check out step 4 of this video.

4. YouTube search engine optimization

Another great digital marketing strategy for advisors is YouTube. But not YouTube ads! I’m talking about generating leads organically with YouTube videos.

Instead of writing articles for SEO, with YouTube, you record videos on the same topics and you can rank at the top of YouTube search.

Here’s an example of one of my annuity lead generation clients ranking in the first position of YouTube search for the phrase “How to buy an annuity”:

As a result, his video gets hundreds of views each month, with people searching for how to buy an annuity.

This is just one example of many.

Check out this video to learn more about using YouTube to grow your firm.

Benefits of using YouTube as an advisor:

Less competition which makes it easier for your videos to rank
Video is a much better way to build trust with leads than written content
Leads convert quickly vs. other marketing channels
Free leads each month (no paid ads needed)

Overall, YouTube is an excellent digital marketing strategy for advisors looking to get more clients online.

5. Facebook Ads

Facebook ads are one of the most powerful paid advertising strategies for advisors seeking exclusive leads with potential clients.

To run a successful Facebook digital marketing campaign, you must:

Have an appointment funnel that converts strangers into leads and clients.
Have a lead magnet that educates and builds trust with leads.
Follow up with leads via email marketing to maximize conversions.

There is also the risk that your Facebook ads don’t convert well.

Marketing Tip for Financial Advisors: If you want to save thousands of dollars on advertising costs and avoid many mistakes that other financial advisors make, it’s a good idea to work with someone that already has experience running Facebook ads for financial advisors.

Rather than start from scratch, you’ll have a head start with creating financial advisor Facebook ads that are much more likely to convert the first time. This is exactly what we do! Watch this video to learn more about how our strategy works.

Key points of using Facebook ads as an advisor:

An automated way to get leads and appointments
You pay per lead (so you can choose exactly how many leads you want to get each month)
Predictable and repeatable results
Cheaper than buying leads as a financial advisor from a lead gen company
More expensive than other marketing channels like Google & YouTube SEO

Investing in Facebook ads is a good digital marketing strategy if you’re looking to get clients as fast as possible.

6. TikTok Ads

TikTok ads are a new and surprisingly powerful digital marketing strategy to get clients as an advisor.

Unlike Facebook ads which are becoming increasingly saturated with advertisers, TikTok is still relatively new in the advertising space.

This means you can get leads and appointments at a much lower cost compared to Facebook ads. In our experience, we’ve found you can reduce your cost per lead and cost per appointment by 25% to 50% when advertising on TikTok.

Key points of TikTok ads:

Over 9 Million people over the age of 55+ are active on TikTok
You can target wealthy people and investors
Video ads tend to build trust faster than text or image ads

Want to learn more about using TikTok ads in your firm? If so, click here to watch our free Masterclass training.

7. Actively prospect for clients

Another great digital marketing strategy is to actively prospect for new leads and clients. Some of the traditional ways advisors can prospect for new leads include:

Cold calling
Cold emailing
Direct Mail
Seminars
Networking events

However, in our experience, we’re finding that several AI lead generation tools are starting to get better results than traditional financial advisor prospecting strategies.

For example, you could spend hours cold calling or you can use LinkedIn lead generation software to automatically reach out to people on your behalf while you sleep.

Overall, prospecting is a great proactive digital marketing strategy to keep your pipeline full.

8. Build a sales funnel

A sales funnel can greatly help you generate more leads, appointments, and clients through digital marketing.

For example, without a sales funnel, you’ll likely only get 1% of website visitors convert into leads. With a sales funnel, this can jump up to 20% or more!

Rather than creating many funnels, we recommend starting with one funnel that is specifically engineered to attract appointments and clients.

You can see what this funnel looks like here.

A good financial advisor sales funnel will typically consist of the following pages:

Opt-in page (to generate leads)
Video page (to convert leads into appointments)
Application page
Schedule page
Thank you page

It’s essential to keep track of the statistics at each step of the funnel and improve the conversion rate where necessary.

9. An email marketing campaign

Want to get more leads to convert into appointments? If so, it’s important to include email marketing as part of your digital marketing strategy.

Why is email marketing so important for advisors?

Financial planners & advisors have very long sales cycles. Most leads do not convert until many months (or sometimes even years) after hearing about you for the first time.

Why?

Financial professionals need to build trust with their target clients to convert prospects. After all, it’s their retirement on the line!

That’s why firms like Fisher Investments typically follow up with leads once a week (every Friday) with helpful educational content. This is also known as drip email marketing.

A financial firm that regularly follows up with leads over weeks, months, and years and is more likely to convert leads into clients.

10. Get help

Rather than run your digital marketing campaign yourself, trying to figure it all out as you go, work with someone who has already successfully done this for other advisors.

At Skyline Social, we’ve worked with many financial advisors and helped them generate leads, appointments, and clients 100% online with some of the marketing strategies you’ve seen on this list (see results).

Interested in learning more about our digital marketing services for financial advisors? If so, watch this video that explains how it all works in more detail.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, digital marketing is essential for financial advisors who want to grow their business, generate leads, and win new clients. However, it’s about more than just using any marketing channel available, but rather having a solid strategy and focusing on the most effective channels for your business.

So, whether you choose to focus on SEO to generate free, high-quality leads from Google searches, leverage the power of YouTube videos to build trust and connect with potential clients, or use Facebook ads to get demand tips, the key is to stay focused, track your results, and adjust your strategy as needed.

Remember, marketing is not a one-time thing. It’s an ongoing process that requires dedication, patience, and a willingness to learn and adapt to new trends and techniques.

FAQs

What are the best financial planning marketing strategies?

With the rise of the internet, social media, and digital platforms, consumers increasingly turn to the online world to search for financial services and advice. By implementing effective digital marketing strategies, you can increase your online visibility, establish your brand, and reach a wider audience of potential clients.

Through social media marketing, you can create engaging content that showcases your expertise, educates your audience, and builds trust with prospective clients. You can also leverage social media to connect with your audience, share valuable insights, and build your online community. Additionally, search engine optimization (SEO) can help you rank higher on search engines, making it easier for prospective clients to find you.

How to do digital marketing for a finance company?

Regarding digital marketing for financial advisors, several key strategies can help boost your online presence and grow your business. Firstly, having a professional and user-friendly website is essential, as it is the foundation for your online brand. Make sure your website is optimized for search engines, with relevant keywords and meta descriptions included throughout.

Social media is another important aspect of digital marketing for financial advisors. Create a strong social media presence by posting regular, engaging content and engaging with your followers. Consider investing in targeted social media posts and advertising to reach a wider audience.

Email marketing can also be an effective way to stay in touch with existing clients and prospects. Create a regular newsletter with valuable information and insights, and consider segmenting your email list to tailor your messages to specific groups of clients.

Lastly, don’t forget about online reviews and reputation management. Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews on platforms like Google My Business, LinkedIn, and financial advisor websites, and be sure to respond promptly and professionally to any negative feedback. By implementing these strategies, advisors can build a strong online presence and attract new clients to their business.

Can financial advisors advertise on social media?

Yes, advisors can advertise on social media platforms. However, certain regulations and guidelines must be followed to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have specific rules for advertising and marketing by financial advisors. For example, any advertising content must be fair and balanced, and it cannot contain false or misleading information. Advisors need to consult with compliance experts and follow the rules and regulations to avoid any legal issues.

Ashley Davis

Ashley Davis (or ‘Ash’ for short) is the CEO & Founder of Skyline Social. For over 15 years, Ash has been helping business owners with lead generation. Ash specializes in helping businesses get high-quality leads, appointments and clients each month with automated digital marketing strategies. Learn more about the author here.