Most advisory firms we talk to are sending emails, posting on LinkedIn, showing up at events, refreshing their websites, and maybe even braving the video realm (we see you, reluctant Reel-makers).
By any reasonable measure, they are “doing marketing.” But inside the firm, it often feels disconnected, difficult to measure, and vaguely exhausting.
At Ficomm, we work with advisory firms that are ready to grow in a way that is repeatable, aligned, and built to last. Here’s a preview of 10 of the most common marketing mistakes we see, what they are costing firms like yours, and what we do differently.
Mistake #1: Marketing Without a Documented Strategy
Someone asks you, right now, to walk them through how your marketing activities, channels, and metrics connect to your growth goals. What do you say?
If that question made you a little uncomfortable, you’re not alone.
Without a clear thread connecting everything back to your goals, each new idea feels equally urgent and every new trend feels like a potential solution. New channel? Sure. Rebrand? Maybe. Podcast? Get Matt Halloran on the phone immediately.
The punchline here is that you probably don’t need more tactics. Instead, we want to help you build a framework that makes the right moves obvious.
Mistake #2: Attributing All Growth to Referrals
When you ask advisory firm leaders where new clients come from, the answer is almost always "referrals" or "the website." But we want to know what happened before someone filled out a contact form or mentioned your name to a friend.
What was the journey? Which touchpoints tipped the scales in your favor?
Giving credit to the last touchpoint hides the marketing that's actually building trust and makes it harder to know where to invest next. When we start mapping the full journey with real data, you can finally see what's really adding value.
Mistake #3: You Didn't Think We'd Give It All Away, Did You?
The complete guide is free to download, giving you a full diagnostic of the mistakes that can drain marketing budgets and momentum. It includes things like launching paid ads before the foundation is ready, hiring a CMO to solve a strategy problem, and betting an entire growth plan on a website redesign (spoilers: the website is never the whole answer).
And if any of what you've read here feels familiar or sparks new questions, we’d love to explore that more in a complimentary marketing strategy consultation.