Whether you're a solo advisor or you’re a big RIA platform, figuring out what content to create for your marketing can feel overwhelming. “What content should we create?” “Should we do video or podcasts or just blogs?” and “What social media platforms should we be on?” are some of the top questions we field and work through with our clients everyday.
And here’s the thing… the answers are simpler than you think.
When it comes to digital content, the ultimate goal is to drive ROI for your business and attract and convert new clients for you and your advisors. You want your firm to be creating content that speaks to your potential clients, is created in the medium they prefer and distributed on the platforms where they already hang out.
How do you figure this out? Instead of listening to any influencers or taking on an esoteric intellectual exercise, ground it in reality with your best clients. Here’s how-
Step 1: Make a list of your best clients
Think of your top 5-10 clients—the ones who are fulfilling to work with, get tremendous value from your work and if you cloned all your future clients to look like them, you would have a viable, growing business for years to come. It’s these “all-star” clients you are trying to replicate to grow your business.
Step 2: Ask these specific questions
Once you compile your list, it’s time to ask your clients for their insights. You’ll simply need to learn more about their content habits and how they prefer to consume content. Let them know that you love working with them and would love to create content that is valuable to them and people like them. Who wouldn’t be flattered by that?
What you ask them is crucial. Stay focused and clear. Consider asking the following questions to help you gather the information you need:
- How do you consume content? (i.e. articles, videos, podcasts, etc.)
- What type of content do you consume on a daily basis? (i.e. sports, finance, news, etc.)
- Now get specific- Which specific podcasts are you listening to? Who are you following on YouTube? What whitepapers do you read? etc.
- What are you doing when you consume content (i.e. driving, at work, doing house chores, etc.)
- What social media platforms are you on?
- What would you like to hear about from me?
- How often?
Step 3: Stay focused
Once you've learned what kind of content your clients are drawn to, you’ll have the info you need to shape your future content.
For instance, you may have been writing blogs and focusing on LinkedIn as the social platform to promote your content. However, if you discover that your clients prefer to listen to podcasts and are only on instagram you know what type of content to create and where to promote. Or, if many of your clients mention a specific podcaster, you could pitch yourself to be on that podcast or invite that person to be on your podcast, helping you reach even more potential clients in the process.
Your best clients are your audience so check in with them frequently to find out what they’re loving and what they’d like more of. Think of your marketing as simply another touchpoint to add value to your existing clients and as an added bonus on your public channels to engage more people like them.
Got it? Now stay focused and rock it! Good luck.