According to Reach Stack research, 60% of clients said they heard from their financial advisors only 4 times in 2020, while 47% said they did not hear from their advisors at all once the pandemic hit. On the other hand, about 75% of clients said they want their financial advisors to send them more personalized communications. Email marketing is a perfect online marketing tool for financial advisors.
Whether you have 30 contacts or 3000, sending automated emails will take the same amount of time. A great email has the ability to keep financial advisors connected with their clients, strengthen relationships, increase trust and brand loyalty, and keep them top of mind when their financial expertise is needed. Here are some fundamentals of an effective email marketing campaign:
Creating an Email List
Today, you have many options to create an email list for yourself. Some of these options include:
Email Capture Form: One of the easiest and most popular ways to get the email addresses of potential clients is to ask your visitors to subscribe to your email list when they land on your website. Whenever possible, you should give them a compelling reason to do so. Marketers offer a lead magnet, which is something of value, to the subscriber in exchange for their email address. For Financial Advisors this could be anything from free access to a special estate planning tool, or a white paper or an eBook – something else that is relevant and engaging for your visitor.
Blog Sign Up Form: In case you have a financial blog, it is a good idea to encourage your visitors to sign up, so they are notified every time the blog is updated. However, for this to work, you need to ensure that your blog has a regular publishing schedule and you can deliver new, information-rich blog posts to your prospects. The frequency of the post need not be very high. If you can easily publish two blogs a month, that is fine.
The main thing is that you choose a frequency that is sustainable for you. If publishing financial articles on a consistent basis proves to be a challenge then you should look at a fully automated solution like AdvisorNet. There are other ways to build an email list. The key is to keep exploring and find one or even multiple approaches that fit your business.
Engaging Subject Lines
Your clients are probably bombarded with dozens of emails every day, and there is a high chance that if your email does not stand out, it could go straight into the trash bin. Here are some ways to create an impactful subject line:- The Ideal Length: Your email subject line should be able to deliver a powerful message in 40 characters or about seven words.
- Don’t Use Spammy Words: There are a lot of words that can trigger spam filters in the emails, including $$$, Free Money, Make $, etc. Make sure your email does not look like a second-hand car advert. Also, keep in mind that email attachments can also trigger spam alerts.
- Don’t Hard-Sell: Your email language should be the same as if you were talking to a client face-to-face. Emails that come off like a sales pitch are more likely to be deleted.
- Offer Value: Your client wants to see an email that offers them value. If you are sending a monthly educational email, then you should mention it in the subject line. A good idea is to pose it as a question like “Does the 4% Rule Works for Retirees?”
Create Custom Content
The best way to keep your client engaged and prompt them to use your service is to include content that is interesting to them and highlights the value of their financial advisor. Hence, a monthly newsletter needs to be 90% value-adding and educational and only 10% promotional. Make sure you add as much content as possible in a succinct way that can educate your clients about financial investments, strategies, terminology, market trends, and more.
You should also use the content to inform the client about relevant industry events that they may want to know about. The 10% promotional content in your email should be used to download an ebook, schedule a consultation, or subscribe to a service. If your email is interesting and personalized, it can go a long way towards endearing clients to you.
At AdvisorNet, we can help you make a fully compliant and personalized email campaign that can set you apart from other financial advisors in the industry. Our email marketing can help you become top-of-mind by creating custom emails that speak to your client about what you offer and who you serve as a financial advisor.