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Financial Advisor Videos: Give Your Audience What They Want

  • By Laura Garfield
  • |
  • September 19, 2017

At least once a week we’re on a call with an interested client who tells us, “I want video, but I have no idea what to talk about.” It’s usually raised by someone who has seen a stat like this:

“Video is projected to claim more than 80% of all web traffic by 2019.”
— INC.COM

What you talk about is fundamental to producing your videos. While it may seem like a huge hurdle in the video marketing process, all you need to do is a little digging. Here’s where we suggest starting:

Step 1: Focus on Their Needs, not Your Needs

One of our financial advisor clients recently told us 8 of 10 conversations they have with people are about retirement. We were in the midst of shaping the content of her company’s next video shoot. With that one observation it became strikingly clear that answering client questions about retirement was going to be a big focus.

When you can define pain points and then help solve those problems, you’ll create content that focuses on your clients. And it will resonate with them.

“Today, content only succeeds if it delivers what consumers want, when and how they want it.”
— FORBES

Traci Richmond, CFP®, found herself talking to a lot of clients about their kids and money. She had 3 children of her own and was painfully aware that kids aren’t getting basic financial lessons in today’s school curriculum. That leaves the teaching up to parents. But Traci was finding parents didn’t know where to start.

To help, she created a Smart About Money landing page with a series of videos and blogs. This video explains one of the practical tips that we couldn’t wait to try out on our own kids:

How you find out what your audience cares about is up to you. Here are a few ideas that might get you going:

  • Quantitative Approach: Do you have a database with details about your clients? Comb through it and try to glean insight. What do they have in common?
  • Qualitative Approach: Ask them! A survey or individual phone interviews can help you find out more about what’s troubling them.
  • Start a List: For a few weeks or a month, try writing down any pain points that come up organically in client conversations. Or better yet, at the end of each meeting or call, ask your clients. They will be more than happy to tell you what problems you can help solve.
  • Ask around the Office: You might be working with one specific type of client, but if you’re creating video to market your entire firm, don’t lose site of the needs of other types of clients. You may be marketing to widows and your co-worker in the next office might be trying to reach people interested in green investing. Strike a balance.
Step 2: Find the Right Answers

Once you have figured out your clients’ pain points, you need to find them solutions. This is a great opportunity to look internally for experts. By featuring your own team members in your videos, you’re giving them visibility and adding to their digital credibility.

Andrea Schlapia of Ironstone, a business coaching and consulting firm for the financial services industry, provides solutions for financial advisors. Andrea knew their pain points were exactly what drove them to her door.

Because of years of experience, she intuitively knew what challenges her clients faced, but instead of telling them what she thought they needed to hear, she had us ask them. Those Ironstone client responses turned into this testimonial video series that Andrea has added to her marketing strategy:

Don’t be afraid to tap outside experts too. Some of the best answers may come from outside your firm. When you’re looking for local experts in the field to be interviewed for your videos, it’s a good idea to choose people who have a strong digital presence.

Think about it, if someone doesn’t even have a business website, they’re not going to help you push out the videos to their circles. But if they’re active on Twitter, know how to work LinkedIn, or have a huge Facebook or Instagram following, they will amplify your reach.

Those outside experts will benefit from the publicity of your digital content — especially if you give them a link back to their website and shout-outs on social platforms. Also encourage them to post and share your video. Since they’re in it, that’s an easy ask.

There’s so much digital content published each day that your message can easily be ignored — especially if you’re creating videos that try to push your agenda. Instead, provide real value by using video to answer your clients’ questions and get the traction you want.

Ready to incorporate video into your marketing and messaging? Drop us a line and we’ll put you in touch with the experts!

Are you just getting by or are you getting better? Get started today!

Author Bio

Because Idea Decanter specializes in working with financial advisors, we know the ins and outs of compliance as well as we know our own kids (all can be vexing). Together we help you create video you can use by telling visual stories and working with you to create a plan for getting those stories viewed. Not by someone in Malaysia or an Internet bot, but by the right eyes. For you that’s probably your current or future clients. We know if you had enough hours in the year, you’d be talking to each and every one of them face-to-face. Until someone more science-y than us figures that out, we vote for video. Powered by the brand journalism approach of co-founder Laura Garfield and the commercial photography experience of Sharon Gottula, Idea Decanter tackles your story in a unique way. We call it authentic. Not in the handcrafted, bespoke sort of Pacific Northwest way. Authentic as in we’re coaxing your story out of you. So the videos we help you create aren’t sort of like you would say it. They are exactly how you would say it. Because when you shine through, you can make a personal connection with video. And that’s what it’s all about.

LauraGarfield