Here we go! NOW is the time to plan your marketing strategy for 2015. With more means to market your firm, it’s easy to get lost in knowing where to start and even easier to fall off track by wanting to do it all.
Two things you need to keep in mind:
- If you don’t write it down and prioritize, it won’t happen
- A marketing plan needs to evolve. Your ability to remain consistently open to change and to adapt to those changes is vital to the success of your firm.
Ideally, firms should develop marketing plans and strategies during the last quarter of the fiscal year. This can be tricky while trying to maintain strong marketing momentum at the same time. With the shift of assets from Baby Boomers to Millennials starting to take place, it is important for you to implement strategies that grab the attention of your next generation clients.
5 Ways to Ramp up Your Marketing Plan For 2015
Real-Time Marketing Is Normal: Your firm is falling behind if you’re not talking on social media. Clients and prospects are out there looking for your information, product news, and answers to their questions. Marketing departments must become more transparent. Every interaction through social media presents an opportunity for new clients. Social media is not optional.
Client Acquisition Strategies Need to Change: As your existing clients age, the number of referrals will decline. Implement strategies to develop relationships with the future client of your firm. Identify your ideal client profile and be able to recite it fluently. Provide specific information that addresses the unique financial issues and challenges facing your clients. You can build a great deal of credibility by writing your own content. If writing isn’t for you or time constraints prevent you from writing, seek out other compliance approved resources and make them available to potential clients through a mixture of marketing channels.
Master a Variety of Communication Channels: Your firm needs to move from traditional “batch-and-blast” methods to a communication plan that will enhance client relationships. You can accomplish this by determining what communication methods clients and prospects prefer and expect versus methods that are easiest for your firm. Learn more about client communication in our blog; 5 Ways to Improve Communication with Clients.
Boost Client Segmentation Strategies: Advisors should drive beyond common segmentation approaches to reach deeper levels of client intimacy. Position your firm to provide proactive service versus reactive by focusing your segmentation efforts on behavioral patterns, assets held outside of your firm, age, and net worth. Your efforts will secure your firm with a competitive advantage and the potential to gain additional referrals. We have outlined enhanced client segmentation strategies in our blog; Gung Ho on Client Segmentation to Improve Satisfaction, Relationships, and Retention.
Use Tracking and Measuring to Your Advantage: In the latest 2014 CMO Survey, ONLY 36% of Chief Marketing Officers are able to prove the short-term impact of marketing dollars spent; that number drops to 29% when asked to show long-term results. Implement a tracking plan to measure all social visits, impressions, and conversions. Marketers need to up their game plan and know the costs to acquire new clients and the lifetime value they provide to the firm. This is key data that marketers need to use to their advantage.
For more information on marketing your firm in 2015, contact the Ironstone team at Office@IronstoneHQ.com. Keep watching – we will be sharing marketing templates and worksheets that will help you create your plan.
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