7 Ways Advisors Can Build Their Firms

2. Build a Marketing Funnel

A firm’s marketing funnel would start with the “awareness” phase, using organic, or free, social media, native advertising, display advertising and SEO, according to Allen.

The next stage, a potential client’s “consideration” phase, relies on website content and paid social media and search content. Advisors shouldn’t ask for anything at this stage but should offer free guides, downloadable material or web courses, Allen said.

At the target client’s “decision” stage, the firm might use an email “nurture” or journey and sponsored email.

Allen detailed how an email nurture program would work. It would start with a newsletter that the potential client downloaded in exchange for their email address, followed by a recipient decision tree and a “drip” campaign based on their response.

If a potential client opens the firm’s newsletters three or four times, the advisor can follow up by sending an e-book. If they open the e-book, the advisor might follow with an email suggesting a telephone chat.

For those who don’t open the newsletters at least three times, the advisor might follow up by sending a video, said Allen. If the recipient opens the video, she advised following up with an e-book. And if they don’t open the video, it’s time to end the “drip,” she said.

“This really demonstrated the power of marketing automation and the tools that we have at our disposal now,” said Allen. “Any advisor can build this.”

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