What follows is a financial advisor marketing plan sample targeting the small business owner niche.
My example reflects the categories to define for any financial advisory niche.
I’ve made this plan concise, since you’re likely short on time. In fact, you only need a one-to-two page marketing plan per niche. Anything more and it becomes impractical to implement for most advisory firms.
Let’s get started. I cover picking a niche within a niche and then provide details for: value proposition, core message points, tone of voice, marketing and advertising channel selection, lead capture, client retention and client referrals.
Niche Target Audience: Small Business Owners
While I’ve decided to use small business owners as our target example, this isn’t good enough. The small business owner category is too broad. To quickly attract prospects, you need to isolate a niche within a niche.
For Example:
– Niching the Niche: Retail Eating & Drinking Places
– In business for more than 10 years
– Located within 5-to-10 zip codes abutting your office location (expand or shrink based on advertising budget); remember, repetition is far more important than reach
– Annual sales $5 million + (increase based on your unique expertise and service capabilities)
– 50+ employees
[Related]: Watch my video to learn how advisors can niche the niche when targeting those going through a divorce.
Value Proposition:
Established in 2009, ABC Wealth Management helps restaurant and bar owners save time by helping you manage your finances, investments and tax planning. Our food service industry expertise also includes creating and managing employer-sponsored retirement plans as well as long-term financial, retirement and estate planning for business owners. Our ultimate objective is to help you build financial independence while planning for the succession of your establishment – often a restaurateur’s greatest retirement asset.
Core Message Points:
-Helping restaurant and bar owners as well as their employees with their financial and retirement planning needs
-Detailed understanding of the food service industry operations and the unique needs of restaurateurs
-Experience defining and implementing employee retirement programs as well as business owner retirement plans for the food service industry
Tone of Voice:
-Professionally progressive (see email newsletter names for sample tone of voice)
RELATED: Financial Advisor 12-Month Calendar of Blog & Social Media Content Ideas
Marketing & Advertising Channels for Communicating Core Messages:
– Chamber of Commerce networking
– National Restaurant Association regional chapter; attend events and advertise within regional chapter email and social communications as well as related sponsorship opportunities, including on-site and digital
Influencer networking and direct outreach with:
– Outsourced Vendors, e.g., Restaurant/Bar Social Media Consultants, Payroll, etc.
– Regional Food Suppliers, Farm-to-Table Farmers
– Restaurant Equipment, Furniture, Liquor, Software & Technology Providers
– Restaurant Business Brokers
See additional communication vehicles below.
Lead Capture, Nurture and Conversion Process:
#1 — White paper: Restaurant & Bar Owners: 3 Key Steps to Build a Rich Retirement
White paper automated lead capture, ask for: full name, business name and email.
Note, many inbound marketing experts would disagree with all that I’m suggesting you ask for in terms of initial contact information. Most would say, “Just get the first name and email.”
Why?
Because each piece of contact information you require reduces your white paper download leads. However, keep in mind that these are the same experts that are charging $5000+ per month to maintain a hearty inbound content marketing program for business owners. If you lack such a budget, then you will not be able to create the quantity and, more importantly, the quality of content needed to nurture and keep these prospects warm. Therefore, ask for more qualifying information from your prospects. By doing so, you’ll receive more qualified leads.
Consider This:
As small business owners, we don’t like handing over our contact information to vendors because we don’t want them calling and harassing us. We simply don’t have time for the interruptions. Therefore, you can reduce this email sign-up objection by noting near your download area the following: Don’t worry. We won’t call you. But, do feel free to call us at any time when you’re ready to establish a plan that leads to a rich retirement. After downloading our white paper, we’ll send you our monthly email newsletter, Financial Cocktails, which you can easily opt out of at any time.
#2 — Monthly email newsletter with ongoing and clear call-to-action
Brief newsletter name brainstorm:
- Retirement Planning on Tap
- Wealthy Chef
- Restaurateur Retirement Planning
- A Side of Financial Planning
- Food, Drink & Money Talk
- Restaurateur Retirement Readiness
- Financial Planning Happy Hour
- Restaurateur Retirement Planning News
- Uncorked Wealth
- Wealthy Reservations
#3 — Monthly blog post
Addressing topics exclusively related to restaurant and bar owners’ personal and employee retirement planning, wealth management and tax strategies.
Here is an excellent example of a restaurant and bar related blog facilitated by a restaurant POS vendor. The blog name is very creative!
Client Retention Strategy:
– Restaurateur Financial Planning Happy Hour monthly email newsletter
– Quarterly client-exclusive email newsletter
– Quarterly in-person client and influencer event, e.g., wine tastings, beer harvest dinners, etc.
Client Referral Strategies:
– After every fixed number of meetings/conversations, let your current client know you’d like to add another client similar to him/her and ask them to keep you in mind when speaking with other food/bar owners.
– In your quarterly client newsletter, include a “Thank you for your referrals” comment.
– Postal mail an annual client referral request note card. Be specific as to the type of client you’re seeking. You should have a unique version for each client niche.
– Send handwritten thank you notes to clients who have referred you a client and, when appropriate, a gift.
– Create a smartphone electronic business card that is easy to forward. Same comment for email signatures. I’ve written examples of effective email signatures here.
Finally, when you need help creating a niche marketing plan for your financial advisory firm, please contact me. I spend my days as a freelance financial services writer and marketing director helping financial advisors grow their practices.
Keep in touch while receiving more creative advisor marketing ideas; sign up for my free monthly marketing tip.
Thanks for reading and sharing.
Independently Yours,
Sharron