How RIAs can stand out in a crowded market, PR experts say

The registered investment advisor channel has never been bigger, and for the firms inside it, standing out is getting harder. As more advisors break away to launch or join RIAs, many are marketing near-identical services. That leaves prospects with little reason to choose one firm over another.

The number of SEC-registered investment advisors rose to a record 16,544 in 2025, according to the 2026 Investment Adviser Industry Snapshot. The number of clients those advisors serve grew 7.7% to 73.7 million over the same period. 

Three communications professionals who work with wealth management firms say the answer has less to do with technology than with focus. Firms need to know precisely whom they serve, prove their expertise to that group and be visible enough that the right clients can find them.

Why fiduciary status no longer sets RIAs apart

Amiee Watts, founder of Watts PR Group, a financial services communications firm based in Bernardsville, New Jersey, said artificial intelligence isn't what separates one wealth manager from another. What matters, she argued, is a firm's sense of purpose and its ability to explain it quickly and plainly to the clients it wants to reach. Firms that deeply understand their clients – who they are, what they value and how to reach them – will outpace competitors trying to serve everyone, she said. 

"Too many firms lead with things like, 'We provide comprehensive financial planning' or 'We're a fiduciary.' Those things matter, but they're table stakes; they don't tell me why a client should choose you. Look at the clients who already chose you and ask why: What do you understand about them that other firms don't? Lean into that niche and tell that story in a real, specific way," Watts said.

Looking ahead, Watts expects specialization and client experience to carry the most weight. Strong technology, including AI tools, is fast becoming a baseline expectation rather than a selling point, she said, and it won't on its own keep a firm from blending in. The firms that win will define their clients precisely and make them feel understood and valued.

That view matches what InvestmentNews found in compiling its 2026 5-Star RIA Firms serving individual investors. A clean fiduciary pitch and a strong track record are now the minimum, with leading firms competing on planning depth, differentiated service and talent. 

How thought leadership builds trust with prospects

Sally Cates, managing director and head of communications at Dynasty Financial Partners, the St. Petersburg, Florida-based platform for independent advisors, said regularly publishing useful, well-crafted thought leadership is among the most effective ways for a firm to show what it knows. She recommends that firms identify their strengths – estate planning, donor-advised funds or M&A best practices, for example – and build a content plan around them. The content should offer specific guidance that helps prospects understand a problem or reach a decision. Articles, podcasts, webinars, social media and conference panels can all widen that audience, she said.

"Firms often try to appeal to every potential client by speaking in generalities, such as 'we do financial planning,' or promoting services outside their core strengths. This makes it harder for prospective clients to see what sets them apart. It's better to pick a lane and build visibility around what the firm does best. For example, one advisor built a healthy business by focusing almost exclusively on the tax benefits available in his state," Cates said.

Cates expects the bar for content to rise as AI makes it cheaper to produce. What will separate firms, she said, is the quality of thinking behind the material: insight drawn from firsthand experience, sound judgment and a clear grasp of what worries clients. That is what gives prospects a reason to trust a firm's expertise.

AI-driven search is raising the stakes. As InvestmentNews has reported, advisors who skip client reviews risk falling behind in AI search, now that the SEC's marketing rule permits testimonials. 

What does a real RIA niche look like?

Allie Zendrian, founder of AtoZ Communications, a public relations firm in East Northport, New York, said even popular niches are now too broad to set a firm apart. Business owners, for instance, range from solo entrepreneurs to the heads of major corporations. They share some traits, but their problems are largely different, she said. Prospects increasingly turn to AI tools and traditional search engines to find an advisor who fits their situation, demographic or philosophy. Zendrian said firms must demonstrate expertise clearly enough that a small, manageable group of those prospects can find them.

"As you acquire more clients, you'll find the vocabulary that these ideal clients specifically use and deploy that in your marketing and public relations efforts," Zendrian said.

The most common misstep she sees is firms that hire an agency or in-house marketers, then back away from bold messaging. They cite compliance limits or fear of putting off prospects.

"If your marketing efforts look very similar to others, they likely aren't doing you much good," Zendrian said.

The compliance concern is real. Some advisors say that reviewing marketing content under the SEC rule has become a bottleneck as content volume grows, and that firms differ over how to interpret it. More on that in why reviewing marketing content under the SEC rule has become a bottleneck. Zendrian's argument is that caution shouldn't harden into sameness. 

For advisors, she said, the formula is specialization paired with visibility.

"A specialization sans visibility makes a firm the best kept secret. Visibility amplifies what firms have accomplished as well as what makes them different and special," Zendrian said.