As the current year draws to a close, advisers are starting to think ahead to what they want to accomplish in 2016. For many people, this goal-planning starts and ends by outlining the typical list of personal and professional goals: Lose 10 pounds, donate more, spend less, add X number of new clients or add $X million in assets under management. Many advisers skip a very crucial step of planning: identifying specific strategies to help them accomplish the goals they laid out. This is precisely why many people get off track with their goals and find themselves playing catch-up at year-end. (Hint: If you haven't already surpassed last year's goals, you might be one of these people! Let's not let that happen this coming year.)
SET MARKETING GOALS
Start by developing a strategic marketing plan. Determine which of the following you wish to include in your marketing plan for 2016: prospecting, client loyalty and communication, client events, advertising, seminars, e-marketing and social media. Map out a few strategies to help you in these areas.
Prospecting. Will referrals from clients and centers of influence be a primary source of new business in 2016? If so, start by using LinkedIn to research prospects fitting your A+ client profile.
Sample strategies: Identify 25 A+ prospects via LinkedIn per month, and ask mutual connections to introduce you to them. Use LinkedIn to identify rollover assets by monitoring connections who have recently changed jobs and reaching out to them.
Client loyalty and communication. With the advisers I coach, we are all about the relationship — with staff, centers of influence and clients and prospects. Being authentic and genuine are what set advisers apart in today's crowded marketplace because it is what clients and prospects crave.
Sample strategy: Take 10 to 15 minutes each day to do a quick review of your social media home pages, and look for reasons to reach out (who changed jobs, won an award, got a promotion, had a baby, took a fabulous trip or is simply going through a rough time and could use some kind words).
Client events. Our top adviser clients tell us the events they host garner absolute raves from clients and prospects, and have gone a long way to strengthen existing relationships and attract new clients. If you incorporate events in your marketing strategy, be sure to use social media to further their impact.
Sample strategies: Post pictures from your events to your social media pages. This will engage others and have everyone looking forward to the next event. Post a calendar of events — including appearances and seminars — on your social media pages.
Advertising. If you use more traditional forms of advertising (print, radio, etc.), expand your reach by sharing via social media.
Sample strategy: Upload all traditional advertising or links to radio and television appearances to your social media sites.
Seminars. For many advisers, seminars and speaking engagements remain a large part of their marketing strategy. If that is the case for you, this is yet another area where you can broaden your reach.
Sample strategies: Identify a team member to photograph/videotape each seminar or engagement, and share via social media. Develop a branded summary sheet outlining highlights of each seminar or session, and share it via social media.
E-marketing. If your firm is sending e-newsletters or e-blasts to clients, make sure you are taking the next step and posting them to your social media sites to get them traveling even further.
Sample strategy: Post each e-newsletter to your social media sites with a note asking your followers to share the information.
Once you have clearly defined your marketing plan and outlined the strategies that will allow you to achieve your goals, don't forget to tackle the other components of your practice: staffing, professional development, operations and planning process. Ensure you have a solid plan so you can hit the ground running in January (if not before).
Kristin Andree is president of Andree Media & Consulting.
