Advisors: Blogging Is No Longer a Luxury, It's a Necessity

Written by: Nicole Skalamera

As a Financial Advisor running your own practice, a modern, compliant, and mobile-friendly website is a necessity- the bare minimum and backbone to running a successful business. The real question is: How can you differentiate yourself among the other advisors online?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that the number of Financial Advisors in the United States is expected to grow by 30% between 2014 to 2024.

By 2024, there will be an increase of nearly 73,900 advisors in the nation.


The bottom line? This may very well be the most growth we have seen, ever!

As you compete for business among other advisors, it is especially important that you convey your UVP (unique value proposition) . Why do you do what you do? What do you enjoy most about your profession? What topics or subject matter do you wish your clients and prospective clients knew more about?

One of the easiest ways to get your unique message heard is by including a blog on your website, and then sharing those blog posts on social media.

In this post, and for the next four weeks, we will be sharing useful information about how you can expand your online presence through blogging. We will share with you the essential information, not only for blogging online, but for blogging successfully.

3 HELPFUL BLOGGING TIPS FOR FINANCIAL ADVISORS

1. Convey Your Personality


Your blog is the place to share your style and allow visitors to get a sense of who you are. Are you a funny guy? An intellectual, read-everything gal? This is your opportunity to really showcase your personality. When it comes to blogging, you can write more informally and share personal stories – like you are simply having a conversation your clients. As research shows, sharing personal information makes us more vulnerable, which allows for rapport-building, and ultimately trust to develop over time. For a great example, the image below comes from Financial Advisor Brian Plain’s blog . He routinely shares personal tidbits and his informality is conveyed in his writing style. A favorite recent post of ours was “Have you ever thought about your choice of drink?”

2. Consistency is Key


One major factor for any successful blog is consistency. Schedule your postings out in advance so that you’ll stay up- to- date with your blog. Let your readers know when to expect new posts – whether its the first Monday of every week or the last Friday of every month. Few advisors actual develop a consistent posting schedule and stick to it – so if you are the rare advisor who does, you’ll naturally have an edge in this regard. Even better – set up your blog to automatically email your list whenever you add a new post, and be sure to also share all new posts on social media (and routinely re-share old posts as well). This makes it even easier for your readers to keep up.

Few readers will keep up with what you have to say if you write sporadically and with huge gapping time intervals. Marjorie Bennett from Aegis Capital Management has done a great job with sharing her monthly newsletter, “ My Two Cents .”

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3. Write About Your Specialty or “Niche”


What you blog about should ultimately showcase your knowledge and expertise, and your blog titles should compel readers to want to read more. Your posts should include helpful descriptions regarding your business, practice, and the services you can provide to your current and potential clients. Whether you specialize in retirement planning, tax strategies, investment management, or provide services to a specific niche (such as college graduates or professional athletes), post about it! Your viewers want to hear your experience, and your thoughts.

If you write about your niche, you will find that you also naturally include keywords in blog titles and copy that you would want to rank for, which will organically improve your SEO over time. See how Fox & Company Wealth Management have achieved this with their blog focused on doctors below.

If you are interested in learning more about the basics for Blogging for Financial Advisors be sure to check out our past blog post.