I know how many marketing emails and postcards we receive here at Stonewood Financial from other companies advertising to us. To be candid, some of it is compelling, but a lot of it ends up in the trash can. That got me thinking – if this happens to us as a business, how much more is it happening to Stonewood Financial Members as advisors and the clients they serve? These days it can feel like it takes a combination of SEO sorcery and dumb luck to stand out in your market, but I believe that a well-thought-out, personalized approach is far more important than the content. Put another way, it’s not what you say, but how you say it.
Let’s explore a few helpful practices that can elevate your marketing engagement and client relationships.
Custom Brochures & Reports
“White labeling” brochures and handouts are an easy way to leverage knowledge outside of your practice while enhancing brand recognition. For example, Stonewood Financial’s “5 Ways Taxes Can Rise” White Paper educates the client on the many ways things can go wrong with retirement tax planning without taking the right considerations. By customizing this piece with your company’s brand, YOU become the educator – delivering these concepts to your clients from your trusted sources.
Customization doesn’t end at marketing – your analysis documents should be equally bespoke. No matter which retirement planning software you use, ensure that your assumptions are specific to your client’s circumstances; don’t be a slave to a particular assumptions model. As I tell Stonewood Financial Members: the better we dial in our assumptions, the harder it is to deny the results. Then, tie that analysis to the story of your clients’ lives – show them that you see their path to financial success, not just numbers on a page. Let’s run one together, book some time on my calendar here.
Email Segmentation & A/B Testing
With so much spam filling our clients’ and prospects’ inboxes, we have to ensure our message stands out. As a first step, define some extracurricular categories about your audience so you can segment them accordingly (hobbies, favorite travel locations, etc.). Now that you have some categories, we can start to divide our contacts into different segments based on their financial data AND their extracurricular info. Not only does this help provide a clearer picture of your client, it also allows you to personalize your email marketing with content that is timely, relevant, and more likely to be engaged.
For more advanced tactics, create 2 versions of the same email with slightly different messaging. We’ll call these Email A and Email B. Then, divide your segment into 2 subgroups and send Email A to the first subgroup and Email B to the second subgroup. Based on the results of this campaign, you can determine what language and messages resonate the most with your audience and plan your next emails accordingly.
Notes Are About More Than Compliance
Regardless of noble intentions, it can be difficult to shake the perception of being salespeople in our marketing efforts. It’s critical for your audience to see the person behind the email, phone call, or social media post, even before you meet them in person. So, going into that first meeting, differentiate yourself by showing your client or prospect how much you value their time through some good, old-fashioned reconnaissance. Do research on a new prospect or client that could inform on how to tailor conversations in a way that resonates with the person in front of you. Listen closely during your meetings to find interesting facts that allow you to speak more specifically to their needs – and show that you’re a great listener.
Now, when I say research, we’re not aiming to “creep” on people, misrepresent ourselves or be disingenuous. Rather, we want to find potential common ground and avoid unnecessary pitfalls. To use a sports example: if I find out my prospect is a fan of the Chicago Bears, it’s probably best not to bring up how great of a season Green Bay is having!
In a crowded marketplace, standing out can seem like an impossible task. At Stonewood Financial, we see firsthand how easily marketing materials can be ignored, no matter how well-crafted. If it’s happening to us, it’s likely happening to your clients as well. That’s why personalization and customization are so vital in building genuine connections. It’s not just about the message you send, but how you send it. Whether you’re utilizing white-labeled brochures, tailoring your analysis to each client’s unique circumstances, or using targeted email strategies, these small, thoughtful touches show your clients that they are seen and valued. By adopting a personalized approach, you don’t just deliver a service—you build trust and foster deeper relationships, ensuring that your marketing efforts cut through the noise and resonate with those who matter most.
Want to explore these topics more? Connect with us!
