When we talk about targeting niche clients, it is necessary to generate content in such a manner that can grab their attention. Content creation is an essential endeavour but it should also be a profitable one. In this age of social media, online prospects are keen on being informed - they want to learn both from and about you - which means you need to teach them.
Advisor websites in its ebook will help you turn content into leads with an inbound marketing strategy. Basically, there are two types of marketing strategies: Inbound and Outbound. Outbound strategy is more vague and open for the public to understand. Outbound marketing is the traditional or ‘old-school’ form of marketing that pushes your message on people who might not necessarily fall within your target audience. Outbound marketing casts a wide net and includes tactics such as cold calling, commercials and print advertising. Outbound marketing goes ‘out’ to get leads.
But what advisors need to focus on is getting inbound leads. So how will you achieve that? Inbound marketing involves messaging that targets an audience who is already looking for your services. Inbound marketing attracts a more qualified lead as a result and centres on the creation of content. Inbound marketing draws leads ‘in.’
Attract clients with value
The most successful inbound marketing strategies are built on a foundation of original, handcrafted content that provides its audience with value.
By now prospects are aware that surrendering personal information online is going to result in either an email or phone call, so it is important that the value of the content you are offering in return not only outweighs that, but makes them feel that further contact from you will be beneficial.
Here are three types of value web visitors are looking for online:
- Education - Teach web visitors about your services, what problems they are facing, and how you can solve those problems.
- Entertainment - While your firm certainly isn’t a comedy club, there’s something to be said for content that makes us smile.
- Empowerment - Help your current and prospective clients achieve their goals.
How to create content
Creating content for your inbound marketing strategy is no easy feat, the e-book has outlined few tips to help the process go a little more smoothly.
Generate ideas- The most difficult part of creating content is finding a topic. There are two main places we get our ideas from: frequently asked questions and trends we see in the marketing and financial professions. Head to your inbox for inspiration - you probably answer many of the same questions on a regular basis. Addressing common pain points among your audience is excellent content fodder.
Find your voice- One of the most effective elements of your content is an engaging, authentic voice. Add some personality into your writing and remember that you are a person having a conversation with another person, not a company speaking to a collective - avoid words like they, them, she/he.
Write a compelling headline- If nothing else, writing a compelling headline will entice your web visitor to take the next step and read your content. You may have an interesting article, but a boring headline won’t get it clicked. Try using a number or a question to grab your reader’s attention.
Optimizing your content
Since part of an inbound marketing strategy involves an exchange of your content for a web visitor’s personal information, simply creating all of that content isn’t enough. Without optimizing it for clicks and search engines, that exchange can’t occur and conversion opportunities disappear.
Call-to-actions: Call-to-Actions or CTAs, are exactly what the name implies: a button, image, link, or text that directs your audience to take, well, the action that you have called for.
SEO: While many advisors consider Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to be a low priority, the fact remains that a higher ranking on a search engine results page means greater visibility, which means more web traffic and therefore more conversion opportunities. So how can you optimize your content for search engines? By adding fresh content/material to your website on a regular basis, be more specific and include keywords.
Lastly, spread your message to as many mediums as possible. Social media is an invaluable tool for letting your followers know that you have published a new piece of content. By sharing snippets of relevant, timely content from your website on social media platforms, connections end up on your website to read and learn more. Social media both drives traffic and conversation.
Whether or not you’re on a budget, social media is vital to an advisor’s content marketing strategy - your target market is there and so should you.
Creating content is an excellent way to balance that act; however, without employing an effective inbound marketing strategy, you’re losing time and money. Content that is valuable, optimized, shared, and costs a prospect’s contact information is how you turn it into leads.
Reproduced verbatim from the ebook - Inbound Marketing: How to Turn Content into Leads.
Click here to read the ebook.
