The Secret to Internet Marketing

Written By : Greg

Joe, a financial advisor, has heard that many other advisors in his area have begun internet marketing campaigns. Not one to be left behind by the competition, Joe figures he should also give it a go. But he doesn’t really know why he’s doing it, or what he expects from his internet marketing efforts. He gets started by creating a website, blogging a few times, and joining two social media sites. But after a few months, Joe isn’t quite sure what he’s doing or why he’s doing it. He feels like he’s firing arrows into the dark!

Does Joe’s story sound familiar? Many businesses approach their digital marketing with a “learn as they go” attitude. Technically, there is nothing wrong with using this approach to learn a new skill. But when you’re investing time or even money into an internet marketing campaign, the last thing you want is to feel disappointed by your results.

That’s why it’s important to define your expectations from the outset of your campaign. Why are you doing this? What type of results can you expect?

Internet marketing doesn’t have to be a huge mystery! First of all, you should understand the difference between advertising and marketing. Advertising involves increasing awareness of your practice over the short term, in hopes of gaining new clients right away. Marketing, on the other hand, works over the long term. It’s all about creating awareness, making connections, and nurturing relationships.

So, what can you expect from internet marketing? It’s simple:

• You will create awareness of your brand – what it is that you do, and how you are different from the competition
• You will put your company’s name in front of thousands of potential clients
• You will establish credibility with those prospects, so that they see the value in your services
• You will foster lasting relationships with prospects, as they build trust and confidence in your services
• You will deepen relationships with current clients, improve client retention, and increase your referral rate
• You will convert undecided leads into clients
• You will organically earn new leads over time

How do all of these factors come together, to create real value for your business?

There will be times when, due to the content you have been publishing and distributing, prospects/clients will be following you and educating themselves, helping them to make a decision on a product or service you promote.  When they eventually contact you, they are often ready to take action.  You have leveraged the internet successfully and turned your efforts into new business.

These are the secrets to internet marketing. Over a period of time, your strategy will expose you to a large number of people, establish credibility, and help you form relationships that contribute to the success of your practice.

Ask yourself if your expectations for internet marketing are in line with what your strategy can accomplish. In most cases, advisors who analyze their hopes and identify their goals are the ones who are happiest with their internet marketing campaigns.

Filed under: Financial Advisor Marketing, Social Media for Financial Advisors