A recent study showed that 97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. Additionally, 85% of consumers trust online reviews just as much as a personal recommendations. Case studies are persuasive marketing tools that take readers on a journey to how you’ve helped an individual in their financial strategy. They’re invaluable assets that can move those who are on the fence about doing business with you and establishing trust. In this post, we look at why financial advisors should use case studies in their marketing.
How can you generate financial advisor marketing leads from case studies?
It’s best to highlight these stories on your website where they’re easily accessible. On that same page (and often), have an opt-in form where readers can simply provide their contact details for a complimentary consultation.
Case studies provide a number of important advantages to financial advisors:
- Case studies connect with the emotional side of the brain – the side of the brain that actually gets people to call and make an appointment to help them solve a financial problem or challenge.
- Case studies are relevant to your market by definition.
- Case studies can show how painless and beneficial the financial planning process can be.
- Case studies highlight the financial planning process and readily enable you to differentiate between your role as a fiduciary, emphasizing your consultative approach, an approach too often taken by the product-focused salespeople who compete with you.
- Case studies are fully customizable for your business niche. In fact, because people respond to stories that involve people like themselves, focusing on case study marketing can help you establish dominance in your chosen niche or niches.
Remember to put clients first
The first thing to remember about generating case studies is to stay focused on how the process benefits the client, not the advisor. Put yourself in the client’s shoes. A case study is all about the client’s experience, and the benefits to the client.
Not everybody learns best by reading a wall of text. Many people learn best from graphs and charts. Others need to hear the information spoken out loud. Look for multiple ways to present the same message:
- Infographics
- Bar charts
- Video chats and presentations
- Audio chats and podcasts
- In-person presentations.
Always Quantify
Case studies should quantify as much as possible. The more you can tie the benefit to numbers the better. Many people won’t jump without seeing the numbers.
People who are at the stage at which they are reading case studies are open to a solution or they wouldn’t be reading the case study.
Promote your USP
Case studies can help set you apart in the crowded market by focusing on your strengths. For example, an advisor with particular experience or insight in working with doctors might highlight a financial planning problem that many doctors can relate to, such as student loan management issues, or protecting assets from the claims of malpractice creditors.
This does two important things: It establishes you as a subject matter expert in a field of close interest to your target market (without you having to actually claim it, which can potentially lead to compliance scrutiny). It also helps differentiate you from competitors who don’t bother making this connection with your niche audience.
Consider the CTA
If they read to the end of the case study, get them to take action. You need the reader picks up the phone, downloads your e-book, signs up for your newsletter, or emails to make an appointment. Tell the reader what you want them to do – take the next step in your sales journey – and tell them how to do it.
Turn case studies into blog and newsletter posts. Each successful case study is an excuse to double down on your content marketing and get more content into the hands of your prospects and clients that shows the breadth and depth of the services you provide, and the value you are able to bring. Put your successful case studies front and center in blog posts, social media, newsletters, video chats and any other form of marketing you can think of.
I hope you’ve found this post on why Financial Advisors should use case studies in their marketing useful.
If you’re a financial advisor looking for help, please feel free to get in touch here. Myself and my team are more than happy to help.
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