Tell your story through video

As the financial advisory business faces disruption from automated alternatives, now is the time to modernize your marketing efforts for the digital age, says Patti-Jo Wiese, business growth strategist at PJ Wiese Group in Vancouver.

Advisors who have a sizable “digital footprint,” Wiese adds, are in a better position to hold their own against the growing popularity of robo-advisor platforms. Short video segments are one tool you can use to increase your profile online and remind your clients of the services you provide for them.

Video can be deployed strategically to leverage referrals, boost awareness of your firm and attract the type of clients you want to work with, says Randal Kurt, producer and founder of Bemoved Media in Vancouver.

But your video should be much more than a shot of you talking about mutual finds and insurance. Video gives you a chance to get creative, grab your audience’s attention and really show what you and your team can do for them in a dynamic, entertaining way.

Here are some ideas on the types of videos you can create to raise your profile among clients, prospects and centres of influence (COI):

> A peek behind the scenes
Point the camera at the people who make up your team, so that clients and prospects get to know them better in an unscripted setting. You can offer perspective on the effort involved in keeping your operation running smoothly.

For example, Kurt and Wiese, who have collaborated on several projects, have produced a vignette of an advisory staff at work, giving viewers a sense of the teamwork involved and the level of service they provide.

> Comedy
Wiese has pitched a rather unconventional idea to her clients: shoot a video in the fashion of Jerry Seinfeld’s web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee or, similarly, James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke.

Her idea was to have the advisors hop in a car, and film them as they performed karaoke. That project was created not with their clients in mind, but as a way to reach accountants they worked with as COIs.

The video was a hit with its audience. “They all shared it in their office,” Wiese says. “It became the ‘meme’ at the watercooler.”

For a different project, an advisor who is a self-styled comedian did several impressions of his clients, neighbours and friends discussing their reservations about purchasing life insurance — all in good humour.

> Explainer
Without preaching about one specific product on your shelf, you can dissect a type of product — or debunk a popular financial misconception — for the benefit of clients who find such issues complicated.

Explainer videos make for shareable, snackable content because they can offer valuable information that educates, says Javed Khan, president of Empresion Marketing in Aurora, Ont.

> Testimonials
If you’ve managed to develop lasting relationships with clients, consider asking them if they would be willing to talk about their experience working with you, Khan suggests.

A testimonial is more credible than a straight advertisement because it shows real clients talking about your service and their positive experiences in working with you.

This is the second part in a two-part series on using video to tell your story.

Click here for part one.

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