Advisors can boost their profiles as experts through regular communication with their clients, advises Richard Heft, communications director for Ext. Marketing Inc. in Toronto.
To appreciate this knowledge, however, clients must be willing to read your blogs, emails and social media posts as well as answer your phone calls. That can sometimes be a tall order, given the flood of information that inundates every one on a daily basis.
Here are four suggestions to avoid overwhelming your clients with your communications:
1.Target your communications
Ensuring your content is relevant to your clients is an established communications rule but it bears repeating — especially with the popularity of social media.
The use of social networks has made it easier to share content but it has also made it that much more important to be discriminating about what you choose to post.
“Focus in on what you feel the client could really use and would want to read once a day or once every two days,” says Heft, “so it becomes less white noise.”
For example, if you mainly work with small business owners, you are probably sharing information on topics such as tax breaks and succession planning. Multiple posts about retirement may be out of place.
2. Always leave room for breaking news
There are two types of content: scheduled items such as blog posts used to publish and publicize information and events at the same time every week; and, last-minute news items. These include world events, such as the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Ensure you have room for that type of content, by not inundating clients with posts that could be published any day.
“The markets are what people are going to want to know about, especially after [the recession that began in] 2008,” says Jillian Bannister, communications director at Ext. Marketing Inc. “They want to know how the big news stories are impacting their portfolios.”
So, if there is breaking market news first thing in the morning, develop and share your response to that news through your social media accounts. You can delay publicizing your weekly blog post for either later that day or the following day.
3. Use strong email subject lines
Your clients are more likely to open emails if they have subject lines that inform them that the emails contain information they need to know.
Avoid subject lines such as: “Ten easy ways to make more money,” which sounds like spam. Instead, write, “Update on your wealth strategy.” This lets your client know the email is specific to him or her and is important.
4. Schedule phone calls
“In today’s day and age, there is no good time to take a call,” says Bannister.
So, emailing your clients in advance to set up a time for a ten-minute phone call is a good idea.
Not only will they get to choose a time that is convenient for them but it is also an opportunity for your clients to prepare any questions they may have for you.