5 Reasons Your Small Business Needs Content Marketing
Sept. 21, 2016
Constantly clamoring to grab the attention of prospective customers, small businesses are competing with a lot of noise. Consumers are cutting through clutter by fast-forwarding television shows, subscribing to ad-free digital radio, installing ad-blockers to browse their favorite websites sans-ads and customizing what’s in their social media feeds.
Video Content on Social Media is About to Boom
Sept. 2, 2016
It’s no secret that video content is on the rise. By 2019, video content will be the driving factor behind 85% of search traffic in the US. Whether it’s Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook, video content on social media is what marketers need to focus on in 2017. Additionally, marketers must understand how each social channel is optimizing its platform to allow for more video content in users’ feeds, and how brands are using video content to engage their followers.
Millennials Need Your Help: Financial Edition
Aug. 26, 2016
The word millennial is thrown around a lot in marketing. They are the future, who we should be marketing to, and they are going to define trends. Well, we hate to break it to you, but it’s 2016 and millennials have officially arrived. Millennials are now the largest generation in the US Labor Force, (Pew Research, 2015) and the most diverse, well educated and well informed generation yet. According to YouBrand, Millennials were estimated to have a combined global spending power of $2.45 trillion in 2015 (CNBC, 2015). And individually, in the US alone, 46% of millennials on Facebook are considered affluent (HHI $75k+).
How Financial Advisors Are Leveraging Social Media
Aug. 19, 2016
Today's investment advisors are well aware of social media giants like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, yet about 50% don't know which levers to pull and which buttons to push to make social media a key tool in their firm's marketing campaigns. That's a mistake, as investors, especially younger ones, are pulling ahead of financial advisors on the use of social media in managing their money.
Writing “Ridiculously Good” Content
Aug. 10, 2016
Ann Handley’s new book, Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide for Creating Ridiculously Good Content is a crash course in writing strong, compelling material that engages readers. It’s broadly relevant to writers of all types, but is particularly helpful to marketers who need to create writing that influences people and has a measurable impact.
WEBINAR: Join Michael Kitces July 21st @ 2pm EST on DoL Fiduciary and the Best Interests Contract
July 20, 2016
With the issuance of a Department of Labor (DoL) fiduciary rule on April 6 of 2016, the world of professional financial advice took its first step into the future, declaring that brokers can no longer earn commissions and other forms of conflicted compensation from advice via consumers, unless they agree to do so pursuant to a Best Interests Contract (BIC) agreement with the client, or meet the requirements to be a Level Fee Fiduciary.
How to Demonstrate Credibility Online to Generate Referrals
July 19, 2016
Credibility and trust. It’s paramount to an advisor’s business, yet often overlooked. Trust is one of the main reasons why clients refer you and why leads may choose to engage with you and start a relationship. Yet, did you know that the financial services is actually rated at the bottom among all industries for least trusted by their clients — and is true across the Globe, from the U.S., Canada, Britain, Hong Kong, and Australia? Okay, that seems pretty ominous and like the financial industry is failing to capture the trust of investors around the world. But we actually have great news (seriously, we do). You have the opportunity to truly stand out from your competition — more so than any other industry, and really demonstrate your credibility, thought leadership, and value as a financial advisor.
Here's How to Fix That Lonely Wasteland You Call Your Website
July 6, 2016
Crickets. That's what you hear every time you post a new article on your website. I experience it, and so do most other entrepreneurs trying to build an online audience. To make things worse, you're probably getting sick of hearing stories of other people turning their entire business around just by blogging. That's great for them -- and it's inspiring -- but that doesn't help much when you're working your butt off creating content that no one's reading.
4 Key Tips for Managing and Maximizing Content Online
June 8, 2016
In 1996 Bill Gates predicted that in the internet age, content would be king. Given the marginal costs and ease of self-publication, combined with the vast audience potential, he posited that content would drive revenue in the new economy. No company, he said, would be too small to participate. This has largely been borne out — there is nary a business left that does not have a blog or a social media presence. The potential for customer engagement has never been higher or more lucrative. Businesses know that blogs, newsletters and other content driven marketing helps them engage and build trust with clients, solicit new ones and provide value-add services.
How to Ensure You’re Not Breaking CASL
May 28, 2016
Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL) went into effect on July 14, 2014, in an effort to restrict the amount of unsolicited electronic messages being sent to recipients without their consent. Given there is still some confusion and misinformation surrounding this legislation, we thought we’d provide a quick refresher on CASL, as well as some tips for avoiding the hefty fines that could be levied on those who are non-compliant. First, the refresh of everything you need to know - we’ll make this as painless as possible