9 Sales Promotion Ideas for Your Financial Planning Firm

As a financial planner, you might not think the term “sale” would be in your dictionary. However, if you want to win clients, you have to get creative with your promotions so that you can stand out from the competition. Whether you call it sales promotion or business development, we call it time to up your game and check your strategy to ensure that you’re drawing in the most attention possible. 

Financial planning firms have a lot of options for drumming up business, depending on the type of clients they want and the budget that they’ve got to work with. Organic traffic is great, but what happens when you want to grow a little faster? Here are some great ideas to help you develop more business and grow your financial planning firm, regardless of the resources that you have available. And just remember, you can always outsource your sales outreach and have a team contact your leads.

1. Host virtual client events

These days, people are hopeful for, but still hesitant about in-person events. However, virtual events have become the new “to-do” in the modern business world. In the world of financial planning, virtual events can give your audience an interactive way to get to know your firm and what exactly you can do. It also allows you to give them one-on-one attention and create that personal connection that today’s audiences crave. 

2. Create a client referral program 

Referrals and word-of-mouth are the bread and butter of any business. It’s free advertising—all you have to do is be good at what you do, and people will talk about it. Imagine what would happen if you offered incentives for that word-of-mouth. Then, your referrals will skyrocket because you’re offering them something for their time, and for something they might have planned to do anyway. You could also do this for reviews, offering some type of incentive to your clients that leave a review on your website or a certain business directory, for example. 

3. Offer incentives or discounts for social mentions

Perhaps you want to highlight your social media profiles and market to your new audiences there. You can always offer some kind of special discount or promotion for people who come to you by way of social media. Create a special hashtag or use one that’s trending, or just tell people to say they saw it on Facebook for a free [insert service/gift here]. 

4. Start a blog to become an authority in the industry

Free promotion can come easier when you are looked at as an authority figure and a reputable source of information. Start a blog for your firm and keep it more casual but provide people with educational and resourceful content. Blogs can be about everything and anything, and in the world of financial planning, there are a lot of complex topics people would probably love to understand better. 

5. Use YouTube for educational videos and more

YouTube is a great resource for marketing. While you might think that it’s already oversaturated, the reality is that if you’re not marketing on YouTube, you’re losing. People like visual content more than written content. You’ll likely get twice the viewership with a video that you would with a blog, given the content was the same or similar in nature. Start a video strategy that allows you to promote your business to people who’d rather watch than read. 

6. Host a webinar 

As a financial planner, the room for education in your promotions is HUGE. Webinars are a great way to engage clients and showcase your expertise in the industry. Plus, you can do webinars on almost any subject—teach people the basics of taxes, offer insight on retirement planning, or even take it next-level and offer advanced webinars for those who need a little more advice than the average person. Whatever you do, do it well and they will respond. 

7. Attend local business events and expos 

Local business events and expos are a great way to promote your financial planning firm when you’re looking for exposure in a new arena. Financial planners could attend local business trade shows, as well as home shows, auto shows, etc. While people are looking at buying homes and vehicles, why not talk to a financial planner about whether that’s a solid move, after all? You could even attend local wedding events to attract the frugal couples who want to start their marriage off on a financially sound foot. 

8. Take the “suit and tie” off your marketing

Today’s consumer wants to be talked to like a person. They want to be treated like a person, and they don’t want to deal with some big stuffy firm that isn’t capable of talking to them on their level. If you really want to promote your business to the right audience, market in a way that works for them. In this case, people don’t want some “old guy in a suit” telling them how to plan their finances. They want real advice from real people. Give it a try—you might be surprised at the results that you get. 

9. Partner with Smith.ai for help with lead intake, outreach, and more

Since you’re going to have a slew of new leads coming in, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve also got systems in place to manage those leads, starting with a 24/7 answering service so that you never miss a thing. When you partner with the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, we’ll be there for everything, including the assistance with outreach campaigns to help you grow your business in the first place. We’ll not only contact your prospects and leads with outbound calls, but we can also make reminder calls, send texts and emails, and so much more. 

We’ll even handle things like appointment scheduling and lead intake so that your firm can focus on the business of financial planning. Our team will help you create the perfect strategy for whatever your outreach, admin, or communications needs may be. 

To learn more, schedule a consultation to discuss what the 24/7 virtual receptionists at Smith.ai can do to help your financial planning firm with promotions and more. You’ll also find us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.