As a financial advisor turned digital marketing consultant, I know how hard it is to get financial advisor leads. Similarly, how hard it is to get new clients. That is why you’ll be surprised at this simple way to quickly generate more leads.
Opt-in text messages open up lead-generation possibilities. They collect leads from some of the most unexpected places. I work with an advisor who boosted leads by 15-20 times what they were getting.
Skeptical? Keep reading to see how I am working with this advisor to increase leads through opt-in texts. After that, discover 10 simple ways you can quickly add this tactic to your business.
Financial Advisor Leads: The game-changing results of opt-in texts
My mission is to find the most cost and time-efficient manner to grow my clients’ practices. As a result, when creating a marketing Roadmap, I spend so much time getting to know my clients and their unique goals and struggles.
This saves my clients thousands of dollars and hours that trial-and-error marketing causes.
I bring this up because, during a Roadmapping session with one client, I discovered that she gives several keynote speeches per year, gets a ton of exposure through interviews, and frequently appears in Barron’s. Those in-person appearances and interviews are a great way to build her brand. So, in the spirit of efficiency, I wanted to leverage and maximize those existing opportunities into leads and clients for her.
To do this, I needed to address two problems
- There was no way to track the source of a lead came. The exception was if someone told her that they found her in Barron’s or heard about her from an interview. How could we track leads from an indirect source?
- While interviews and Barron’s are great for exposure, the only leads she typically gets from them are people who are already actively searching for a financial advisor and ready to move forward. What about those who were still in the information-gathering stage? I’m sure they are impressed by her words in those moments of exposure. But since they weren’t ready to take action, they probably filed her name in the back of their mind where it soon slipped away and was forgotten. Therefore, I needed a way to capture those leads in order to nurture a relationship. When they are ready to move forward, my client must be top-of-mind.
The solution: Lead magnets via text message
One of the best and most efficient ways to generate and track financial advisor leads is through lead magnets. If you aren’t familiar with what these are, lead magnets are something of value that you offer for free in exchange for an email address. It should be something that only your target market would find useful (e.g., a retirement planning checklist).
The disadvantage of this strategy is that it requires someone to opt-in online. Therefore, it would have been very difficult for my client to offer a retirement checklist in a speech, video or print interview.
To solve these problems, we turned to text message opt-ins.
The results
After she started offering lead magnets via opt-in texts, she is now getting 15-20 times more qualified leads for every speech, guest appearance or mention in Barron’s. Additionally, she now knows exactly where those leads come from so she can follow up accordingly.
How opt-in texts work
All you have to do is invite your audience to subscribe to your email list right from their mobile phones. Simply include a call-to-action such as, “Text STARTCHAT to 33444 to Schedule a Free Consultation.” That’s it! Whenever a prospect takes action, they are automatically added to whichever email list you choose, and they automatically get their lead magnet. Now you have their contact information and they are ready to hear more from you.
Next, learn how you can implement opt-in texts yourself.
Two steps to quickly implement opt-in texts
First = Set up your opt-in text system
You need opt-in text software. Twilio and Leadpages are both excellent and affordable options. Both offer free trials. Pick the option best suited to your unique needs and set up your account. (Bonus: We’re preferred providers of Leadpages and can get you an exclusive discount of 56%. Simply click here to get started.)
You need an email service provider to automate your follow-up (which I strongly encourage). I recommend Drip (what we use) or MailChimp. MailChimp is slightly more affordable than Drip but does not have nearly as many features and automation capabilities as Drip.
Quick Tip: If you are just starting out, use MailChimp. If you want more functionality, use Drip. If you want recommendations and to eliminate the guesswork of picking the right tools for your unique needs, simply contact us. We can help!
Second = Create offers and incentives to collect leads
To get you started, I’ll share 10 of the best ways to generate financial advisor leads with opt-in texts.
On your business card
During speeches and on presentation slides
Owned media. If you have your own show on the radio, TV, or a podcast.
Guest media. Whenever you are a guest on any medium, mention an opt-in text relevant to the subject matter you are discussing.
Paid media. If you advertise on the radio, TV, or on Podcasts, mention a relevant opt-in text.
Print. Add opt-in texts to your brochures, informational white papers and any other print items that you give to prospects.
Print advertising. If you advertise in print media, add a relevant opt-in text to newspaper ads, mailers, and even to billboards.
Videos. Add opt-in texts to any videos and webinars you create and distribute.
Social media. You can also add opt-in texts to your Facebook cover photo, LinkedIn profile and to the profile section of your Twitter account.
Live events. Add opt-in texts to banners, conference booth displays and any other signage your firm uses for different events.
Get on the fast track
Start by creating a plan with your unique goals and situation. Make a plan to create offers and incentives that deliver tremendous value to your audience.
To get on the fast track to getting more financial advisor leads, clients, and growing your AUM, check out the RIA Leads Funnel Brochure PDF (no email opt-in required.) It will help you quickly and efficiently develop a funnel that gets results.
To your continuous success!
Hendrik
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