Financial services firms have few tools to market products and services to potential clients.
There is the Web site. All relevant information can be provided there, but how should it be disseminate it to get any interest from potential clients? The mission statements, the products and services menu, the bios, and media mentions can come across completely static.
There are social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. But then the financial services firm has to consider compliance issues when using such platforms to market its services under the scrutiny of the Securities and Exchange Commission. There is the fear that a client or someone it doesn’t know “likes” something or tweets something the firm said and could take the information out of context.
Vigorous pitching and relationship building between reporters and your top performers and financial leaders is a good start, but what about outside the print and video sound bites? How are financial investment firms to acquire clients if they are bound to attorneys and compliance officers telling them beware what you say to potential clients at the end of the day? Where can you get greater visibility for your financial firm’s brand, leadership and message?
Why not pursue the speaking opportunity?
I recently worked with the president of a financial services firm who had written a book and was trying to find ways to get more visibility and appeal to potential clients.
We thought what could be better than a speaking opportunity? But where do you begin?
• We researched key markets around the U.S. with high-income earners and developed a wish list of places for the firm’s president to speak.
• We packaged a pitch with background on the president and his expertise and shared it with interested speaking venues such as chambers of commerce, investment clubs, economic clubs, MBA alumni groups, and others.
• We settled on a chamber of commerce in South Florida where a high-net-income population resides. The chamber's membership fit the marketing goals for the president and his firm.