Most advisory practices need marketing help. To help, here are six tips from Ross Ozer, a senior vice president at Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services, who spoke recently at the company’s Inside Track event in Boston.

A simple action plan. All the marketing options are starting to get overwhelming, so rather than do everything, consider what is the most important and execute on those things well.

When working with people who know you (like clients and centers of influence), set a menu of marketing tactics, from things like a newsletter, quarterly performance letter, market updates, client call-ins and conferences, webinars, podcasts, seminars, other provider introductions, investment reviews, etc.

The two areas of focus. Have an engaging website and create a social presence. Today, referrals will check you out. For that reason, go back and take a look at your Web site.

Do your photographs resonate with those you target? Also, look at bio descriptions. Investors want to find out who you are. Plus, the facts shared in a bio are great conversation starters. It is always better when you have something in common with a prospect.

• Videos can tell a lot about a firm. Consider video biographies—videos that explain how the firm works with clients and more.

YouTube has become an important search engine for prospects. Plus, things like video case studies are fantastic extras for centers of influence.

A concise brand story. What is your one sentence? How are you representing yourself in the market place?

What is the one question you get when out in a social setting? Often it is, ‘What do you do?’  What is it that we are going to say? What is the statement of value?

Who is your audience and what problems do they have? Why do they come to you?

People want to know whom you have done it for, but go beyond that.  The number one reason clients give referrals is because friends described problems and clients suggested their advisors to help them.

Once you have a good brand story, do an audit. Is everything pulling through your marketing communications the way it should?

Focus on a niche market. The sweet spot that can drive growth in a practice is where proficiency, passion and profit converge.

Think about the “pain points” for the niche? Do you deliver services to help them? Do you have the right marketing in place?

* Deepen the client engagement. Collect, capture and capitalize. For example, find out what a client’s hobbies are by asking questions, then capturing the information in CRM software. Know everyone in the family. Know where they are in their careers and know what are they interested in.
 
By knowing the clients, you might find they have younger kids, they cannot take time off from work and cannot be away from the family on weeknights. If that is the case, the weekend might be a better option for something like a workshop.

Client anniversaries, birthdays and retirement dinners are great opportunities to build stronger relationships (and meet prospects.)

On the flip side, make sure your clients and centers of influence know what is going on at your firm and why you are different.

One of Ozer’s final marketing tips was simple but smart: Regarding a good communications plan and its frequency, he told attendees to “create a rhythm.”