Latest Survey: The Future of Organic Growth Is No Longer Referrals
A recent survey found that potential clients under the age of 44 rely on digital marketing, not referrals, to hire an advisor.1
While referrals are still vital for older clients, their irrelevance to younger generations speaks to a dramatic shift in the way advisors plan to grow their practices over the long term. So we’ve put together a checklist to help you evaluate your digital brand as a source of organic growth.
1. A Fast, Relevant Website
Rising generations build trust differently. They search online and form an opinion of a business based on what they’re able to find. And company websites are still paramount in this process, as more people start their search for an advisor on Google than by speaking with friends and family.2
Capturing these opportunities means having a responsive site that search engines will rank favourably, and that can be viewed easily on multiple devices. It also means having a site that answers the questions potential clients have, with enough relevant information and a simple call to action.
2. Online Reviews and Testimonials
Rather than taking the word of someone they know, members of the rising generation are often looking for a multitude of positive voices speaking to various aspects of your service. They find these voices in the form of reviews, testimonials and case studies.
Until recently, online reviews were not compliant for U.S. advisors, and even now they need to be managed carefully. But for growing practices, this is a worthwhile endeavour because of the value it represents to an evolving client base.
Cultivating a fruitful review archive can start with updating your Google Business profile and sending a your google review link to your entire client base. You can also set up profiles on YELP, YellowPages and other online directories, while adding client testimonials to your website and social media profiles.
3. Thought Leadership
When potential clients are getting to know you online, they might see that you specialize in a certain facet of wealth management. This claim becomes much more credible if you’ve demonstrated that expertise in blog posts, article contributions, podcasts or videos.
Before they’re ready to speak to you directly, these prospects can get acquainted with your voice, viewpoints, methodology and knowledge base, building trust and interest at a point in the prospecting cycle where it’s very easy to drop off. All these forms of content can be lead generation machines as well, by creating useful backlinks and improving your ranking for a wider range of relevant searches.
Referrals will always contribute to organic growth, but in order for your practice to grow over the long term, potential clients—especially those in the rising generations—need to be able to find you online and they need to be impressed with what’s there.
Reach out to us if you’d like guidance in optimizing your online identity for long-term growth.
12024 Ficomm Partners Survey, July 2024
22020 eMoney Consumer Marketing Survey, September 2020
