The Role of Thought Leadership Is Changing

Understand which questions your ideal clients are asking online and provide answers in the form of searchable content. For some time, this has been one of the best ways to connect with relevant leads, and the main function of thought leadership online. But as AI-generated responses on major search engines reduce traffic to advisor websites, the question-and-answer approach is losing ground. 

There is another reason to keep up your online thought leadership, though, and it’s only getting more crucial to new client acquisition.

There was a time when, based on your credentials and a word of recommendation, certain leads would pick up the phone or agree to a meeting. These were considered high-value prospects and they were just about the only ones worth spending time and energy on.

Now, we’re in a new industry landscape with unprecedented access to information. The vast majority of potential leads—and not just those in the rising generations—want the opportunity to evaluate an advisor from a distance, without pursuing direct contact until they’ve had a chance to build some level of trust in their own time. They aren’t just looking for an answer to a question; they’re looking to understand how you approach that topic as someone who could stand to help them with bigger priorities over the long term. 

These leads may not be ready to move money today. What they represent is a passive way for you to get on the shortlists of a potentially large number of people who will eventually make a change. 

And thought leadership is central to this process. If these prospects can visit your site and find articles and videos demonstrating your expertise in areas relevant to their needs (transitioning a family business, mitigating capital gains tax, and so on) they can evaluate your abilities in a low-commitment environment and begin to associate you with the expertise they need to reach their goals. 

It’s about sharing content that has educational value, so that potential clients can assess your abilities as an advisor without the pressure of sales calls or direct marketing. Then, when the time comes for them to make a change, you’re the one who gets the call.

This is a different kind of pipeline with less competition and more passive leads. And in the age of AI, it’s becoming an important opportunity for advisors looking to grow.

Reach out to us if you’re looking for ideas on where to start or how to optimize your thought leadership for client acquisition.