Low CostMarketing Ideas

Build Business, Boost Referrals and Attract Ideal Clients

Marie Swift

Three Secrets to Marketing Success

• Schedule time to reflect• Create a marketing plan• Work your plan

Think them through.

Year-End Marketing Questions

How are you doing?

Year-End Marketing Review

• Start with yourself. How did you do?

• Then include your team. What do they think?

• Devote time and thought to marketing in your annual meeting.

• Review your expenses and results. What worked, what didn’t?

• What is planned for next year?

Follow “the 3-M’s of marketing” for best success

Define your market

3 Ms

Create your message

Develop your materials

Revisit Your Marketing Plan

—Define your market

• Understand the niche markets, your opportunities, and

channels for reaching your target market

• Do a SWOT analysis

…… - strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats

• Write a detailed description of your ideal client

1

—Create your message

• Create the value proposition / marketing message

• Write a positioning statement

• Look at other advisors’ brands by visiting Web sites

• Evaluate your brand decisions – company name, tag line, logo, color pallet, central messages

• Polish verbal/ written identifiers that make you unique and communicate the value you bring

• Think BENEFITSBENEFITS to clients -- NOT featuresNOT features of your service

2

—Develop your materials

• Polish your bio

• Update your Web site

• Update core collateral materials

• Develop new items: yellow pages ad, post cards, sales letters, event invitations, community directory ads, press kit, news releases

• Create a 13 month activity calendar

• Create tracking sheets for your marketing campaigns

3

OverviewSix-Element Marketing Plan:

3

1

2

Create a development and rollout schedule

Identify marketing tactics

Set aside appropriate resources for execution4

5 Integrate into your business plan

6 Measure plan success

Document marketing goals

Benefits of a marketing plan

• Clear understanding of the types of clients you are best suited to serve

• Define your unique value vs. your competitors

• Identify specific barriers you may be facing

• Track and make adjustments

• Identify the most appropriate tactics

• Line up right resources and execute effectively

• Avoid wasting valuable resources via an uncoordinated marketing effort

Who are you selling to?

– Target markets: primary, secondary

– Describe demographics and psychographics

– Who are you most comfortable with?

– Who will spend money with your business?

– How do they get their information?

Good planning includes knowing your client

Identify your skills

– Writing skills

– Speaking and group presentation skill

– Networking and conversational ability

– Marketing experience

– Recognizing and facing your fears

Good planning includes knowing yourself

Rate your skills

Skill 5 4 3 2 1

Writing

Speaking / group presentation

Networking / 1-to-1 conversations

Marketing / PR experience

High Mid Low

If you don’t have the skill, find somebody else who does and collaborate or bring them in to help you.

Writing opportunities

• Web site

• Newsletter – soft or hard copy

• Email campaign

• White paper creation

• Book author or contributor

• Print advertising

• Yellow pages ad

• Client survey

• Direct mail (letters, postcards, etc.)

• Greeting cards

Speaking opportunitiesSpeaking Opportunities• Client events

• Prospecting events

• Sponsored events

• Workplace education

• Trade fairs / Community fairs

• Intermediary seminars

• Advisory board

• Sponsorships

• Community involvement

• Professional networking

• Social networking

• Referral strategy

Using your PR skills

Radio spots or appearances

Television ads or appearances

News releases / announcements

Editorial and bylined articles

Leveraging media mentions

Media relations

Diversified marketing portfolio

Hosted Events Client

Appreciation and Bring-a-friend

Direct Communication

Correspondence, Post cards, Newsletters,

Email, Telephone

Industry Leadership

Peer networking, Credibility Factors

Niche Market Visibility

Volunteering, Networking,

Speaking, Writing

Media Relations Getting published ups visibility and

credibility

Public outreachSeminars,

Sponsorships, Fund raisers

AdvertisingTargeted

Making it real

Moving from dreams to goals requires … … the power of the written word.

3

1

2

4

Dreams

Goals

Objectives

Tactics

Differences between goals and objectives

• Goals are broad - objectives are more narrow

• Goals are intentions - objectives are precise

• Goals may be intangible - objectives are always

tangible

• Goals are subject to interpretation - objectives can

be validated by the numbers

Goals/ Tactics – Client focused

Increase awareness among existing / prospective clients

Refine initial presentation and positioning statement Develop media relationships - be quoted or published Establish or strengthen Web site presence Add Client Portals / Virtual Vault Start or improve drip marketing programs Create or re-work prospect letters Automate letter and postcard process Create/distribute e-newsletter for clients Offer public seminars or lunch-and-learns 4 x year Approach HR Director at Company X Host one client appreciation or networking event

You don’t have to do it all

• Being overwhelmed is a leading cause of procrastination

• Pick 2-3 things• Do them consistently and well• Leverage your strongest skills• Diversify as you can • Add more activity and expense• Be tenacious

Get a Coach or a Buddy• Someone who’ll be honest with you

• Someone who knows a few things you don’t

• Someone who’ll hold you accountable

• Cost for a colleague – your time and theirs

• Cost for a pro $300 - $1500 / month (or spot coaching)

• www.EdwardJacobson.com - Edward Jacobson, Ph.D.

• www.MaryLaceyGibson.com - Mary Gibson, CFP®

• www.BrianKoval.com - Brian Koval

• www.DMacConsulting.org - Diane MacPhee

• http://www.impactcommunications.org/files/TrustedResources.pdf -- Trusted Resources “Swift Seal of Approval”

Brand evolution

• Companies also grow and change

• Your brand should reflect your current

clients and service offerings …

• And project your vision for the future

Case in point

Good brand foundation

Celebrate Milestones

• 25th anniversary• Marketing Makeover• New Branding• New Web Site• New Brochure• News Release• Letter to Clients with Enclosures• Fun Insert – Historical Look at Last 25 Years

Create a Referral Program

Create small stickers• Put on back of envelopes• www.WebSticker.com • 3,000 for under $200

Keep top of mind• Add PS to end of all correspondence• Mention in newsletters• Use branded pens, letter openers, useful items as easy

handouts• www.iprint.com \ www.queensboro.com

Thanks for your referrals!

We’ll take good care of your friends and colleagues.

Get free financial information:

www.myWebSite.com

Make It Easy to Refer You

• Keep Lucite racks full of brochures, reprints

• Slide calculators = Attractive, fun and interactive

• Require no explanation

• Help people understand and

• Motivate them to act

• Great value for budget dollars • www.advantagepublications.com/finances.html

Referral Brochure

• Keep in lobby in Lucite rack or mail out 1x year• www.ClientWhys.com = Ready Made• Or design your own

Conduct a Client Survey

• Let clients know you care what they think

• Single topic or multiple questions

• Mail-out with Fax-back or mail-back options• 3 Question survey

– Start / stop / continue

• Online surveys - quick and easy

– Easy to set up and send

– Easy to track results in real time

– Free or low cost

Client Surveys…Onlinewww.SurveyMonkey.com

Professional Subscription: $19.95/month• Up to 1000 responses per month• No long-term contracts• Cancel at any time• Unlimited number of surveys• Unlimited number of pages and questions• Completely unbrandedBasic Subscription: Free• Your surveys include promotion for surveymonkey.com• Survey responses remain private• Limit: 10 questions and 100 responses per survey

Conduct a Client Survey

• Hire a third-party

• Get more free survey tips at: www.advisorimpact.com/download/making_client_surveys_work.pdf

Leverage Your Survey Results

• Letter to clients summarizing responses

• Thank you notes or gift to respondents

• News release to local press

• Post on Website news release or news summary

• Add to your Clip Book

• Article in your newsletter

• Use information to improve service and client

communications

• Beef up your Client Knowledge Base

Polish Up Your Elevator Speech

Positioning Reminders• Get positioned in your prospect’s mind.

• Use one simple message.

• Set yourself apart from your competitors.

• Don’t try to be all things to all people.

• Stand for one distinctive thing that will give you

the competitive edge.

Get Your Message Across

• Articulate results & benefits of working with you

- Don’t talk process

- Don’t talk features

• Keep it simple, easy and quick to grasp

• Use “word pictures”

• Repeat key messages

• Reframe, rephrase, restate

Practice Others-Centered

Communications

• With Read articles in FPA Solutions magazine and on MorningstarAdvisor.com

• http://www.impactcommunications.org/whatwedo. asp?SPID=48238&Title=News+Room&OrgID=1655

Thank youWhat are the top 3 things you will do next week?This year?

Marie Swift, PresidentImpact Communications Inc.

2007 West 91st Street, Ste. 201Leawood, KS 66206

Phone: (913) 649-5009marieswift@impactcommunications.org

Reminder:

A good marketing plan isessential to your successas a financial planner!