When you market to potential clients, you’re trying to stand out in a crowded market of those selling the same products you’re selling. Investors have plenty of options when it comes to choosing who to trust with their futures, and you want to show them you’re the best person for the job. Unfortunately, your competition is doing the exact same thing. So how do you make yourself shine just a little bit brighter?
Contrary to first thoughts, it’s not lower prices or a slicker website that will do the heavy lifting. You’ll need to apply some solid and consistent marketing tools to make you not only more attractive to your market, but also to improve yourself as an entrepreneur and a financial professional at the same time!
Check out these five ways you can stand up above your rivals in the field.
- Don’t Compare: You might think that a good way to make yourself seem better than your competitors is to compare yourself to show the ways in which you’re the one to pick. However, all you’re doing is putting the others in front of your potential clients as an option. Don’t do your competition’s marketing for them! Your own brand is the key to your marketing, so that’s where the focus should be at all times. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t research your competition for your own growth. Just don’t use them in your own pieces.
- Bold Branding: So we’ve just said that your brand is your key, so what about it? It’s obviously a huge piece of your business, and you want it to be associated with trust, responsibility, tech savvy, large product selection– all of those things clients are looking for in a financial professional. To make sure that your ideal client prospect sees and knows your brand, you need to keep it consistent. Your logo, your colors, your message: these should be resonant through all of your marketing, whether print, website, social media, even on pens you hand out in meetings. Make sure your logo and message are unique and memorable, and then put them out there to get recognized.
- Best in Show: You should emphasize the areas in which you excel in your marketing, particularly things that current clients have mentioned. Don’t forget, your current clients are your best gauge for those in the future. Use your strengths to build out marketing copy, especially those that differentiate you a bit from the rest of the field. Is there a particular sector that you serve, giving you a knowledge base that others may not have? An important piece here is not to just sit on your laurels. You may be very good at creating a white-glove customer experience, but how can you make it just a little bit better? Don’t just be better at something, aim for best.
- Like a Window: Clients appreciate honesty. Everyone does. They value transparency in your dealings, rather than relying on someone’s mystery strategies. Make this a key point of your business model. You are upfront about fees, market conditions, hours that you’re available, etc. Knowing that there is nothing hidden makes potential clients much more likely to speak with you.
- Reassess and Climb Higher: As we mentioned earlier, resting in the comfort of your accomplishments will not gain you any forward momentum. The most important part of differentiating yourself is to never stop your progress. As you expand your office and services, there may be new areas that you specialize in. As you grow those skills, and continue to improve them, they can also be used to show how you stand out. It’s vital to pause and look at your current state in a regular, scheduled way to see where your business is now, how growth has shifted your focus, skills, priorities, etc., and then see what else is needed. There may come a time when you’ll look to rebrand, or to do more research to see how your competition is doing things. Your ideal client may have changed, or their needs might have changed, and you’ll see a new direction for yourself. Remaining still in one spot is the enemy here. Wherever you go, make sure it’s forward, allowing yourself adaptation and growth throughout.
Do you have other ways that you keep yourself differentiated in a field of other professionals? Or are you not sure how to implement some of the ideas here in your own marketing campaigns? We’d love to start a conversation about how we can help ensure your client market sees how brightly you can shine.
