Leveraging video to reach today’s consumer

In the research phase of the buying process, it's important to provide quality content and experience. If you think about it, it's almost as if the sales process begins online. Many advisors operate under the false belief that it begins when a prospect comes in for a first meeting. As a result, they miss out on a large number of opportunities that will never make it to the office for that first appointment, simply because they failed to connect with them online. The fact is, in today's world if you're not connecting with prospects online, someone else is.

Now, that being said, it takes more than a video on your site to meet the expectations of today's prospects. It also takes quality content. But how do you know what to provide? To help you with this, do this exercise. On a piece of paper write down all of the issues that prospects come to meet with you about (e.g., tax strategies, investment planning, income planning, IRA distribution strategies, estate planning). Now, next to each of these write down the top five questions customers have about each of these topics. You now have an outline for providing quality content.

You can create a combination of materials to connect with prospects around their "hot buttons." Resources such as free reports, videos and checklists make great lead-capture tools to get information for follow-up. For example, if I'm a prospect looking for help with Social Security planning and I land on your website, imagine my response when I see you have the report "Top Five Social Security Planning Mistakes Retirees Make" or a video series on the ins and outs of Social Security income planning. Consider all of the other canned advisor websites I've probably visited before yours that offered all the same generic newsletters, calculators, and other things that offer no real value. Do you think you'll stand above the rest? Absolutely. 

That's why I say, now is the time to make sure your website and online strategy are optimized to reach today's consumers. There are millions of baby boomers searching the Web right now for answers. But do they know how much help and expertise you have to offer? If you don't let them know online, you may never get the chance. Oh, and please don't think that just because on the "Our Services" tab of your site you list every planning topic imaginable that prospects will think you're different. That is simply noise. The only way to position yourself as an expert is to be one. Then deliver your expertise effectively through your online strategies.

For more information on how to build a website that gets results and one that engages prospects, check out this free video: "Discover What Your Website Is Missing." You can also find other resources at www.automatedadvisor.com.

For more from Brandon Stuerke, see:

• Mass Marketing vs. Strategic Marketing
• Referrals That Work
• Lost sales leads: 4 common problems