Financial Marketing

If you look the same as others, how will prospects choose you instead of them?

It stands to reason doesn’t it? If you can’t stand out from the crowd you’re limiting your ability to attract clients straightaway. So following what everyone else is doing is no-no. Here are 5 suggestions to improve your results:

Number 1 is in my opinion the most important part of any marketing material people will read, and your website is no different. It’s the headline. It’s your opportunity to get the reader’s attention immediately and explain exactly how you can help them.

Having something like “welcome to our website” won’t encourage anyone to want to find out more. Plus you’ll just look like everyone else. In your headline you should explain what problem you can solve. So something like: “Unsure about the implications of IHT? – we can help you”.

You is more important than I, we or us

Number 2 is to simply write as if you’re talking to one person. Only one person at a time reads your messages, so make it personal and from their point of view. They’re not interested in you per se, but what challenges of theirs you can resolve. So don’t drone on about “we do this” and “we do that”. Write about how you can help them and how your expertise can benefit them.

Appropriately number 3 follows number 2 (and not just chronologically!). You need to be doing this in all of your advertising and marketing material, whether it’s your website, brochures, leaflets or even business cards. It is this: Talk about the benefits of what you provide, not the features.

Most people aren’t that interested in the nuts and bolts of things. So tell them what it can do for them: Help save for a rainy day, pay for their children’s education, etc. Of course from a compliance point of view you’ll need to show them the nuts and bolts further down the line, but don’t bombard them with it from the outset.

Why is this buried away where no one can see it?

And so number 4 refers to “join our newsletter” or “receive our newsletter”. I see this so many times tucked away down the bottom where no one can see it, or so indiscrete that it’s really a waste of time.

By making it more prominent you’re able to get more prospects in your database. You can then educate them on the reasons they should use you. None of your competitors are doing this, so all the more reason for you to do it.

Number 5 falls in to the bracket of “marketing 101” really. Your website should have a ‘call to action’ that encourages the reader to take the action you want them to take. So it may be call for more information, or a free consultation, or a brochure.

And you also need to make it easy for them to contact you. So if you want them to call you, have your phone number clearly visible. If you’d like them to fill in a contact form, make sure it’s not hidden away.