In the sales business, there is a saying that reads “It is as much about the pitch as it is the product”. In other words, even the best service will fail if it is not represented and marketed correctly. The same idea rings true when marketing an independent financial advisory service. In these modern times, word-of-mouth will hardly do and while trade fairs and firm handshakes may potentially seal a deal, the world needs to be made aware of the business for any of these results to take place. So, what are some of the best ways to utilise the power of the Internet to market an IFA website?
The Personal Touch
While the idea of a financially-oriented firm embracing a social media page may have been scoffed at a few years ago, social media has become all but one of the most critical elements that will help a website gain the exposure that it needs. Hyperlinks to social media platforms will allow visitors to understand what other people are saying about the company; thus objective opinions can be formed. Why is this important? Well, let’s face it…in recent times, many sectors of the financial industry have received a “black eye” due in part to the recent economic crisis. A site that embraces social media can literally use other satisfied customers to help gain marketing exposure through their positive reviews. Let us also not forget that by keeping one’s finger on the “pulse” of what others are saying, any adjustments in marketing strategies can be made on-the-fly.
Birds of a Feather…
One of the best ways to gain valuable marketing exposure is to choose affiliate links that represent the IFA sector in a positive and professional manner. For example, an independent financial advisor within the United Kingdom can employ links to the latest financial blogs and nationwide websites. As these sites will gain much traffic themselves, such exposure can increase the clickthrough rate on the standalone IFA site. Also, Google will rank a site higher that contains authoritative links in comparison to one which does not.
The Power of the (Virtually) Spoken Word
Another great way to boost marketing exposure is to employ an individual to write regular blog posts and to engage with members of online forums dedicated to the IFA industry. This will obviously lend further validity to the site while gaining exposure in active financial communities. Also, this will help the site rank higher in what is now known as online “freshness”. The more active an IFA website is and the more frequently that new information is posted, the higher it will appear in results on a SERP (search engine results page). Once again, this proactive marketing approach can do wonders for a site’s marketing campaign.
These few tips can immensely help in increasing the exposure of a financially-oriented site in what very well has proven to be an online community partially defined by high levels of competition. Although results will not be seen overnight, such policies are bound to contribute to a more successful and rewarding marketing campaign.
