Advisor communications series: Blogging fundamentals
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: blogging is one of the greatest opportunities to engage with your clients and prospects.
To help you get started, or to help you stay on the right track, we’ve put together a list of blogging fundamentals.
Get the right writers on board
The best writer may not be who you think it is. And people with a lot of customer contact are often the best sources for blog topics. When putting your content team together, it helps to think outside the box.
Customers come first
Ask yourself: What advice can we provide? How are people using our products? The best posts often solve your clients’ problems.
Always look on the bright side of life
Given the changes that are happening in the financial services industry, it can be tempting to get critical. But there’s no place for snarky remarks, attacks or cheap shots in business blogging. Online readers can cut and paste – or take screen shots – and post them to social networks.
SEO is not your primary concern
Google is always changing its algorithms to be more social. That is, shareability is becoming fundamental to online success while keywords are becoming less important. Keep this in mind when creating your editorial calendar.
Find more readers
People often shy away from promoting things that aren’t perfect … especially if they think it might hurt the business. That won’t work with blogging. You need to promote your blog to get new readers. Social media and email are good promotion tools to consider.
Write a strong call to action
With a call to action, you’re driving your readers to engage with your company. A call to action can be as simple as including a link to another page on your website, a request to contact you with any questions or an invitation to connect on LinkedIn.
Blogging is long term
Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s like climbing up a mountain, not skiing down it. You need to stay dedicated, even when you’re struggling. And, as you build up content, you’ll see more successes.
Consistency matters
Every blog post is another opportunity to engage a client or prospect. If you post once a month, you’ll get 12 opportunities to share your message every year. If you post every week, you’re in the 50s. It won’t take long to find your company’s sweet spot.
Limit analysis, for now
Page views, bounce rates and pages-per-visit are all good to know. But they aren’t necessary. The same is true for keywords, unique visitors and loyalty. Be honest with yourself: if you think learning about all of this will sully your blogging adventure, don’t bother with it until you’re ready.
Get blogging advice
If you’re tight on time or resources, think about working with a blogging consultant who understands the needs of your business. A blogging pro will help you build a strategy around your resources, goals and brand.
Do you want more blogging ideas? Contact us today at 416.925.1700 or info@ext-marketing.com.
Advisor communications series: The end of writer’s block
You’ve been writing your blog and newsletter, and things have been going well. Then it hits you. You feel like you’ve run out of ideas.
Everyone who writes knows what writer’s block is all about: a blank page, the need to do anything else, and a growing sense of insecurity. Writer’s block comes out of nowhere … and you can’t predict when it will go away.
Here are a few handy ways to make writer’s block a thing of the past.
Carry an idea journal
If you’re going to be a reliable source of content, use an idea journal to store your ideas before you forget them. After work today, go out and buy a notebook. It can be a stylish Moleskin or a tried-and-true Hilroy. Just make sure it has space to write down your ideas when they pop into your head, no matter how odd they may seem at the time.
We get our best ideas when we’re nowhere near a computer. We got the idea for this article while walking to a client meeting.
Check in with your Twitter feed
This is highly counterintuitive because social media is rarely mentioned as a way to be more productive. There are, however, millions of writing ideas dropping through your Twitter feed right now. Reach out and grab one.
There are ways to refine what you’re looking at on Twitter. First, create a private list of your competitors and see what they’re writing about. Now build off or analyze the ideas behind something they’ve shared.
Second, turn to specific people who have great ideas and see what they’ve done recently. Now write your take on an idea of theirs. Just make sure you have an original take.
Seek the opinion of your clients
Asking your clients for topics they’d like you to cover acts as a good touch point, plus their feedback will provide many ideas for future posts.
There are a few ways you can ask: face to face or by personal email, SurveyMonkey, blog post or social networks like Twitter and LinkedIn. Pick one or two and see if they work for you.
Try these strategies and banish writer’s block for good.
If you’re looking for content ideas or tips to become a more effective writer, contact us at 416.925.1700 or info@ext-marketing.com.
Blogging essentials for financial services professionals
Getting a company’s blog up and running is an exciting challenge – it’s one of the greatest opportunities to engage with clients and prospects.
Here are 10 things to always keep in mind during the early days of your company’s blog.
Get the right writers on board
People with a lot of customer contact are great sources for helpful blog topics. Out of that group, find the strongest writer – that may not be who you expected – and let them solve problems with well-written posts. That said, the more writers you have writing, the more content you have being generated.
Customers come first, not your company
People may not be that interested in the day-to-day of your business. Ask yourself: What advice can we provide? How are people using our products? The best posts generally solve customer problems.
Don’t worry too much about SEO
As Google changes its algorithms to be more “social,” keywords are becoming less and less important than whether or not the content is being shared. Keep this in mind when creating your editorial calendar.
Market your blog
Businesses tend to shy away from promoting something that may not be perfect, especially if someone thinks it might hurt the business. That said, if you don’t promote your blog, no one will know about it and you’ll be wasting valuable resources. Avoid the soft-launch approach. Be proud of your blog!
Always include a call to action
Hopefully your company is blogging to increase business, not just to be trendy. With a call to action, you’re driving your readers to engage with your company. A call to action can be as simple as including a link to another page on your website or a request to contact you with any questions (via phone or email).
Expect weak results in the short term
Many famous bloggers have called blogging a marathon, not a sprint. So stay dedicated and positive when you’re starting out. As you build up content, you’ll see more success.
Consider a blogging consultant
Think about partnering with a corporate blogging consultant who understands the needs of your business, and who will help you build a blogging strategy around your resources, brand and long-term goals.
Post frequently
Every blog post is another opportunity to engage a client or prospect. If you post once a week, you’ll get about 50 opportunities to share your message. If you post every business day, you’re in the mid-200s. Your company’s sweet spot is likely somewhere in the middle.
Decide how much you want to know
Are you interested in the terms “page views,” “bounce rates” and “pages per visit?” Do “keywords,” “unique visitors” and “loyalty” sound like things you want to spend time thinking about? Be honest.
Stay positive
There’s no place for snarky remarks, attacks or cheap shots in business blogging. Online readers can cut and paste – or take screen shots – and post them to social networks.
It’s time to start blogging, so keep these 10 tips in mind and enjoy yourself!
Contact us today if you want help getting your company’s blog started or if you’re looking for content ideas. You can reach us at 416.925.1700 or info@ext-marketing.com.
Whitepaper tactics that work
Even though social media, video and other areas of digital marketing get so much attention these days, we still believe that whitepapers play an important role in your marketing strategy. Here are five best practices to help you get these valuable pieces done right.
Set the right tone
Your whitepapers should be written in conversational tone … and in the third person.
There are fewer and fewer situations that require a very formal tone. As our conversations get more casual, our writing follows. Exercising restraint is important, as whitepapers are fairly “academic,” and are often read by people who are well-versed in the topic.
Solve the right problem
Writing a whitepaper may be one of the most challenging marketing exercises, so make sure the problem you are solving is one that your audience truly wants solved.
To make sure your topic engages your readers, do a little research into their needs. Survey your sales team, research online and, if you have the relationships and resources, talk to your clients directly.
Use third-party facts
Back up your points and arguments with some facts – and make sure these facts aren’t all from your in-house team.
This is where we come across one of the most significant limitations of whitepapers: they tend to take more time to produce than other materials. If possible, you should include some independent research to support your findings. This will enhance the credibility of your work.
Let your designers run wild
Whitepaper doesn’t mean “blankpaper” or “boringpaper.” Luckily for you, not everyone knows this, so design is a way to stand out from the crowd.
Make your whitepaper look professional and easy to read, use a larger font, don’t crowd the copy, and experiment with design elements and themes that break up the whitespace.
Incorporate graphs, charts and infographics
Amid your facts and findings, well-crafted visual aids will help keep your reader’s attention.
Every data point can be backed up with an engaging chart or graph. We think whitepapers are begging for infographics. Since you’ll have so much data to work with, it should be fairly simple to create some easy-to-read infographics that will surely engage your audience.
So, as you develop your social platforms and other digital marketing endeavours, don’t forget about whitepapers and the unique value they add to a robust marketing strategy.
Do you want to create more insightful and engaging whitepapers? Let us help. Contact us today at 416.925.1700 or info@ext-marketing.com.
11 quick reminders for creating your next newsletter
Newsletters will always be fashionable in our books. They’re simply one of the best ways to get the right content in front of the right people. If you’re interested in finding ways to improve your newsletters, check out this post.
Here are 11 quick reminders to make sure your newsletters are as engaging as possible:
1. Write great headlines
Today, everyone’s attention is being pulled in different directions. A strong headline is probably the best way to grab a reader’s attention. Try writing out 25 different headlines before you make a final decision.
2. Focus your content
A newsletter filled with scattered content themes may feel sloppy. We think staying focused on one overarching topic per newsletter is often the best way to do it.
3. Think carefully about your images
Stock photos may be okay, given that they can add some flavour to a newsletter. But a bold image – one that inspires, challenges or intrigues – can take a newsletter to the next level.
4. Write timely content
The most popular newsletters have articles that tackle a current event. Although current content often means tighter deadlines, we think it’s worth it.
5. Build a strong list
Your email (or mailing) list doesn’t have to be big. Just get the right info in front of the right people.
6. Don’t stop researching
More data at hand means that when clients ask for more information, you can keep the conversation going and continue to add value.
7. Test your content
Send out different versions of your newsletter. For example, use different headlines, calls to action and images, and see which ones get more responses. Of course, your results will be more meaningful if you have a larger list but it can’t hurt to experiment!
8. Share it
Social media is one of the best ways to get your newsletters in front of new eyes. Get on LinkedIn and Twitter to share the content that you worked hard to produce.
9. Create a clear unsubscribe link
If you’re sending your newsletter via email, make sure you have a clear unsubscribe link. Now that CASL has come to Canada, big ($1 million+) fines are in store for people and companies who are found guilty of spamming. So make sure it’s incredibly easy for readers to get off your list.
10. Think about less content
Your newsletter, like all content initiatives, must be sustainable. If it’s taking up too much time, send less copy rather than skipping an edition.
11. Seek feedback
Ask what your readers thought about your newsletter in every edition you send out. The feedback you receive is a key resource for crafting future content.
To learn more about creating stronger newsletters, or for any of your other marketing questions, please contact us at 416.925.1700 or info@ext-marketing.com.
26 MORE blog and newsletter content ideas for advisors to use
The potentially unlimited number of ideas for a blog or newsletter can stop you from even starting such a beneficial project. We can help you focus on topics that resonate with clients. How? We’ve put together a list of 26 MORE blog and newsletter ideas, giving you a whole year’s worth of content!
27. Services overview
What financial planning (and other) services do you provide? Let your clients and prospects know.
28 to 39. Monthly market review
Stuff happens all the time, so help put things in perspective.
40. Estate planning 101
People don’t like talking about the end. But they have to, so help make it easier for them.
41. The downside of robo-advisors
Robo-advisors are on the rise but they are certainly not for everyone.
42. Financial plans vs. financial products
Novice investors could use some clarification because they often confuse and conflate the two.
43. Managing emotions
Many retirements have been compromised by panic and reactive selling and buying, so help people conserve their wealth.
44. Making insurance part of your long-term plan
Not everyone knows that protecting their assets and their loved ones is an essential part of their wealth plan.
45. Preparing for portfolio reviews
Make sure your meetings are as productive as possible by letting your clients know what to bring and what to expect.
46. How to choose an advisor
Briefly describe the key traits, skills and experience that prospects should look for.
47. Why do-it-yourself isn’t for everyone
Make sure you give a fair and balanced summary.
48. The benefits of dollar-cost averaging
Though fundamental to long-term investment success, dollar-cost averaging is not well understood.
49. Mutual funds vs ETFs
Let your voice be heard in this growing debate.
50. Long-term investing
Explain the benefits of long-term investing in a short case study.
51. Diversification
This is another fundamental of investing success that may not be completely understood.
52. Your business beliefs in action, Part 2
Finish the year where you started – by demonstrating your core beliefs as a successful advisor.
There you have it: 52 blog and newsletter content ideas. A year’s worth of content to share with your clients.
As we mentioned in our previous post, it helps to create an editorial calendar so you know what’s coming up and when you’ll need to brainstorm more ideas.
Now all you have to do is write!
If you want help creating content, contact us at 416.925.1700 or info@ext-marketing.com.
Are you making these mistakes in your writing? Part 3
Our previous “writing mistakes” posts dealt with solely with homophones and near homophones – Part 1 and Part 2. To keep things interesting, we’ve expanded our reach to include words that have confusing usage.
If you’re interested in sharpening your writing tools, then take a look at these five mistakes:
Bimonthly vs. semi-monthly
Both “bimonthly” and “semi-monthly” mean twice a month – but bimonthly also means every two months. Your best bet is to avoid the terms all together and use “twice a month” or “every two months” in their place.
Comprise vs. compose
“Comprise” means include and consist of: Does your portfolio comprise stocks and bonds? “Compose” means to make up: Equities compose your entire portfolio.
Dependant vs. dependent
“Dependant” is a noun that means one who relies on another: Do you have any dependants? “Dependent” is an adjective that means depending on: Some investors do not like being dependent on advisors.
Fewer vs. less
“Fewer” refers to individual units, while “less” refers to bulk measures: Therefore: There will be fewer shocks to the market this quarter; People will enter retirement with less money.
Nation vs. country
“Nation” primarily refers to a country’s people: The nation faces ongoing political uncertainty. “Country” refers to a territory with its own government: Gross national product is growing in that country.
That’s all the writing mistakes we’ll cover for now. Happy writing!
If you want writing and editing advice, contact us today at info@ext-marketing.com or 416.925.1700.
Are you making these mistakes in your writing? Part 2
As we said before, spellcheck and autocorrect aren’t going to save you if you’re making these mistakes. They may even make the mistakes for you! Here are five more common errors that you can expel from your writing today.
If you missed Part 1, in which we explained affect vs. effect, complement vs. compliment, council vs. counsel and more, click here.
Disclaimer: these are simplified definitions that are most useful for financial services professionals. If you’re writing the next War and Peace, you can dig a little deeper into the sometimes complex uses of these words.
Its vs. it’s
“Its” is the possessive pronoun of “it”: Its mandate is to preserve capital; The Fed is acting as if its purpose is to control the economy. Meanwhile, “it’s” is a contraction of “it is”: It’s going to be a nice day; It’s interesting that people are so confident, given the current market volatility.
Premier vs. premiere
“Premier” is an adjective that means first in status: The company’s goal is to be the premier provider of (insert product or service). “Premiere,” which can be a noun or a verb, is the first performance or showing of something: The movie premiere drew a large audience.
Principal vs. principle
“Principal” means of the highest importance and the original sum invested: Our principal concern; The GIC protects the saver’s principal. “Principle” is a noun that means fundamental truth: We believe in the following investment principles.
Precede vs. proceed
“Precede” means to go before, while “proceed” means to go forward. Therefore: The save-the-date email precedes the invitation; The securities commission will proceed with the investigation.
Who vs. whom
“Who” is the subject of a verb: Please tell us who was selected. “Whom” is the object: Can you tell me whom she selected?
Check back soon for Part 3 as we continue our exploration of common writing errors.
If you want writing and editing advice, contact us today at info@ext-marketing.com or 416.925.1700.
Are you making these mistakes in your writing? Part I
Spellcheck isn’t going to save you if you’re making these mistakes. And autocorrect might make an inappropriate change without you knowing it. Here are five common errors that you can banish from your writing today.
Please note: these are simplified definitions that are most useful for financial services professionals. If you’re writing the next Moby Dick, you can dig a little deeper into the sometimes complex uses of these words.
Affect vs. effect
“Affect” means to influence, and it is (almost) always a verb: Volatility will not affect the portfolio manager’s decisions. “Effect” means a result: The effect was disastrous.
Complement vs. compliment
“Complement” is to complete something: The Global Bond Fund can complement your portfolio. “Compliment” means to give praise: After learning these word rules, your coworkers will compliment you on your great writing.
Council vs. counsel
“Council” is a noun that means an assembly of people: Your city council. “Counsel” is the act of exchanging ideas and giving advice: A financial advisor can counsel you on wealth issues.
Dual vs. duel
“Dual” means composed of two parts: The mutual fund has dual benefits. “Duel” is combat between two people: The two children duel over the inheritance.
Ensure vs. insure
“Ensure” means to make sure, while “insure” refers to providing insurance. Therefore: You invest to ensure a comfortable retirement, while you insure to protect your loved ones.
Bonus tip: “assure” doesn’t mean to insure even though “Assurance” is still around in some company names.
Click here for Part 2, in which we explain its vs. it’s, principal vs. principle and much more!
If you want writing and editing advice, contact us today at info@ext-marketing.com or 416.925.1700.
Crafting your email etiquette
Have you ever sent out an email and immediately wished you had waited a few minutes before doing so? We all have. That’s why we have put together this list of five (or six) things to get into the habit of doing any time you are about to hit “Send.”
Remember: this blog post is for correspondence with business associates. When inviting friends into your football pool, you can probably disregard most of these tips.
1. Check your email list
There is little worse than emailing someone and then realizing you’ve accidentally emailed someone else. And also realizing that someone else really shouldn’t have seen the email you’ve sent them.
Make a habit of always eyeballing your email list before firing that email off. You’ll be glad you did.
2. Avoid too much jargon
It’s okay to have a casual tone in your emails. That said, overly casual can begin to sound underly (a word we made up for the purposes of this blog post) professional.
3. Avoid excessive short forms
Ext. Marketing Inc.’s Andrew Broadhead and Richard Heft have debated this one. Andrew is way more comfortable including plenty of words like “we’ve”, “I’ll” and “you’re”. Richard? Not so much.
There are no hard and fast rules for this one, but listen to Richard and consider reducing those short forms to keep your emails sounding more professional.
4. Remove the jokes
Nuances are very, very hard to pick up in electronic correspondence. If you’re not 100% sure how a joke will be received – or if anyone at all could be offended by the joke – it’s best to exclude it altogether. Keep the tone somewhat professional too.
If you’re not 100% sure how a joke will be received – or if anyone at all could be offended by the joke – it’s best to exclude it altogether.
If anyone at all could be offended by the joke – it’s best to exclude it altogether.
5. Always check your spelling
Do a quick spellcheck before you send any email. Spelling errors never reflect well on the sender.
6. Get someone to read it over
We’ve only added this one as an aside because no one has the time to have someone review every one of their emails. That said, it doesn’t hurt to have someone take a quick look at your more important emails to make sure they make sense.
Use these few tips and you’ll send out stronger, more professional emails every time.
Contact us at 416.925.1700 or info@ext-marketing.com for help with making all your communications more professional.
Ready to blog? How to get started the right way
Starting a blog is a great way to reach out to your clients and prospects, and the folks at Ext. Marketing Inc. are asked all the time for tips on the appropriate first steps for getting started.
We tell people that starting a blog can be broken down into the following three steps:
1. Choose your web hosting domain and platform
Most people know about GoDaddy, but there are many different online companies that sell urls and provide web hosting. With a little research, you can find one that fits your blogging needs and your budget.
You should also decide what blogging platform best suits your needs. Many people choose WordPress because it’s user friendly and cost effective.
Tip: Ask around. One of your coworkers or friends may have already started a blog. See if they’re happy with their blogging platform and find out how much it’s costing them.
2. Build an editorial calendar
Once you have your url and platform set up, you should create an editorial calendar that outlines the theme(s) of your blog, the topics you want to cover in your articles and the frequency with which you plan to post your articles.
This exercise will help you avoid those last-minute rushes for blog content. It will also ensure you post articles in regular intervals. People tend to follow blogs more closely when they have an idea about when new content is going to be posted.
Regularly posting new content keeps your site fresh and your readers interested, as well as increasing the chances that your blog will pop up in relevant Google searches.
Tip: Go back to your past presentations, white papers, etc. as sources of content – or inspiration – when putting together your editorial calendar.
3. Choose your team
You’ll want to discuss your blog with as many people as possible in your office (unless you’re a lone wolf). Creating content for your blog is easier when there are others contributing to it as well.
Don’t worry if some of your contributors are new to writing. Just have someone with writing/editing experience review all articles for grammar and to provide valuable feedback before they are posted.
Tip: Get outside help. Speak to your centres of influence to see if anyone is interested in providing occasional articles. They get to raise their profile and you can actually build stronger relationships through this type of content sharing.
Please remember that blogs don’t usually result in an immediate uptick in sales and it takes a while to build a following. Your best approach is to ensure everything you write is informative, timely and actionable.