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If you’re part of the Financial Advisor Magazine community on LinkedIn, you may have seen this thoughtful, recently posed question:
What this informal poll suggests is that storytelling is crucial for financial advisors to communicate effectively with prospective clients. It’s not just about showing the results you’ve achieved or being able to provide references. You need to prove your credibility by demonstrating your knowledge, value, and potential to help your prospective clients become more successful.
Getting your story out there; however, isn’t easy.
That’s because content production takes time that you may not have available. Converting skeptical prospects into loyal clients also requires dedicated effort. You may also be working against the uphill battle of a distrustful social climate, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer.
One way to break through the noise is to build a compelling brand.
What exactly is a brand?
We’ve written about this topic previously on the CircleBlack blog.
“The term brand refers to a business and marketing concept that helps people identify a particular company, product, or individual,” explains an article in Investopedia. “Brands are intangible, which means you can’t actually touch or see them. As such, they help shape people’s perceptions of companies, their products, or individuals.”
As a concept, the idea of a brand can be challenging to understand because it’s intangible. A brand is something that people perceive and feel. It’s how you present your organization.
One of the best ways to build a brand for your financial advisory practice is to begin publishing media on popular media channels. We’ve written about some of the fundamental tactics of brand positioning here.
Why YouTube?
It’s one of the best ways to build interpersonal relationships over screens. Anyone can make a YouTube video thanks to the combination of smartphones and tools like Canva.
The YouTube platform is easy to access, with a straightforward process for delivering personable, authentic content. In other words, it’s easy for your audiences to get to know you, your firm, and your expertise. Not to mention, YouTube videos index in Google Search results. So if your client conducts a google search with a specific question, your video will be readily available and accessible in the precise moment of need.
A simple framework for success on YouTube
The process of building videos on YouTube doesn’t need to be complex. You can get started with as much or as little branding as you would like. Using a template from a tool like Canva is a great way to start incorporating basic visual elements.
Step 1: Look to inspiration from the financial advisor community
Safeguard Wealth Management, a firm based in Green Bay, Wisconsin (and CircleBlack client) is a role model publisher of video content. The firm publishes a weekly YouTube series and has amassed 34,700 subscribers across 227 published videos.
Each of these videos contains a valuable, eye-opening lesson for any potential investor to consider. The lessons themselves are under 15 minutes long and include very simple visual presentations. Take a look at the example below.
Step 2: Figure out the topic you want to talk about
You can build a list of topics to cover over time — or create each video one by one. Choose a workflow that keeps you inspired and empowered.
If you’re looking for shortcuts to support your topic ideation, a good first step is to reflect on the conversations you’ve been having with prospects or clients. What are some discussion topics that your YouTube audience might find compelling?
Your goal is not to sell services. It’s to educate and be a source of value.
Step 3: Create your video
In addition to Canva, you can also use tools like Prezi and Google Slides to put together your visual aids. To save time, you can consider using an already-built theme rather than creating one from scratch. Your smartphone or webcam can help you create your recording.
And there you have it — a simple video to publish on YouTube. You can publish as many videos as you’d like, as often as you’d like. Once you create your video, remember that you can utilize it for as long as it is valuable and relevant.
Final thoughts
Each video you produce is an asset for your business. Beyond uploading it to YouTube, you can also share the resources you create with your LinkedIn community and with your existing client base. People care about — and value — what you have to say.
Good things happen when you put yourself out there.
Related: Don’t Let Burnout Get the Best of Your Financial Advisory Practice