What your clients really want (and need) from your social media content

There is an increasing over-abundance of attractive and well-intentioned digital resources created by large investment firms, broker-dealers and RIAs with very healthy marketing budgets.  These resources typically analyze the recent past with scholarly precision, discuss current market and macro-economic factors ad nauseum and, for compliance-reasons and obscured clairvoyance, equivocate about the future.  Though technically client-facing, such authoritative "assets" tend to work mainly for advisors but only for a small cross segment of their clients, i.e. those who like CFA-written analyses.  The apparent intention of such communications that require significant effort to prepare and even greater effort to survive Compliance scrutiny is to provide you with valuable content to convince your target audience that you know your stuff.  

Think again.  

My CMO experience has taught me that most of the good clients are not looking for investment tips, esoteric models or market predictions.  What they want or, more accurately, what they need from their financial advisor is assurance and reassurance that they have a well-reasoned investment strategy that can withstand market turbulence and accommodate major changes in their lives and family circumstances.  It does not take much historical data to provide that confidence.  Doing this simply and elegantly requires visually-attractive, concise and clear communications reinforcing the basics of having a well-defined investment discipline based on building and maintaining a risk-appropriate, well-diversified portfolio.

Amid the over-abundance of professed help and hope, most successful financial advisors know this basic reality: for the long-term investor, virtually all the financial news and market volatility as well as the dynamics of the macro-economy are simply, noise.  That's right...noise like static.

We must certainly tap well-honed and duly diligent corporate resources to extract the nuggets that will be most compelling to your (prospective) clients.  It is critical that you present this content in a way that gets and keeps the attention of the people you care about most and helps establish and reinforce your brand as a knowledgeable, tuned-in and responsive professional who crafts portfolios and programs suited to your clients' unique needs and priorities.  No more, no less.  

Neil Wernick is a seasoned, globally-experienced financial industry executive who coaches professionals and their firms in the art and science of digital marketing, communications and client relationship management. You can find him on LinkedIn and @neilwernick.  Contact neil@rifkinwernick.com.