As a financial advisor, what steps are you taking to generate leads and gain new clients? Financial advising is a competitive field. Without a strong and strategic marketing plan, you may end up missing out on opportunities to grow your business. One way to expand your reach is through the worldwide capacity of the Internet. In particular, hosting webinars is a surefire way to establish yourself as a trusted financial advisor and make your skills known to new prospects.
What is a Webinar?
A webinar is an online event allowing participants located anywhere around the world to gather together in a virtual classroom of sorts. No need to make conference room reservations or rent out office space because a webinar does not restrict participation based on physical location. Webinars allow participants to actively engage with fellow participants as well as the host, facilitating real-time discussions.
Webinars as a Marketing Tool
Leads are everything in the world of financial advising. A successful financial advisor is always on the hunt for marketing tactics that result in new clients. Without leads, your business will run dry.
Not just any kind of webinar will advance your career, though. Although marketing may seem as easy as informing individuals about your product or service, it’s so much more than simply letting others know that you have a business. You need to remember that people are not willing to hand over their financial wellbeing to just anyone.
Marketing yourself as a financial advisor is all about giving people the opportunity to trust you. You have to make people feel confident in your abilities. You have to show people that you are a reliable source of knowledge. You have to highlight your strengths and skills in a way that convinces them you have the experience and expertise needed to handle their complex financial matters.
How can you accomplish all that through a webinar? Sharing knowledge increases credibility. Hosting educational webinars for potential clients can help make it clear you are an expert.
The Power of Webinars
Before you jump right in and schedule a webinar, you must carefully consider how to make your webinar an educational and informative business event. After all, a webinar gone bad can end up hindering your business instead of helping it.
Worried about giving a presentation and fielding comments in real time? It can be nerve-wracking the first time. Consider whether it is best to put on a live webinar or create a pre-recorded webinar, also known as an automated webinar, on-demand webinar, or simulated webinar. Each option comes with various pros and cons.
Real-Time vs. On-Demand
Live webinars happen in real-time and are similar to a public speaking engagement. Before deciding to schedule a real-time webinar or pre-record your message, consider the following:
Your Preference
- If you want to be able to interact with your audience, a live webinar is the way to go.
- If live audience interaction is not your primary objective, then a pre-recorded webinar is an excellent choice.
- If you thrive off of the idea of having one chance to get things right, then the pressure of a live webinar won’t bother you.
- If presenting to a live audience makes you a ball of nerves, you need to go the pre-recorded route.
Limitations
Live webinars require viewers to hop onto your webinar at a specific time on a certain day. Your attendance might be low depending on the availability of your target audience. With a pre-recorded webinar, you can choose to offer on-demand playback. Viewership is not restricted by your personal schedule. In fact, a pre-recorded webinar keeps working its power at all times of the day and night.
Corrections
A live webinar comes with risk. You can’t go back in time and change the outcome of a live webinar. With a pre-recorded webinar, you can edit and tweak your presentation until you feel the webinar is exactly what you want to go out to the public.
Topics
Information can go out of date, which means a topic presented in a pre-recorded webinar may not always be relevant to the current economy.
Webinar Guidelines to Follow
Deciding which type of webinar to host is just the beginning of the webinar creation process. Consider the following guidelines as you prepare your webinar:
- Pick intriguing topics. A viewer needs to find the subject matter of your webinar valuable and interesting. Otherwise, they won’t stick around to watch the entire webinar.
- Captivate your viewers. No one wants to watch a boring webinar. Tell relevant stories. Present data and statistics. Add a PowerPoint presentation. Take polls. Bring in a guest speaker. Save time for a Q&A session.
- Go after a target audience. Certain topics will appeal to certain audiences. If you want to attract a specific kind of client, select topics that will appeal to that audience base.
- Promote your webinar. An unviewed webinar won’t do much for your business. Start advertising early in places your target audience will learn about it.
- Make registration accessible. Highlight your webinar on your personal website and social media platforms. Send out a newsletter or an email. Create a Facebook event. Promoting a webinar that is difficult to sign up for is counterproductive.
- Choose a user-friendly webinar software. Do your research and select a webinar hosting software that will create the type of experience you want for your viewers.
- End with a call to action. You want more leads, right? Don’t forget to give the audience your contact information so they have a way to follow up with you.
Are you ready to incorporate webinars into your marketing strategy? Hosting a webinar is an extremely effective, revenue-generating marketing tactic. With the right approach, you are sure to generate new leads and attract prospective clients.
To learn more about how a strategic marketing plan can help you gain new clients, seek out the guidance of a financial advisor sales coach. As the old saying goes, “Two heads are better than one.” If you have not considered business coaching for financial advisers, you are missing out on opportunities to grow your business.