Meet Matthew…
Matthew has almost everything he wants in life: A great career, loyal friends and family, good health, and financial prosperity. And he’s quite attractive to boot! But Matthew feels lonely, because he really wants to get married. So he attacks his single status in a very straightforward manner: He crafts a plan to find a wife, and puts it into action.
Matthew joins a dating site, uploads several nice photos of himself, and writes a very descriptive profile detailing all of his strengths and talents. He even includes a strong “call to action”: “Email me, and let’s build a bright future together!” He is sure this approach will attract the right kind of woman.
Indeed, Matthew does meet several beautiful, intelligent women. And he does go on several promising first dates. But at the end of each date, Matthew decides that these women meet his criteria for a wife, and he asks each of them to marry him. After a year of online dating, Matthew has yet to convince a woman to take the leap. He hasn’t even been on a second date! At this point, he is feeling very discouraged about his search for a wife.
Meanwhile, each of those women has become involved in a committed, long-term relationship with other men they met on the same dating site. Obviously, those other men did something right… and Matthew did something very, very wrong.
It’s rare that rational, level-headed adults make major decisions on an impulse. Most of us spend time getting to know someone before marrying them. We need to know all about them, trust them, and feel confident about our future together before we tie the knot. And financial decisions are no different!
Just as Matthew made the mistake of expecting a romantic commitment too soon, we often see financial advisors who are discouraged by the lack of prospects who convert to clients after an initial online interaction. Yes, your website and call to action are very important components of your online marketing strategy. But those alone will probably not convince many people to commit their life savings to your care.
You know that your intentions are pure, you are honest and trustworthy, and that you possess the skill to successfully build your clients’ assets. But they don’t know that – not yet! Most people need a long courtship phase to build trust and confidence, before they commit to the biggest decisions of their lives.
Most of us know that asking someone to marry us on the first date would be counter-productive. It would scare away a good prospect and ruin our chances at getting what we want. Likewise, you wouldn’t expect someone to entrust you with their financial future before you woo them!
If you expect prospects to convert to clients too quickly, you may become discouraged by the courtship of online marketing. But don’t give up, or you could cost yourself some great opportunities! Remember to view your marketing strategy as a long-term exercise in building a relationship. You should demonstrate your knowledge through blogging, showcase your personality in videos, and build trust through conversations on social media.
Remember that online marketing offers the opportunity to court your ideal clients. Take the time to build rapport with them, and over time your efforts will pay off. You will gain more clients, enjoy deeper relationships, and reap the rewards of loyal, long-term partnerships.