Online Marketing Strategies for Financial Advisors and Insurance Professionals

Staying Informed

Click to Begin Learning...

Is Your Law Firm’s Website ADA Compliant?

Originally passed in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was designed to ensure access to, and prohibit discrimination against, disabled individuals in the areas of employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government’ programs and services. But as with many other laws, the ADA continues to be interpreted as societal changes demand.

The internet has become one major area of continuous change. Considering the impact of digital activities on all of our lives, it is no surprise that the ADA has repeatedly been interpreted by courts as falling under the umbrella of ADA regulations. So, what does that mean for your law firm’s website?

First, any business with a physical location is also expected to ensure ADA compliance online. That means their website must provide accessibility to all who visit. 

Also, even businesses that operate exclusively online are now subject to the law. Between 2018 and 2019, more than 4500 lawsuits addressed the issue of ADA non-compliance online. The state of California ranked number 3 in the country for the most suits filed. 

Since it is unlikely that standards will regress from this point, it would be wise for business owners to consider the legal ramifications of operating a non-compliant website from this point forward. 

So, what do you need to know about ADA compliance in 2021 and going forward?

Compliance standards are complex. There is no one single “compliance upgrade” that a website owner can make, that ensures complete accessibility for everyone. For example, website users with visual impairments need certain modifications that are actually quite different from those needed by the blind. ADA compliance measures are diverse, and sometimes it is not possible to achieve 100 percent accessibility for everyone. The goal is to get as close to 100 percent as reasonably possible. 

Compliance can and will change over time.  As technology evolves, new tools are developed to increase compliance in different areas. Also, websites tend to grow as new content is added, so new pages, pictures, blogs and so on must be ADA compliant as well. Compliance should be viewed as an ongoing effort, not a “once and done” proposition. 

Discovering your current level of ADA compliance is the first step. Our free compliance report can help you evaluate your website’s current level of compliance and identify changes that should be made. 

Although complex, achieving ADA compliance does not have to be difficult. Getting started is as easy as installing our software, which can help you attain ADA compliance within about 24 hours. 

From that point, the software will scan your website daily to assess compliance. This will help you ensure that new content, added over time, is compliant with current standards. Website owners receive a certificate of compliance each month that will provide proof of their efforts. 

Contact us to learn more about this software and how the system works. We will help you assess your current compliance level, install the software, and make any necessary changes to keep your website compliant with current ADA standards. 

Creating a Content Marketing Plan That Will Improve Your SEO

Business professionals are beginning to realize the value of content marketing and understand that they need to put together a strategic campaign, but many just aren’t sure where to begin. Sound familiar? If so, this article is for you.

With our next three blog articles, we’ll give you step-by-step directions on how to start a content marketing plan that will improve your website SEO.

Step One: Determine your goals and outline a content marketing strategy that aligns with those objectives. 

It’s tempting to skip to the “fun stuff” (creating content and interacting with your target demographic), but unless you know exactly who your customers are and what they want from you, you could be firing arrows into the dark. Consider these points to illuminate and define your target.

  • Conduct keyword research
  • Consider both core and long-tail topics
  • Utilize your intuition
  • Research related topics, too

The point of keyword research is to direct your content creation. When you include the right keywords in your blog articles, you will drive more traffic to your site by improving the odds of those articles appearing in search results.

Start by asking yourself which keywords a prospective client might use to find your business online. For example, if you’re a plumber in Lansing, Michigan, the most obvious keywords for your business would be “plumbing”, “plumber”, “plumbing service”, and so on. Those are your core keywords.

Long-tail keywords tend to be three or four word phrases, and they typically describe exactly what the customer wants to purchase. Using our example above, a standard long-tail keyword might be “water heater installation in Lansing, Michigan” or “water heater installation in Lansing.”

These keywords are fairly obvious, but you can uncover even more valuable keywords by utilizing your intuition about your target demographic. What types of questions might they ask pertaining your business, products, or service? Related topics might include, “replace copper pipes”, “repair septic tank”, or “troubleshoot water heater”.

By considering these keywords as jumping-off points for content, you can appeal to potential customers who are already seeking very specific information (which you can then provide to them, of course). Then, by incorporating these keywords and keyword phrases into your website and blog content, you give yourself a better opportunity to be found online.

Hopefully these ideas will help you brainstorm content ideas for your marketing campaign. In our next article, we will discuss ways to create that content with maximum appeal to your audience.

If you have questions about keywords, contact us for more information, and don’t forget to follow along with this series; by the end, you will benefit from complete instructions for building a successful content marketing campaign that will also improve your website SEO.

4 Ways for Attorneys and Financial Advisors to Use Video Marketing

Marketers have used video to promote brands all the way back in the beginning days of cinema and television. Social media, on the other hand, is a relatively new phenomenon. Put the two together, however, and you have one of the most powerful forms of marketing available today.

But just how powerful is the combo of video and social media? 

It might interest you to learn that 64 percent of consumers commit to buying a product or service after watching brand videos on social media. And they’ll even help you do some of the work; videos are shared twelve times more often than photos. That means your audience will find video content so compelling that they actually spread brand awareness for you! Read more

Generating Leads is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

When you own and operate a business, generating leads is critical and understanding that not all leads will immediately by willing or able to buy your product or service is perhaps even more important.  These leads can come from a variety of sources such as seminars, advertisements, social media posts, emails, or Google searches. It’s encouraging to generate leads, but often frustrating when those leads don’t turn into clients.  Rather than labeling leads as “bad” when they don’t convert, consider a fresh approach.

So how do you get better results turning leads into closed business?  Remember, even a “bad lead” could turn into a “good referral” if it is nurtured properly.

There are two ways to address this question:

First, how do you define “results”? 

Second, after the lead is generated, what steps do you take to nurture the lead? 

Many business owners would define “results” as “sales”. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, and that is indeed the end goal. But today’s sales funnel is far more complex and typically requires more work than a simple stimulus and response. In most cases, one touch (or even 2 or 3) won’t convert a prospect into a client.  Expecting that to happen is probably a case of wishful thinking.

Remember, attracting and converting prospects is much like marriage.  It rarely happens on the first date. It requires a courting period that may range from a few months to a few years.  Depending on the product or service you sell, your business model may require more relationship nurturing than others.  Clearly, buying a pair of tennis shoes will require less of a decision making process than retirement planning or health insurance coverage.  Most people need time to gather information and weigh their options before making a decision.

Marketing works in very much the same way. Since marketing is about forming relationships – with increased sales as a natural end result of good relationships – it can be helpful to reframe your expectations. With relationships as your expected result, now you can begin to understand marketing as a process. After all, no one forms an instant relationship. But in time, after you’ve nurtured a lead, they will be ready to commit to you.

So that brings us to our second point: What should you do to nurture those leads? 

Seek to understand your leads. A lead will make the decision to buy only when they are ready. And as you might have experienced yourself, most people will be scared off when they feel pushed into a commitment before they are ready. They need time to gather information, weigh their options, and develop trust in you. Therefore, it is important for you to gauge your leads and understand where they are in the buying cycle.

Educate your leads. Did you know that 96 percent of visitors who land on your website are not ready to buy yet? That’s because they’re at the beginning of the buying cycle, and they’re still gathering information. This isn’t the time to push for a sale, but it is an opportunity to begin the relationship. This is why blog content matters and contact forms are vital. If your visitors fill out a contact form, you can continue to nurture the relationship via email.

Social media works in a similar fashion. Most people checking out your Facebook page are not ready to buy, but they might be enticed to click the “follow” button. Then you can continue educating them and forming a relationship. You will do this by posting helpful content and answering their questions.

Stay top of mind.  An initial lead generation won’t usually go anywhere if the relationship is not continued. You want to keep blogging regularly, posting on social media, and sending emails. Consistency is key.

Social media has become one of our primary modes of accomplishing that goal. You should be asking all clients and prospects to follow you on social media. But first, do your research on your target demographic, so that you will use the social media platform most relevant to that group. Facebook is great for the above-forty crowd, while Instagram is essential if you’re targeting twenty-somethings. Business-to-business marketing is appropriately geared for LinkedIn.

Email is more direct and personal, and will deliver your messages straight to your leads. Make sure you always ask every client and prospect for their email address. If you seek to understand their position in the buying cycle, you can create more personalized messages to nurture them along.

Bottom line: Keep in touch. You want to be the first name that comes to mind, when they decide they’re ready for your product or service.

When can you close the deal? Yes, at some point after you have established a solid relationship, you naturally want to ask for the sale. But when?

In order to answer that question, let’s evaluate your marketing practices so far. We will analyze the steps you’ve taken to generate leads, determine how to nurture those leads, and help you understand your prospects’ position in the buying cycle. We’ll show you ways to deepen those relationships, so that they feel ready to commit.

What is Content Marketing and Why is It So Important?

As a business owner, you already understand that reaching out to your target demographic and forming relationships with them is a positive step for your company. You may have even heard that “content marketing” is a smart way to achieve that goal… But beyond that, it might be a mystery. Content marketing is a vague term, and perhaps you’re not quite sure what it is or what it requires you to do.

That’s okay! This is a common question, and we’re happy to provide an answer for you. Read more

3 Reasons Why Advisors, Attorneys, and Insurance Professionals Should Use Google Alerts

Social media marketing, online marketing, digital marketing… Whatever term you use, all of these forms of marketing have one thing in common: Content. When you create great content, your customer base will find you relevant, helpful, and approachable. That’s the first step to forging relationships that are mutually satisfying and profitable.

Creating the right content is always a learning process. Ideally, you will first research topics of interest to your target audience, and then continue to evolve that content as trends shift. Google Alerts has emerged as one of the most effective tools to help you do exactly that. Read more

Are You Following the 80/20 Rule of Social Media Marketing?

As you continue to hone your social media strategy, you will soon discover that there is no secret to being successful 100 percent of the time (we wish it were that easy). But with time and experience you will find that certain practices tend to work well, while others do not. So yes, we do have a few basic rules of social media marketing that we can share with you. Perhaps the most important is the 80/20 rule. Read more

How Blogging Helps Advisors and Attorneys Boost Their SEO

Typically, one of the first things attorneys and advisors will think about when it comes to their internet presence is whether or not their website ranks highly with the search engines. Beyond that, however, they may not understand what needs to be done to improve those rankings.

SEO (search engine optimization) is the ongoing process of making a website relevant enough for the search engines to rank it highly for specific keywords. Read more

5 Email Marketing Misconceptions to Avoid

You might think that after 47 years, email marketing has been fully hashed out and we have decided upon a static, unchanging formula for success. Actually, no form of marketing stays the same year after year, because consumer habits and preferences change and we must change with them. The same is true for email marketing. Read more

Marketing to Millennials? Four Things You Need to Do Now

We’ve all heard the jokes about Millennials, and the entire generation has been blamed for events ranging from the closing of Applebee’s restaurants to the declining birth rate. However, the truth behind these lighthearted complaints is that Millennials are becoming a powerful consumer force, accounting for one-fourth of the entire population. You definitely don’t want to overlook them as they come of age. Read more

Contact Us to Learn More!

Follow in the footsteps of other top producers.
Leverage the power and reach of the internet with The Digital Advisor.