In November, Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, and made some significant changes to Social Security. The file-and-suspend strategy, that once helped thousands of couples reap greater benefits from Social Security, has been axed. From a marketing perspective, how can you use this information to build your business?
Like any good financial advisor, you’re busy sharing the news with each client as you meet with them in your office. Some of your clients need this information before they retire, because it will have an enormous impact on their retirement plans. Others need to know right away, because they can still utilize the file-and-suspend strategy if they qualify within the next six months.
But if you’re educating one client at a time, you’re missing an enormous opportunity to leverage the power of relevancy and reach hundreds or even thousands of people. When you share this type of news with your online audience, you can multiply the impact of your digital marketing campaign.
How does it work? It’s simple: You might already know that one of the major keys to a successful online marketing strategy is content. In order to gain the interest of the people you want to impress, you have to produce content that is informative and relevant to their needs. When you produce blogs or videos that answer questions or provide up-to-date, important information, you will draw more visitors to your website. These people will also begin to follow you on social media, and develop trust in your expertise.
The end goals of your online marketing campaign probably involve some or all of the following:
- you want to develop brand awareness
- you want to attract more visitors to your website
- you want to build a reputation for yourself
- you want to improve client retention
- you want to receive more referrals
- you want to gain new clients
Now ask yourself: What type of content can you produce, that will gain the attention of your target demographic? Your audience needs fresh information like the recent changes to Social Security, and they need you to present it in an approachable, understandable way. Remember, not everyone is a financial genius or an expert on Social Security law! Your clients and prospects rely on you to translate this complicated news into layman’s terms. When you do this successfully, you build a rapport with your audience.
As you know, some of your clients need this information urgently. They can still file and suspend their benefits, if they reach full retirement age within six months of the bill’s signing. Other clients, who were counting upon the file-and-suspend strategy, need to come up with a new plan.
You can always share this news with your clients one at a time, by laboriously making phone calls or scheduling appointments. But blogging about the changes, and then distributing that information via social media channels, would be a much more efficient way to share the news. With blog and a little behind-the-scenes social media strategy, you could reach all of your clients almost instantly.
And here’s the bonus: You will also reach hundreds, or even thousands, of new prospects!
It really is that simple. And you can use this method, time and again, to share up-to-date news about Social Security, Medicare, retirement planning, changes to qualified retirement plans, or anything else that is relevant to the interests of your clients and prospects. In doing so, you will build a reputation, increase your reach, and attract new clients. Remember: each time important news breaks in the financial planning world, it’s an opportunity for you to build your practice.