5 quirky ways to make your financial advice firm stand out
By AdviceBridge
Financial advice is a competitive market and standing out from the crowd can be key to your success. But separating yourself from the competition can sometimes require a little imagination.
To attract new clients, you may need to get creative with your marketing strategy and find a way to differentiate yourself from the rest. But how do you even begin to approach the issue, and what could your quirky marketing entail?
Read on for five great ideas that will get you thinking about how you can get yourself noticed.
Take a moment to think before you act
Before you start testing the waters of your great new marketing strategy, take a moment to consider how every decision you make could affect your business.
Don’t rush into decisions that may reflect poorly on your business or that don’t help it grow. At the end of the day, you don’t want to waste money on marketing ideas that do nothing for you or take away from how good you really are.
Heavily research anything you plan on doing (or anyone you plan on working with) to ensure that there are no unwanted consequences of your great ideas.
1. Consider the Japanese principle of “omotenashi”
Good client service is the cornerstone of any business, but there’s always the chance to make it better. The Japanese customer service principle of “omotenashi” (おもてなし) is so much more than the typical corporate idea of making your clients feel appreciated.
Japan has a reputation for its stellar hospitality industry. Omotenashi directly translates to “hospitality”, but its actual meaning is more along the lines of “serving every customer from the bottom of your heart”.
You want your clients to feel welcome and cared for, so you should consider putting in every effort to ensure they feel that way. Going the extra mile for your clients will strengthen your relationship with them and make them more likely to recommend you in the future.
Try sending out handwritten, physical birthday or Christmas cards to your clients if you have the means to do so. Stay in touch with them between meetings and take the time to personalise anything you send out.
You want your clients to feel not only appreciated and cared for, but loved, and part of a family.
2. Find some unusual sponsorships
Find something distinct or inspiring to promote to reflect your company’s values. Sponsor a charity runner by helping to promote their cause and get behind them every step of the way. Consider helping a local hero who refuses to accept donations or sponsoring a local children’s sports team.
Be a recognisable force for change – particularly if you operate in a specific geographical area where you want to be noticed.
Alternatively, find something a little different to sponsor. For example, podcasts have grown massively over the last few years. Statista report that, as of 2020, there were more than 15 million podcast listeners in the UK, and this is predicted to rise to 20 million by 2024.
Sponsoring a relevant podcast or other interesting product could help boost your marketing reach.
3. Get involved with the community properly
Businesses have the power to alter the very community that they’re in. They can hold charity fundraisers for good causes, make partnerships with other companies to improve their overall services, and hold one-off events for their clients and families.
Your business should actively involve themselves in the events you choose to manage. Don’t just organise the charity fundraiser, take part in it, and lead it. You should be seen promoting the values your business stands for; everything you do needs to be more than just a token gesture.
Consider partnering with a local cinema and hosting a movie night for your clients and their families or offer your office space for youth events.
4. Help a Reporter Out
The Help a Reporter Out (HARO) project could be an interesting way to get yourself seen on official, reliable news sources, and has been active in the UK for about a decade.
HARO works by connecting registered journalists with a list of relevant sources who have signed up to their website. The sources provide pitches to an anonymous journalist who, if interested, will reach out and ask for more information.
By acting as a source on HARO, you could find yourself approached by a journalist looking to cover something in your area of expertise. If they choose to use you as a source, you may be given the opportunity to talk about your business and they may provide a link to your website.
5. Take your brand with you everywhere
There are few better ways to grant your brand exposure than to literally wear it with pride. Consider creating branded clothing, such as T-shirts and hoodies, that you can take with you anywhere.
You never know when someone might suddenly realise that they need your services because they saw the branding on your T-shirt in Tesco. Plus, you could commission bumper stickers and car advertisements to take your company out on the road.
Alternatively, consider making branded pens or (environmentally friendly) carrier bags to give away at local events, or try labelling everyday items like mugs and water bottles with your name and logo.
Get in touch
If you want to find out how AdviceBridge can benefit your business and your clients, please get in touch. Email hello@advicebridge.com or call us on 020 3925 3850.