What are you passionate about?
As a financial planner, this may seem like a no-brainer question to you. You’re obviously passionate about finances, and helping people live their best lives. You might be passionate about your unique niche. Heck, you might even be passionate about a specific type of planning – like student loan repayment or retirement income.
But I’m not talking about what part of your business you’re most passionate about. I’m looking for a much broader answer. What really lights you up in your day-to-day life? Do you love mountain biking? Are you a marathon runner? Do you enjoy retreating to your cabin in the woods, finally disconnected from wi-fi, for a weekend?
Whatever you’re passionate about – I guarantee there’s a way to weave that into your content marketing. And let me tell you something: this strategy works.
People Don’t Like Robots
The prospective clients who are creeping on your blog don’t like robots. If they wanted to work with a machine, they’d sign up with a robo-advisor and call it a day. They want to work with you because they connect with you on a deeper level. Financial planning, as with any service-based profession, is all about building a strong foundation of trust with your clients and those in your marketing funnel. Every piece of content or marketing collateral that you put out into the world needs to add to and strengthen that foundation.
This is why it’s so important to pepper who you are into your content. It doesn’t have to be all the time. In fact, I’d recommend steering away from writing about your deep love of bass fishing every week on your financial planning practice’s blog (unless you exclusively work with pro bass fishermen – then I say keep up the good work). But sharing your journey, and writing about things that you’re genuinely passionate about, will paint a better picture of who you are and what you’re all about.
Deciding What to Include (and What to Leave Out)
Of course, like most people, you’re probably passionate about a lot of things. In the interest of keeping your blog focused (and your brand consistent), I’d recommend picking only one or two things that get you pumped. Before you start playing eenie-menie-miney-mo, take a step back. Write down everything in your life that you love – from your family, to your extensive collection of encyclopedias. Now, ask yourself: Which of these things is something that my clients can relate to?
A few of your passions will probably be obviously relatable – like your family. But others may surprise you. Maybe you know at least half of your current clients are also passionate about camping and getting outside. Maybe you work primarily with women in tech, so your passion for foundations that promote gender equality in the tech industry is probably shared. Single out these things – all of them. Then ask yourself the second question: Which of these passions do I want to share with new clients?
You have a right to decide which prospective client is the best fit for you. Identifying what passion you’d love to share with someone who scheduled a consultation can help you direct your content marketing to draw in those people. You’ll be building your ideal tribe just by being yourself! Isn’t that the dream?
Incorporating Your Passion Into Your Marketing
Personally, I suggest you find ways to weave your passion into all of your marketing. The more real you can be, the better. But if we’re being realistic, that’s not always possible. So, do your best to pepper it in where you can. Usually it’s easiest to work it into your written content. Here are a few ways you can do that:
- Have a regularly scheduled blog post (monthly, once a quarter, etc.) where you talk about something that isn’t financial planning related at first glance. Then, decide how that topic can connect back to the value your practice brings to the table. For example, if you love cooking with your family because it’s been a hobby that was passed from generation to generation – write a blog post on that! And discuss how financial habits are also passed on, and how you can help promote financial health that crosses generations.
- Don’t be afraid to mix up your social media posts. Share a good mixture of your brand’s content, financial planning articles/quotes/stats, and content that’s purely entertaining for you. Maybe that’s an article on trail running, or maybe you feel passionate about a political stance or charity you’re involved with. Don’t be afraid to talk about those things! As long as you’re not openly recommending something as financial advice, it’s fine to be yourself.
- Get involved locally. That’s right. Sometimes the best form of marketing is to have a hard copy pamphlet, or to give a presentation at a local event. Your business can even sponsor a charity or fun run! Pick something local – a group, a cause, a foundation – that you’re passionate about. Figure out how you can get involved, and create flawless content to distribute. You’ll be connecting with people who share your interests and are literally a stone’s throw away from your office or front door!
To summarize – don’t be a robot. Just be yourself. Finding a way to incorporate what you’re passionate about into your marketing is a sure-fire way to connect with the clients you want to work with. And I guarantee you’ll enjoy marketing your business much more than you currently do if you give yourself the freedom to share what you love.
