We’re here to help you grow your business. Whether you’re just starting out or have some experience under your belt, this reference guide can help spark ideas and give you practical tips to create an effective marketing campaign. On this page, you’ll find tips tricks and guidelines to help you market your business and communicate effectively.
There are a few things you can do right away to start building presence in your communities:
Don’t forget to remain compliant while marketing your business! For information on your disclosure and privacy requirements, contact advisor compliance or, if you’re in Quebec, Quebec advisor compliance.
Every successful marketing campaign starts with a plan. Before you sign up for your social media accounts, build a website or place an ad, there are a few important things you’ll need to consider:
Think about things like your audience’s life stage and preferred communication channel. If you’re talking to potential clients who are just starting out, social media may be the best way to reach them. If you’re trying to connect with an older demographic, maybe a print ad is the best way to go. In time, you might find you’re focusing on a specific group of people – which could save you time and money.
Whether it’s print or digital, a social media post, website or brochure, creating communications that work is important. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Your content doesn’t need to be approved by Field Marketing, but you must follow these compliant marketing guidelines to ensure you’re presenting yourself in a compliant way in all your communications. This is also where you’ll find all the legal disclaimers you’ll need to put on your materials.
Building a professional digital presence is essential for growing your business. Here are some tips for creating digital marketing tools.
Websites help you build a strong digital presence. The internet is always open and prospects are always looking. In fact, 93% of all purchase decisions start with an online search (Profitworks, 2019). Your website will:
Digital Agent is a website builder that offers the tools and content you need to prospect in a digital world and build your book of business more efficiently and effectively than ever before. Learn more about Digital Agent and sign up today!
Social media is your superpower Build your digital presence with LinkedIn and Facebook business pages. Set your profiles up as a business account; don’t use your personal profile for your business. Refer to our compliance guidelines for tips when setting up your profile. Facebook business Twitter help centre LinkedIn help Tips for writing your profile Your profile (sometimes called your about page or bio) is one of the most frequently viewed sections on your social media page or website. It’s a key part of your marketing, and you can use it in many ways. A compelling profile gives your audience a sense of who you are, what you do and establishes your expertise and credibility. Create both a short (1-2 sentences) and long (1-2 paragraph) version of your profile to use in your marketing. Here are some tips:
Questions to help you get started:
Build your bio A brief personal bio is a great addition to any social media platform. Here are some sample primary, secondary and closing statements you can use when building your bio.
Reach your customers, gain valuable insights and grow your brand using our advisor scial media program. With Hootsuite / Amplify, you can:
Learn more about Hootsuite and sign up today!
DOX has everything you need for digital advertising. You can download and personalize marketing materials with your contact information, headshot and logo, including brochures, postcards, product marketing content and more. These materials are a great way to start sharing your story and spark conversations with prospects. Benefits of using DOX:
Learn more about DOX and sign up today!
Google ads are an effective digital advertising option. There are different kinds of Google ads: Search campaign This is the most common type of Google ad. It allows you to place ads across Google’s network of search results. You can show ads to people actively searching online for financial planning services or products. These ads are text only. Display campaign This campaign helps you reach people with targeted display ads while they’re browsing websites, YouTube, checking Gmail accounts or using mobile devices and apps. These ads are visual and need to be designed. Video campaign These campaigns show ads in videos on YouTube and on websites and apps. Several formats are available. You’ll need to ensure the video you want to use is approved and properly formatted. Google My Business (organic digital marketing) If you want to enhance your presence on Google but don’t want to pay for Google Ads, you can set up a business profile on Google My Business.
Your professional photo or headshot is a visual depiction of what you and your business represent – and often provides an opportunity to make your first impression with a new prospective client. Below are some tips and recommendations on ways to prepare for your professional photo shoot:
Short videos are a great way to communicate on social media. With easy-to-use features on most smart phones, you can create your own video content. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Create an outline before you shoot
Jot down your story outline in a bulleted list. Even when you’re doing a Facebook Live or Instagram story video, it’s a good idea to draft a rough outline or script
As you write your outline or script:
Think about how long it should be Keep your video short. Each platform has an ideal length of video based on users’ expectations and practices.
Pick a setting and your wardrobe
Shooting
Appearing on camera
A podcast is an audio show similar to a radio show. Because podcasts are available online, and people can listen to episodes whenever they want. You can record and produce your own podcast with minimal experience or equipment. What you’ll need All you need to create a podcast is a computer with a USB microphone or a cellphone. Creating a script Your script doesn’t need to be elaborate. You could jot down notes in a bullet list or make a summary of your content. If you’re conducting an interview, simply draft your questions beforehand. Your podcast should sound conversational, so don’t worry about reading word-for-word. As you write your script:
Try to prepare several scripts at once so you’re ahead of your recording schedule. Episode length and frequency Thirty minutes or less is best. Five minutes could be long enough – depending on the topic and how long you think your audience will be engaged with the content. You can split lengthy topics into several episodes. Listeners will appreciate a regular broadcast schedule – once a week, once a month – commit to something that is doable for you. Recording
Distribution You’ll need to set up a platform where you can store your podcast episodes. You can upload your audio files on your website, but that could cause your site to load more slowly. Podcast hosting platforms, such as Soundcloud, do charge a fee, but will let listeners access your podcast without any lags. After that, you can submit your podcast to streaming services such as Stitcher or Apple Podcast, which allows you to find more listeners.
Connecting with people in your community is a great way to stay in touch and top of mind. And that’s good for business. Here’s some ideas for promoting your business in your community.
Always have your business card or an introductory postcard with you to give to potential clients.
Focus on topics like financial literacy, tips for business owners, getting started as a recent graduate.
Write blogs for your website or for community publications and local media. It’s a great way to share your expertise in the community. Write about what you know, in the first-person voice and use plain language. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes and show how you can bring value to them.
Work on building an opt-in email newsletter. Make sure you’re compliant with Canadian anti-spam legislation (CASL): that means subscribers have volunteered to sign up and it’s easy to unsubscribe. If you provide quality content to an opt-in list, you know you’ll be speaking to warm leads.
Fill out this form for approval to use third-party vendors likes Salesforce, MailChimp and SendGrid to send your emails from your Freedom 55 Financial or Canada Life email address. This helps ensure your clients’ personal information remains confidential. If you don’t get the vendor approved, your email campaign may be blocked by our servers.
Plan well in advance if you want to invite your community to take part in a contest or draw. You may need a lottery license.
Check out the compliance best practices guide for more information on how to make sure you remain compliant when running contests and draws.
Support local sports or clubs in your community.
Joining a team or club, volunteering or becoming a member of your local chamber of commerce or business improvement association is a great way to connect with members of your community. You can find handouts, seminar flyers and contest ballots on DOX.