8 tactics for your financial advisor seminar marketing

Financial advisor seminars provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your expertise, build credibility, and connect with potential clients. This marketing method is so effective that almost 1 in 4 advisors consider in-person events one of the most important outreach strategies in 2023.

Including financial advisor seminar marketing in your long-term marketing strategy is important, as you will need to spread the word about your upcoming event. Including this element in your plan can help you have a successful seminar. 

In this article, we will discuss the key steps to market a financial advisor seminar and attract qualified prospects.

8 ways to market your seminar

To attract qualified prospects, you will likely need to do more than add your event to your advisor’s website. Here are 8 seminar marketing tips to help you attract more attendees.

Develop a comprehensive marketing plan

First,  you’ll want to pull out your marketing plan, and if you don’t have one, create a quick draft. A detailed roadmap outlines your marketing strategies and tactics. It enables you to better budget, prepare, and measure your events.

To start with, you’ll want to identify your target audience, set specific goals, and allocate resources accordingly. You will also want to consider how your offline presence will interact with your online marketing efforts. As you will discover, the two often intersect.

Decide on your attendance incentives 

The content of a seminar itself is unlikely to attract enough people to justify the costs – at least in the beginning. It is often helpful to structure your seminar as a part of another event. Dinner seminars are popular with prospective clients, but this could easily be brunch. You could potentially advertise your seminar as a type of workshop. While you won’t be able to give specific advice, you could help prospects work through financial planning worksheets or learn to dissect a prospectus. 

Leverage digital marketing channels

Digital platforms such as social media, email marketing, and website calendars allow you to promote your financial advisory seminar fairly quickly. You can tap into your current and prospective client base without spending too much. In fact, these organic options tend to be free — although you can pay for social media posts to boost visibility. 

However, to better optimize these platforms, you’ll likely want to post about your seminar more than once, and well in advance. Posting about your seminar at least once a week over the course of a month ensures more people will see it.

Use targeted advertising

Use online advertising platforms, such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads, to target specific demographics and interests relevant to your seminar topic. Craft compelling ad copy and visuals that clearly convey the value proposition of attending your seminar.

You can also take advantage of ad space in local newspapers, magazines, or billboards. However, it should make sense for your budget. 

Harness the power of content marketing

Publish valuable and informative content related to financial planning, investment strategies, and retirement planning. This positions you as an industry expert and builds credibility. Share this content through blog posts, articles, videos, and podcasts, When disseminating this content, include a call-to-action to attend the seminar. However, as content marketing can take time to ramp up, you may need to plan these posts 3 months in advance or more. 

Host educational webinars

In some cases, you may want to create a “pre-game” seminar. Conduct webinars that provide valuable insights and education on financial topics. Promote these webinars widely through your website, social media, and email newsletters. Convert webinar attendees into seminar participants by highlighting the additional aid or information they will receive in the in-person event. 

Collaborate with strategic partners

Work with other professionals in the financial industry, such as accountants, attorneys, or insurance agents, who share a similar target audience. You can then co-host seminars or cross-promote each other’s events, expanding your reach and increasing the number of potential attendees.

Tap into client referrals

Encourage your existing clients to refer their friends, family, and colleagues to your seminar. Offer incentives, such as discounted tickets or exclusive content, to incentivize referrals. Develop a referral program with clear instructions and rewards to maximize the number of referrals you receive.

What to include in your marketing materials

It’s important to include all the relevant information an individual may need to join the seminar. Key information include:

• Dates
• Hosts
• Seminar topic(s)
• Location
• Length of seminar time
• Contact number, email address, or advisor website address

If you are advertising your seminar online, you may want to use a registration link. Having potential attendees sign up for the live seminar enables you to send reminders and possibly improve attendance rates. 

Marketing during your seminar

Typically, your seminar itself is a marketing tool. For a successful seminar that converts a prospect into a client, it’s important to make your services and role clear by the end of the event. You may want to include the following at your event and mention them at the beginning and end of your seminar:

• Business cards
• Brochures
• Pamphlets
• Email list signup

Another tactic is to film your seminar. You can then use the replay to encourage attendees to sign up for your newsletter or when advertising for your next event. 

While you want to mention your firm and encourage participation, marketing should not be what your entire seminar revolves around. Instead, a potential client would value the relevant educational material and your expertise. Often, providing value is enough to get a callback.

That said, it’s important to remember that only some seminar attendees will become a client.

Take your firm to the next level

Seminars can be an excellent way to grow your firm—but to attract enough prospects, marketing is key. However, a live event isn’t the only option to scale your clientbook. There are various strategies to transform your business into a high-growth advisory firm. 

Learn more about how to reach more new potential clients and retain the ones you have in ouor High Growth Playbook.