Print Materials in a Digital Age

Branding, Marketing

The Power of High-Impact Deliverables for your Financial Services Firm

What is one of the best things to hear as a business owner? You have a new prospect! Once the excitement settles in you may be left wondering…Now what? Whether a contact from your website or a referral opportunity from a client or center of influence, if someone asks you for more information about who you are, what you do and what makes you unique, how do you deliver?

Even in today’s increasingly digital world, there are critical times throughout your sales process when there is no replacement for top quality print deliverables. Responding with a lack of information, a hodge-podge of handouts paper clipped together or generic template designs will create a lasting first impression—is it the right one? While it may seem like a small detail, understanding and anticipating these communications sets a level of expectation for your firm’s service experience overall. Yes—you are a financial service professional, but if your communications are sloppy, you may lead a sophisticated investor to question your attention to detail. If your brand image is inconsistent, you may raise red flags as to whether your company is truly established and credible. If you look the same as the guy down the street on paper through template marketing materials, why would someone choose to work with you instead?

Print collateral, whether one pagers, brochures or other unique promotional items, can come in all shapes and sizes. I am a big believer in first setting the communication objective then working to identify a distinct size or finish to stand apart.

Key Considerations When Creating Custom Marketing Materials:

  • Where and how will you distribute this content? If you will be sending as a self-mailer, in a standard business envelope or displaying in a lobby rack, a compact finished size will be a must. Stand apart from the generic trifold with a unique fold, additional panels or other unexpected design features.
  • How qualified is the recipient? If you are casting a wide net with a bulk mailer to cold contacts or at a tradeshow with a lot of window shoppers, materials with a lower cost per piece and high-impact design will be your best bet. However, if you have a qualified high net worth prospect, for example, communicating strategic solutions for their needs in a high-design, multipage brochure will leave a strong impression. As a substantial, tangible piece, even prospects will be hesitant to throw these items away, resulting in a longer shelf-life and even greater chance of passing your materials along to new referrals, making the higher price point an easy decision.
  • How often will this information change? Items such as biographies, team photos and portfolio fact sheets will require more frequent updating than your core philosophies and service offerings. Keep this in mind as you choose how to package your marketing materials to avoid information that may quickly date your investment. For example, items like pocket folders can have a high price tag, so if there is even a possibility you may be moving office buildings, broker-dealers or registered investment advisors in the near future, forgo including these mentions on your folders. You may limit this (compliance permitting) strictly to an 800 number and website address as you can always add more contact information on business cards and inserts.

Here are a few more examples of what I have found to be the most common needs and impactful print marketing materials for today’s financial services professional:

The need: Memorable leave behind at networking events

The deliverable: Mini brochure
Whether on a golf course or at a Chamber of Commerce event, getting out an about with your dynamic personality is a fantastic way to make a cost-effective and memorable connection with new contacts. At the end of the night when everyone goes home with a stack of business cards trying to remember who was who, remove any questions with a compact, mini brochure that communicates your core messages and services in a convenient, pocket-sized leave behind.

The need: Impressive introduction to a qualified prospect

The deliverable: Oversized or multipage brochure
When someone asks for “more information,” this is your go-to piece. The key to a successful brochure is communicating just enough detail about who you are and what you do to drive your ideal prospect to take the first step—typically a first appointment. Over- and under-sharing or failing to include your call-to-action may leave your prospect uninspired or confused.

The need: Communicating advanced concepts in bite-sized pieces

The deliverable: One Pagers
In the financial industry, there are a number of advanced concepts you may wish to communicate with your clients for them to understand and “buy-in” to your strategy. I have found it to be most effective to break these ideas down into a series of one pagers that you can distribute when and where it makes sense during your sales process, rather than overwhelming a first-time point of contact.

Need more proof? Here is what an AdvisorPR client recently had to say about the power of custom marketing materials:
“We were looking for a way to engage prospects with consistent, branded materials that spelled out our planning process and who we were as a company. The materials provided by AdvisorPR far exceeded our expectations. Prospects are reading through all of the materials now, which was not happening in the past, and actually asking detailed questions about the materials they were given. There is no doubt that the materials have increased client acquisition and made closing business easier.”

C.H., MBA, CEP
Alabama

Ready to capture your unique story in high-impact custom marketing materials? If you need additional guidance to communicate your distinct message contact AdvisorPR at (866) 888-5333 or email us at Info@advisorpr.com.

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