Why Financial Advisers Need to Use Social Media
If you’ve sat in on just about any presentation on retaining the heirs of wealthy clients, you will have heard the warnings — the ones along the lines that more than 90% of heirs change advisers soon after receiving their inheritance. In fact, I’ve seen that number go as high as 98%. In other words, just 2% of children keep their inheritances with their parents’ financial adviser.
Most people would find that statement disconcerting. But not April Rudin, founder and CEO of the Rudin Group. On the contrary: the fact that so few heirs retain their parents’ adviser is an opportunity, she says, and just one of the many reasons why financial advisers should be using social or digital platforms as part of their practice marketing strategy.
“If 98% of new wealth inheritors are going to be changing advisers, how are you positioning your firm? What are your messages? Where can people find you? What do they think about your firm?” Rudin asked at the 2013 CFA Institute Wealth Management Conference. “The Next Gen do not want to have Mr. Drysdale of the Beverly Hillbillies as their banker, they want someone who relates more to them.”
During her presentation, Rudin told delegates to think about digital or social platforms — such as Facebook and Twitter — as a way to amplify targeted messages.
“Any marketing budget will come back in terms of return on investment,” she said. “The ultra-high net worth and high net worth are on the internet and on social media. Younger UHNW investors are more inclined to use social media as a communication tool and read their advisers’ blogs. If you’re not out there and the adviser next door is, who are they going to find?”
She cautioned advisers that it was riskier to do nothing than to do something. “Don’t be invisible to Next Gen prospects. How are young wealthy different from Baby Boomers? They value transparency, community, and mobile convenience, and they trust their friends more than their parents.” You can watch the full video below:
At the 2014 CFA Institute Wealth Management conference in Garden Grove, California, Michael Kitces, partner and director of research at Pinnacle Advisory Group, and publisher of the Kitces Report, took the discussion a step further. Rudin made the case for why advisers should be on social media. Kitces tackled the how in his session on social media strategies for financial planners and investment advisers.
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All posts are the opinion of the author. As such, they should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute or the author’s employer.
Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/retrorocket
agree entirely. this is for the next generation, which could bypass advisors for the most part and do it yourself on their handheld device
Great blog that contains best articles for financial investors. It updates us for current financial markets and provides us tips to recognize true financial advisers.
Our Government, trying to control spam and unwanted calls is destroying small business and doing nothing to curb big business who continue to abuse. When current rules restrict an advisor from only calling a referral once, social media is starting to be the only way (for now) to make contact with qualified prospects. So make hay when the sun shines – as some brain-dead politician is likely working on controlling social media as well.