Marketing

“To build online influence in the age of social media, you must build a powerful online presence and consistently publish your thought leadership insights through a professional blog site,” says Stephanie Sammons, founder of Wired Advisor, a company that helps advisors set up search engine optimized blogs.

When looking to spread the word about mutual funds and other investment strategies to Generation Y Investors, financial services firms should consider new media, according to Cambridge, Mass.-based consulting firm Cogent Research.

Keep new leads coming in by branding yourself as a transition specialist.

Advizent, the would-be marketing and branding consortium for independent advisors, closed down Thursday, one year after its ambitious launch by industry heavyweights Steve Lockshin and Charles Goldman.

Why is branding so important and how can you build a stronger brand?

Think referrals and cross-selling are tough at your bank? Read how wealth management advisor and financial planner Heidi Schmidt handles them at Internet bank USAA Federal Savings.

Smaller banks cannot afford to support high-density branch networks as economic challenges persist.

Why banks focus more and more on affluent clients — and why they may miss mom and pop investors more than they think.

Improve your practice by drilling down on your innate skills.

Less than half of Gen X consumers (46%) selected retirement as their top reason for saving, with vacation and travel the top choice for 38% of this demographic group.

You have a minute to explain to a busy prosepective client why your firm deserves the business.

To lure advisors away from their desks for a few days, conferences need to offer more than they do now. Here are a few ideas to deliver a lot more value.

Risk tolerance and a growing taste for equities help the January index climb back after two straight declines.

Dan Dillard launched a video effort that’s on the verge of reaching thousands of clients beyond his book of business. Here’s the second part of his story.

Advisor Dan Dillard launched a video effort that’s on the verge of reaching thousands of clients beyond his book of business. Here’s part-1 of his story.

The group that emerged as the most committed to saving for retirement was the one identified as “Generation DC,” or those under the age of 25.

When people hear “financial planning” or “retirement income,” they tune out. Try using “lifestyle design” instead to get their attention.

The Marketing Maven offers marketing insights from the Ladenburg Institute of Women and Finance Symposium

Financial advisors in the bank channel often talk about “leveraging” their branch’s tellers and lenders to build their client books. But it’s the rare bank investment program that effectively ends up partnering with other bank units. Kim Burdick, senior vice president and group executive for community banking at Fremont Bank in Fremont, Calif., thinks he knows the reason. …

From bank tellers to senior management and bank owners, Fremont Bank's Susan Lyle and Adam Nieto make the elusive idea of cross-selling a reality.