The New Rules of Marketing for Advisors

Introduction

CONFERENCE HOST:

Thank you. Thank you to both our advisors and to all our sponsors. To our advisors, for taking three days out of your business, coming down to Atlanta and spending time with us here. The feedback I’m getting thus far is that it’s been worthwhile. If there is any negative feedback at all, please make sure you contact Olli so we understand how we can get better next year and the year after that. But thank you again for your time. Thank you for your partnership. Thank you to the sponsors for your support. You guys are magic. You’re magic. Give yourselves a hand, if you don’t mind.

[Applause]

Travis was up just before, and one of the things he said is that one of the barriers to growth is the ability to invest in marketing.

Marketing is hugely important. Now, you’ve heard about AI a number of times during the conference, and that is part and parcel of how we’re getting found, how we’re doing things, and how effective our websites are. Well, folks, coming up next we have Heather Pennington, who works with a number of our groups on the marketing side. Heather is the founder and chief marketing officer of i Speak Business, based in Atlanta, a strategic marketing and business consulting firm, with more than 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, marketing executive and business strategist.

She has worked across financial services, wealth management, real estate, healthcare, legal, academia and other professional services for those 25 years. Heather holds an MBA from Kennesaw State University, just up the road here for those of you not from Atlanta, and has pursued a doctorate in business administration with a focus on marketing.

Today, Heather is focused on helping wealth advisors and professional service firms navigate the changing relationship between referrals, search, AI, digital regulation and trust. Heather also, as I said, works with a number of our groups and understands what it is to work in a regulated environment. That in and of itself is very important. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Heather Pennington.

Opening

HEATHER PENNINGTON:

It is so great to see all of you who have stuck it out for our last day together. I’d like to ask: who in the room has implemented marketing and feels like you’re headed in a good direction? Show of hands.

A few of you. And I’m hoping my clients’ hands are up.

For those of you who are thinking, “Heather, I am focused on helping my clients. I really don’t understand all this marketing stuff,” can you show your hands?

Okay. Great. All right. Well, today I have practical strategies that are going to help all of you, when you walk out the door, to immediately make an impact on what you’re doing for marketing.

And for those of you who are not note-takers and like to take pictures, I’ve tried to make it easier for you today. On the last slide there is a QR code, and you can download today’s presentation. And if you check our website at the beginning of next week, we should have the full recording of this presentation, just in case you had a little too much fun last night.

The New Rules of Marketing for Advisors

Let’s get started. The new rules of marketing for advisors: that’s what we’re going to focus on. I could spend a good half day to a full day talking about marketing, but today I’m going to focus on what I feel is one of the most important facets, and that is online search and what AI is doing to the new client journey.

So this is what I want to show you. You’ve built your firm, you’ve got the relationships, you’ve created the client experience. But your reputation is no longer transmitted only person to person. You are being researched and discovered, and AI is synthesizing that information for your prospect.

I want to show you how to make this work for you when we leave today.

The old model still works. It’s just no longer working alone. A referral gets you into the consideration set. If you look at the “then” model, the way we used to work was that you would get a referral, you would have a conversation with them, you might set up a meeting, and you’d build trust. Then you’d convert them to a client.

But now, when someone gives you a referral, the first thing that person does is go online. They go to Google. They use an AI system. Then they look at your website, your LinkedIn and your content, and they look to see whether you have reviews and what your reputation is. That is what’s building trust. So what we want is for your marketing to help you survive the research. That’s where you are today: can you survive the research?

Referrals Plus Discoverability

The growth equation is becoming hybrid.

These are rough percentages, and they will vary by firm and audience. The important shift is directional: organic discovery and content are becoming material sources of growth.

Referrals remain powerful, and this is why independent firms have to do both relationship marketing and discoverability. If you look right here, you’ll see roughly 28%. Again, these are averages, and they depend on your firm and where you’re located. That’s what’s accounting for new growth, according to survey data and research. And then the 24% is your referrals. So both of these need to be working together: your referrals, plus what people find online and what AI is synthesizing about you. Remember: referrals plus discoverability. Neither one alone.

Think Like a Prospect

Now I invite you to think like a prospect, not an advisor. I know you are very focused on working with your clients, but I want to challenge you today to think like a prospect.

Every stage is asking a different question, and your marketing should be answering all six. I want to challenge each of you: if someone gets referred to you and looks you up the next morning, what are they going to find? Can they answer these questions at each stage?

When they hear your name, what does the prospect need to believe at this moment?

And when they search your name, what does the prospect need to believe at this moment?

When they visit your website, if you have a website, what do they need to believe at this moment?

Furthermore, when they compare and validate you — it may be someone looking for a new wealth advisor, or someone who doesn’t have one and just inherited money, or who exited a business and sold it — what do they need to believe at this moment?

When they look at you online, see your website and ask AI important questions, what do they need to believe at this moment? What are they going to find about you?

Here’s another important thing to think about. You get a referral. They remember your name, but they don’t remember the name of your firm. What if they go online and Google your name? What are they going to find? And when they decide whether or not to contact you, what do they need to believe at that moment?

These are the questions people are asking today. You have to be what they find, or they’re going to bounce to the next one.

Your Website Is No Longer a Brochure

Do you remember back in the day when people used to say your website is your brochure? Anyone?

That used to be a common thing I’d hear: “Oh, your website is your brochure.” Your website is no longer your brochure. It’s your 24/7 prospecting and vetting tool. So stop judging a website by aesthetics alone. A beautiful website that doesn’t clarify your audience, the problem you solve, your difference, your proof and the next step is just a brochure. A growth website tells the story and makes the prospect confident enough to take the next step.

Your brochure says, “We’re experienced. We care about you. This is what we provide.” But guess what? So does everybody else.

A working website says who you serve, what problems you solve, how you think, why your model is different, what your proof and credibility are, and what happens next.

It was only a couple of years ago that wealth advisors and financial advisors were actually allowed to have Google reviews. By far, one of the most impactful things you can do as a small entrepreneurial firm is to have your clients give you reviews.

The test is: can a stranger answer, in seconds, “Is this advisor for someone like me? If I contact them, what happens next?”

SEO, AEO, AI and Local Search

I know we throw a lot of terms around, so I want to briefly touch on them. SEO is search engine optimization. AEO is answer engine optimization. We all know AI. And local is where you’re located geographically.

SEO helps with who you are, where you are, what you do and who you serve, while AEO answers the questions prospects are actually typing into search. In the old days, people would have all of these tabs open, comparing information. Now, with AI search, people are typing in, “I have $5 million and I’m looking to retire in five years. What advisor near me can help?”

It’s so much more complex. AI has changed the digital landscape tremendously, including how people find you, and it’s not just your prospects. When you get a referral, one of the very first things they do is go online. So my goal today is to help you understand what you can implement, not only for your referrals but for your prospects. We want clear content, we want you to appear credible, and we want people to be able to easily interpret what you do and how you can help them.

What AI Changed

So what has AI changed? Prospects can outsource the first round of research within seconds. They no longer have to open up all these tabs and do the homework themselves. In seconds, AI is helping them with that first round of research. The old research meant people would read, compare and open tabs. Now it’s AI-assisted, and they can determine within seconds whether or not they’re going to contact you. So give them something online that summarizes who you are and where they can reach you, and make sure it’s accurate.

A Practical Website Test

Here is a practical website test. I’d like to challenge each of you to put a non-advisor in front of your homepage and see if they can answer all seven of these questions.

Before you spend any more money driving traffic, advertising or doing sponsorships, this is the first place I would highly recommend everyone look: your website. Can a non-industry person answer these questions?

Who are you, and what do you believe?

Who are you best equipped to serve?

What complex problems do you help solve?

How is your approach different? For all of you I know in this room, you each have a very special way of handling your clients. None of you are in the same exact box. All of you are very unique. Is that what people are finding when they search for you online and see your website?

Why should someone trust you?

Where are you, and who do you serve locally? If someone says, “I’m looking for a financial advisor near me,” or “I have $5 million and I’m retiring in five years, who’s the best advisor?”, within seconds AI is going to surface people who can help with that. By answering these questions online, you’re going to be one of them.

We don’t want our prospects and referrals bouncing. When they find you locally and get these questions answered, you want them to call you.

Build Content Around Client Questions

So let’s talk about building content around client questions.

Here is a great visual of what weak content looks like, the old way: “Reasons to work with us,” “Why we’re different,” “Comprehensive services.” Compare that with better content: “How to plan for a future exit,” or “What should I ask before choosing a wealth advisor?”

The best content is built for a specific audience. Who is your specific audience? Maybe you have clients who are professional athletes, maybe pilots. Whatever your specialty is, create content for it, so when someone tells a friend about you, that friend can find you. You want a specific point of view and useful answers. And when you create that content, don’t use generic AI content. Make it very specific. Build your content around business exits, concentrated stock, retirement income, estate coordination, tax planning, whatever your expertise is, and around who your target audience is.

Original insight and expertise definitely matter.

Your Brand Is More Than Your Logo

Just like the old saying that “your website is a brochure,” the old wording used to be, “Your brand is your logo.” Now, granted, your logo is usually where branding starts, because your colors come out of it, but your brand is not your logo. Your brand is the expectation you create with your clients and referrals.

It’s all about your positioning: who are we here for? Your promise: what do we help them do? And your proof: where are they going to find it? Referrals are great, but what if it’s a prospect who finds you on their own? Where are they getting the proof? Do you have testimonials? Do you have client reviews? That’s where people are looking.

I want you all to think about your own behavior when you’re looking for hires or looking to purchase something. What are you doing? You’re going online and asking, whether it’s AI or Google, and it’s synthesizing the answer so quickly. Your referrals and your prospects are doing the same thing.

For an entrepreneurial advisor, the strongest brand advantage is being specific. I can’t emphasize that enough. Be very, very specific. Don’t be generic. Generic content is probably going to have a higher bounce rate than very specific content.

Your Marketing Stack Should Work as a System

Your marketing stack should work as a system. I could spend half a day to a full day in a seminar on all the intricacies of marketing. Today I’m focusing on what I feel is the most important piece, but this slide gives a nice high-level view of marketing.

It starts with your foundation: your positioning, your brand, your website and your compliance process. Then discoverability is how people find you. Authority builds confidence: being authoritative in the way you write, doing white papers, anything that shows you as the expert builds authority. And conversion makes the next step easy.

Some of you probably saw my QR code out in the foyer before you walked in. If you scanned it, you came to a landing page, and you’ll see that landing page again on the last slide. Conversion is moving your prospects and potential referrals through your marketing funnel. Are you making it easy to convert? That’s what conversion is. You want to make it easy for people to move through your marketing funnel.

And then your relationships: your referrals, your clients, your centers of influence. Those have a special place.

All of these work together. In marketing, you don’t look at these as separate pieces. Your website, your email marketing, the way you talk to clients versus prospects: all of that is part of your marketing. Your social media, your LinkedIn posts, your videos: they all work together. You don’t want to take just one piece. You want them all working together.

Case Study 1: Building a Foundation for a New Firm

I’m going to talk about two case studies. These are two of my clients, and I’m hoping all of you see yourselves somewhere in them.

Client A was a new firm a few years ago. No brand, no marketing, no online presence.

So we had to start with the foundation you saw on the last slide. We built a new brand, worked on the SEO and the AEO, and created a strategic marketing plan.

That’s another thing I’d encourage: if you don’t have a marketing plan, you want one. I sit down with my clients at the end of every single year, and we look at what has worked well, create new KPIs and build the marketing plan for year two, then do the same thing for year three. If you don’t have a marketing plan, I highly recommend one. It’s like outlining the path you want to take.

So the result: now we’re doing email marketing, we’re doing social, we have insights, we’re using Google Analytics, and I have SEO software on the back end. We can see where people are coming from. We can see where they’re bouncing. I can see how long they’re spending on the pages.

All of those analytics are working together, and the result is steady growth over these two years, and we’re continuing to see it increase.

So what is the lesson? Consistency creates momentum. You have to start somewhere. Start with your foundation, then work through all of those pieces you saw on the slide.

Case Study 2: Making an Established Firm Discoverable

All right, let’s talk about case study number two.

This client was an established firm with an existing online presence. The advisor was searchable, but the growth potential was definitely untapped.

Here’s what we changed. We built a new website, with SEO software running on the backend. On top of that, we’re doing the AEO, Answer Engine Optimization, so when you go to this website, everything we see people in his area searching for, we’ve turned into website content. We’ve written out those questions and we’re giving them the answers.

We have AI search optimization going, and that takes a while. If you decide to start doing it, know that it’s not instant. It takes a little while for AI to start synthesizing your content, but we are now seeing that AI search is working.

We’re doing weekly strategic content with internal links on the website. We’re building specific pages, like the example I used earlier: “$5 million, retiring in five years.” And we’re doing that on a weekly basis.

So what’s the result? He is seeing two to five prospects per month, ranging anywhere between $1 million and $10 million.

Now he has a whole sales pipeline working for him, just from what we’ve done online: people searching, finding his website and all of this content.

The AUM growth he achieved in 2025, he accomplished in the first part of 2026. It does work.

We don’t have to guess. Back in the day, as marketing people, we would throw things out there and wait a year to see whether it worked. We’re not there anymore. We’ve got amazing analytics and software. We can see what’s working. So we’re in a great place in that respect, and he has a strong trajectory for 2026.

So what’s the lesson from case study two? Being online isn’t enough. You have to be discoverable.

Your 30-Day Plan

All right, I want to give you a sequence you can execute immediately.

Week one: I challenge all of you to clarify your positioning. Write one sentence: “We help [audience] solve [specific problem] through [your distinct approach].” That’s your challenge for week one. You want homework from today? This is your homework.

Week two: fix your website. Rewrite your homepage. Build your core service pages around your audience or audiences, and separate them. Don’t put them all on one page. If you have two audiences, create separate pages for them.

Week three: build discoverability. Create five to ten high-value questions and answers for your pages. Tighten your titles, headings, internal links, local signals and profiles.

Week four: activate your network. Turn one client question into an article, a LinkedIn post, and an advisor or COI conversation.

We’re not trying to do more marketing. We’re trying to build a repeatable growth system. This is the takeaway. This is your homework: how you can implement over the next 30 days and change how your website is performing for your firm.

Three Questions to Ask Yourself

At the end of this, here are some questions I’d pose to each and every one of you. The third question is the strategic one. It becomes the core of your positioning, your content, your SEO and AEO, your speaking, your social media and your referral conversations.

One: if a great prospect were referred to me tonight, what would they find? What if they don’t remember the name of your firm? What if they met you at this conference and don’t remember your full name? They may search by your first name, and not everyone is going to remember your full name.

Two: can my website explain who I’m best for, and why?

Three: what question can I answer better than anyone else in my market?

There’s enough business to go around, as we all know. All of you are working on your business and trying to grow. So these are the questions to think about: how you can answer them, and what you need to implement and execute.

Closing

Your advantage is not that you can outspend national firms. It’s that you can be more specific, more human, more expert and more relevant to the clients you actually want.

Marketing’s job is not to create that advantage. Marketing’s job is to make it visible. Our goal is to make your expertise easier to be discovered, understood and trusted, and then for your referrals and your prospects to act on it. Know your firm, and make sure the internet can explain it.

If you want to take a picture of the QR code, here it is. I could spend a good half day with all of you, but I feel this is probably the most important thing I could focus on with the time we have.

Do we have time for questions? No? Okay. I’m going to hang around afterward, so if you have any questions, feel free to grab me. You have my contact information, so send me an email, and I’m happy to help.

Thank you.