Your clients are no different from you or I. They probably don’t read their mail properly either. So what do you do when you have something important to tell them? How can you make sure your message gets across?

Do you need to write a letter?

Just because you have always written to clients in the past doesn’t mean you have to keep writing to them. Is there a more effective way of getting the information to them? Most of us spend more time on our phones and laptops than reading our post. So ask yourself if an email or phone call would be more effective.

Be clear about the purpose  

The very first sentence of your letter should always tell clients why you’re writing to them. For example are you giving them important information they need for their tax return? Or do you need them to complete and sign a form? If the message is clear in the first sentence and your client feels the information is important to them, they will read on.

Keep it short – really short

We know ourselves that we don’t always read to the end of a letter, especially if it goes over more than one page. So keep your letter as short possible. Only include key information and don’t waffle. If your letter does go over more than one page consider updating the format to a cover letter and a flyer for additional information.

Make life easy      

Just because it’s a letter doesn’t mean we can ignore the look and feel. Make sure the layout is simple, clear and easy to follow. Include lots of subheadings, break out boxes and tables to break up information. Make instructions simple and contact details easy to find.

Put yourself in your client’s shoes  

Once the letter has been drafted take a step back and really think about the letter from your client’s perspective. If you were the client would this letter make sense to you? Does it give you all of the information you need? Is it interesting enough for you to want to read on?

And last but not least….

Don’t let legal take over

Investor communications are a key touchpoint with your clients and should always reinforce and reflect your brand. You don’t work for a law firm, so much sure your communications don’t sound like a legal document. Talk to your legal team about the relevant legislation so you can understand the issues yourself and draft copy that works for both your clients and your legal team.

Is content marketing really that new?

Yes and no. The purpose of content marketing is the same as marketing has always been – to engage your target audience and grow your business – but how you reach those goals is different.

The holy grail – sticky clients

The key difference between content marketing and ‘traditional’ marketing is that content marketing is not directly about your products or business. It’s about building a community or creating a channel that builds brand loyalty.

In fact many financial services companies have instinctively been content marketing for years, by providing education based materials to their clients. But until now, it has mostly been a one-way conversation that relies on your existing database.

Content marketing improves on this process by providing content that inspires people to come to you. The great thing is that you know how to keep your audience coming back for more, because you created it.

So how does it work?

The easiest way to get your head around content marketing is to see it in action. Red Bull provides a great example. The RED BULLETIN is a free monthly communication that takes the form of an online magazine and related app. Importantly, the magazine is not about high-energy drinks; it’s about action, sports, lifestyle and travel.

• It provides the perfect platform for Red Bull to gain both customer loyalty and customer insight
• It’s so on-brand that it goes a step further to build and enhance the brand
• It’s both global and targeted – they really know their audience, because they’ve created their audience
• It’s created a community that gives customers an identity and an emotional connection to the product

You don’t have to be Red Bull to get the most out of content marketing

You may feel like you are already content marketing. After all you have plenty of content for your clients. But take a fresh look. Is your content truly product free? Is your audience coming to you or are you marketing down a one-way street? Have you created a community?

The great thing about content marketing is you can start straight away. You have the knowledge and information your clients want. A good blog or newsletter can be an extremely effective method of content marketing. So get started today!

So no matter how fantastic your content is, if it’s not presented in the right way, your audience will quickly move on. Studies by web guru Jakob Nielsen have shown you can improve the useability of your web copy simply by changing how you present the words on your page.

Three top tips to improve your website useability

1. Keep it short, really short

Traditional copy consisting of sentences and paragraphs just doesn’t work on websites. In fact 78% of a web reader’s   attention is occupied by headlines, summaries and captions[2]. So:

• use short sentences, bullet points and lists;
• make headlines and subheadings meaningful; and
• highlight key words or phrases using hyperlinks, colour or bolding.

 2. Cut your copy in half

As a general rule of thumb, it takes people up to 50% longer to read on screen than in print, so start by cutting your copy in half. And remember for the majority of the time, your readers won’t bother to scroll so don’t let content go below the ‘fold’.

3. Your readers are looking for relevant text

Online, readers take in text before images – which makes sense. If you’ve typed ‘retirement solutions’ into Google, these are the words you’re looking for on the page. So think about how and why your customers are visiting your website and make sure they see relevant text straight away.

Go online now and take a look at your website from your customer’s perspective. Can you improve your website useability?

So what is an infographic and why do we love them so?

An infographic is a visual explanation of a large amount of data or information. Isn’t that just a fancy diagram we hear you ask? Well no. There is a difference.

A diagram might explain one concept. A flow chart may explain a process. But an infographic takes things a step further. An infographic can explain a 20-page research report using imagery, icons, numbers and words. An invaluable tool for financial services organisations.

The beauty of an infographic is that it lets you communicate a large amount of information in an engaging way. The reader can quickly grasp key points and concepts. And the appealing visual nature of infographics means readers want to share them, use them and even hang them on their office walls.

A great example is the recent retirement infographic we developed for MLC. Advisers are able to order the infographic online in poster format. This provides MLC with a great marketing tool that:

• Helps capture leads from the campaign microsite
• Creates a point of difference for MLC by giving advisers something interesting to use with their clients
• Puts MLC front and centre with advisers and clients – they’re on the office wall!

If you’d like help developing your very own infographic contact us at Reach.

Given the PDS is the one document that legally has to be supplied to prospective customers we believe it deserves more love and attention. And if you don’t believe us, pick up one of your PDS’s and read the first couple of pages. Does it make you want to invest?

Three key reasons to get marketing involved in the PDS

1. Your customers should feel as good about investing in your product after reading the PDS as they do after reading a brochure or hearing a presentation. So put your best foot forward and include your marketing messages upfront.
2. You want the PDS to be read (and so do the lawyers). After all it takes a huge amount of time, resource and money to produce this document. So make it useful and engaging. Make it a document people can read. And more importantly a document they’ll understand.
3. A PDS should be easy to understand. In fact, ASIC guidance states ‘product issuers should try to avoid using industry and legal jargon in a PDS.’  So get the experts on board. Someone who can write clear and effective copy that makes complex issues easier to understand will make a huge difference to your PDS – and your customers.

Marketing teams everywhere – this is your call to arms. Take back control of the humble PDS. Make sure you’re involved from the start. And if your lawyers aren’t on board with your attempts to improve your product’s PDS, just point them to ASIC’s Regulatory Guide 168.

Powerpoint’s editable nature is both its brilliance and its downfall. It almost encourages last minute changes. There is no other marketing tool that is changed so regularly or so hurriedly.

In B2B financial marketing, a presentation is often the only marketing that prospective clients / existing clients see. It’s quite often the first time your customers are exposed to your brand. With this in mind, it’s worth dedicating time and resources to getting it right.

Here are five steps that will turn your presentation from a work horse into a show pony:

1. Plan
Planning is often over-looked when it comes to creating a presentation. Taking the time to work out your presentation objectives will save you time later on, cut down on those rushed last minute changes and help you create a more targeted and effective presentation. Think about what you want your audience to take away and focus on these key messages.

 2. Tell a story
It’s the best way to keep people engaged and will make your presentation more interesting. Use examples and anecdotes to bring your presentation to life. By creating a cohesive narrative, the end result will be engaging and easy to follow. Plus your audience is more likely to remember your key points.

3. Team work
Successful and informative Powerpoint presentations are the result of collaboration. Use the experts in your team and beyond including technical, communication and marketing specialists. Most importantly enlist the help of someone who can make your presentation look good. The better your presentation looks, the more impact it will have.

4. Less is more
When it comes to text on a slide, less if definitely more. If there’s a lot on the page, it’s unlikely your audience will take it anything in. Or you run the risk that your audience will spend their time reading, instead of listening to you. By keeping slides clean, your key messages will leap off the page. If the presentation contains a lot of sentence style copy consider turning the presentation into a formal pitch document.

 5. A picture says a thousand words
Design and creative is often overlooked when it comes to Powerpoint. Dedicate time to presenting information clearly and consider the hierarchy of information on each slide. If there is a lot of information (either text or data), a graphic could make the point clearly and simply. The best Powerpoint presentations use design and graphics to bring the story to life and focus attention on the most important points.

Love it or hate it, the reality is that Powerpoint is a core sales tool for the financial services industry. Taking the time to get it right is important. A good presentation will ensure that your audience both understands your key messages and remembers them long after your presentation ends.

Here are our top 5 tips for a successful webinar:

1. Be relevant
This may come as a surprise, but the most successful webinars tend to be those with the narrowest topics. Address a challenge your audience is facing, be topical, fresh and thought provoking. Most importantly, give your audience something to use after the webinar – like real life examples, or links to relevant research. Make their life easier.

2. Understand that people are time poor
You’re asking people to take time out of their busy day, so make it as easy for them as possible. Check clashes with other events and get your invites out early. Don’t expect your audience to remember to login. A reminder email 10 minutes beforehand will do wonders for your viewership rates.

3. Look professional
A poor script (or no script!), amateur presenting skills and a low quality recording are not going to fill your audience with confidence. A great advantage (if done properly) of webinars is that they can be watched repeatedly at any time, so it pays to get things right. Calling in the experts doesn’t have to blow your budget and can save you time and potential embarrassment.

4. Keep your audience engaged
People have short attention spans. Viewers will have distractions at their desks and will drift in and out. This doesn’t have to stop you from getting your point across. Keep messages consistent and provide frequent summaries of key points. Use visuals to keep viewers engaged. Take a poll. Engage people in a conversation.

5. Lights, camera, call to action!
It’s amazing how many webinars I’ve seen without a call to action. Remember to follow up your audience to say thank you and provide a summary of the information discussed. Give them an opportunity to give you feedback, or ask for more information. Don’t let all your good work go to waste by under-utilising a captured audience.

But did you know that Australians looking for advice on the internet searched for the term ‘financial planner’ 3 times more than the term ‘financial adviser’?

This shows Australian investors are 3 times more likely to use the term financial planner. And lets face it, they’re your target audience so you should call yourself whatever they call you.

Check out Google AdWords Keyword Tool to see what other search terms are popular here and overseas.

Thanks also to the guys at York Lane Bar for providing us with the hippest venue in town. In fact our party was so hip we made it into the Sydney Morning Herald Good Living Guide!!

Check out our picture from the paper – such a good looking bunch.