Uh… how frustrating is it to sit in front of your computer ready to write something, but you really have no idea what to write about? As a financial advisor, you know there is value in producing blog articles to help you build your thought leadership and offer some educational value to your audience, but you’re just drawing a blank!
If this is you, then keep reading. I share some topics every financial advisor should be writing about. Hopefully, it’ll get your own creative juices flowing again.
Here’s what you should write about:
Cash Flow Management
No matter what income level of client you serve, sharing ways for your audience to better manage their cash flow is a good topic to unpack. Your audience knows they should be saving, if they aren’t already. Save save save – they get it. But saving is not nearly as fun as spending. Most audiences across income levels and generations are interested in hearing ways they can spend more wisely.
Therefore, offer up your wise counsel on cash flow that educates your audience around financial organization and automation. This helps them stay on track AND enjoy their money at the same time.
Smart Money Habits
This is a topic that you can take to pretty much any issue or situation affecting your audience. Tailor your subject matter to what they care about most and offer new ideas and ways that they can make even smarter choices with their money. If your client base is largely business executives, consider talking about profit sharing or luxury real estate. If your audience is comprised of young professionals and families, cover smart money habits as it relates to first time home purchases, refinancing, or family vacations.
You get my point. Bottom line, make the smart money habits relevant to your audience’s values and stage of life.
Career / Professional Development
Whether your audience are young professionals or seasoned professionals, writing about professional development is an attractive subject. And who better to share insights on ways to maximize earnings than a financial advisor? Career advancements correlates with increased income potential; therefore, blog about how career growth has the potential to impact their financial reality now and well into the future.
You can motivate your audience to financial action by simply helping to inform them of the ways they can advance their paycheck, savings and quality of life with strategic career advancements.
Negotiation
This one is a no-brainer, isn’t it? If you can equip your audience with the tools to negotiate better financial terms in all areas of their life from transactions to salary, it’s a win: win for you and them. Why more financial advisors aren’t writing about ways to negotiate a pay raise, business deal, or large purchase is questionable. There is a huge opportunity for those of you who are comfortable tackling this subject with your audience.
Think about ways that you can help your audience succeed financially through the art of negotiation and the power that comes with knowing one’s number or bringing cash to the table.
Tips, Tools and Tech
Write about tools, apps and other technologies that help your audience better manage their financial life. Technology is changing constantly and it can be confusing, and even intimidating, for your older clients to know which technologies are safe and worth investing time learning. If you are targeting Millennials, Gen Y or even Gen X – incorporating tech talk into your fin speak will help you show you’re not a sleepy, old-school advisor.
What is your take on Mint, Betterment, Acorn, Credit Karma, LifeLock, the list goes on and on. Which applications do you use personally and why? And why might it be a good idea for your audience to consider using them too? Lean into your recommendations and offer a personal perspective in areas that offer ways for your audience to more easily save, track, or act on their finances.
The big idea:
In conclusion, shake up your blog with topics and headlines that your audience cares about and would actually spend time reading. There is a reason why financial terms glossaries have never gone viral or why no one engages on content that talks about the benefits of having a financial advisor. Those are not the topics that will hook your audience.
Instead, write articles that help your audience take action on their own behalf or that enlightens the way they think about a financial topic that is highly relevant to their personal situation. Now you’re on to something.