Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) operate in one of the most trust-sensitive and competitive corners of the financial services landscape. Referrals still matter, but they’re no longer enough. Today’s prospects vet you online before they ever reach out. That means your digital presence isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s your first impression, your credibility test, and your growth engine all at once.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to building a marketing strategy that does more than check a box. It attracts, converts, and reinforces what your firm stands for.
Define your positioning and audience
Niche positioning is the backbone of a strong marketing strategy. It’s not about limiting who you work with—it’s about clarifying your message so it resonates. RIAs who try to market to everyone end up standing out to no one. Instead, focus on the clients you best serve: business owners nearing exit, next-gen inheritors, newly single retirees—whatever audience aligns with your strengths and service model. When you craft your messaging around specific client types, their life stages, and their financial priorities, you establish instant credibility. It also makes it easier to create content and campaigns that speak directly to their concerns. In a crowded market, clarity is the first step toward trust.
Action items:
Write a clear value proposition. Define what you do, who you serve, and how it’s different in one sentence.
Develop 1–2 client personas. Get specific about your ideal clients’ goals, pain points, and decision drivers.
List your firm’s differentiators. Identify 3–5 things that separate your practice from similar RIAs.
Set foundational goals and KPIs
You wouldn’t advise a client to invest without a plan—and the same logic applies to your marketing. Before you publish a blog or launch a campaign, define what you’re trying to achieve. Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, generate qualified leads, or deepen relationships with existing clients? Start with a few key metrics that align with your business goals. Website visits, contact form submissions, email engagement, and time on site can all help you understand whether your strategy is resonating. The clearer your goals, the easier it is to prioritize resources and make decisions about what to scale—and what to stop.
Action items:
Choose 2–3 core KPIs. Focus on metrics like website traffic, inquiry volume, and newsletter engagement.
Set your baselines. Use Google Analytics or your CRM to understand where you’re starting from.
Define short- and long-term targets. Set goals for 3, 6, and 12 months to evaluate progress.
Build a credible digital presence
Your website is often your firm’s first impression—and sometimes, the only one. It should reflect the same professionalism and clarity as your client meetings. At minimum, your site should load quickly, display properly on mobile, and make it obvious what you do, who you serve, and how to get in touch. But beyond function, it should build trust. That means featuring team bios with credentials, highlighting media mentions or recognitions, and including testimonials (if your compliance team allows it). Consider your website the digital extension of your office: clean, confident, and client-friendly.
Action items:
Audit your website. Check for speed, clarity, and mobile responsiveness.
Add trust signals. Include client testimonials, press mentions, affiliations, and certifications.
Test your lead capture. Make sure forms, scheduling links, and CTAs work and route correctly.
Navigating the intricacies of brand workshops or a website project can pose a significant challenge for busy finance teams. A void some of the potential pitfalls with these guides.
Content marketing: education as conversion
High-trust industries like wealth management thrive on education. When prospective clients find helpful, relevant content on your site or social channels, it builds credibility long before they schedule a call. Content can take many forms—blogs, videos, newsletters, or webinars—but the goal is always the same: to answer the questions your audience is already asking. A great content strategy balances evergreen guidance with timely insights. Think: a downloadable guide to estate planning basics, paired with a quarterly blog on tax law changes. Done right, content marketing not only improves your SEO, it also nurtures leads and creates referral-worthy value.
Action items:
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Build a 90-day content calendar. Plan out your core topics and publishing cadence.
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Pick your formats. Decide where you’ll focus: blog, video, email, or podcast.
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Create 2 evergreen resources. Develop a lead magnet or guide that continues working over time.
Paid and organic channels that matter
It’s easy to feel pressure to show up everywhere—Google, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook—but spreading too thin rarely works. Most RIAs find success by focusing their energy on one or two channels that match their audience. Paid channels like Google Ads can generate visibility and leads quickly, especially if your SEO is still ramping up. Organic channels like LinkedIn or email newsletters take longer but build lasting relationships and brand equity. Whichever route you choose, consistency is key. A clear message, posted regularly to the right audience, will outperform scattershot efforts every time.
Action items:
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Select one paid and one organic channel. Focus on traction and ROI before expanding.
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Define targeting. Use job titles, location, and interests to refine your reach.
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Create a performance dashboard. Track channel performance monthly.
Agentic AI and the future of digital search
Search is no longer limited to typed queries on Google. Increasingly, prospects are using agentic AI platforms—like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or voice assistants—to get financial answers. These tools prioritize content that is factual, structured, and sourced. That means your content needs to do more than hit keywords; it needs to deliver useful, link-worthy information that an AI might quote directly. Think: question-based headlines, clear bullet points, and cited sources. As AI-driven discovery evolves, RIAs who adapt early will find themselves ahead of the pack—showing up not just in search results, but in the very answers people trust.
Action items:
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Turn FAQs into optimized articles. Write clear, factual, and well-structured answers to common client questions.
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Use headings and citations. AI tools prioritize content that’s organized and referenceable.
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Test your discoverability. Search for yourself in ChatGPT or Perplexity and see what comes up.
Compliance and automation
The most elegant marketing system falls apart if it ignores compliance—or becomes too manual to sustain. The good news is, many platforms now offer pre-built templates and workflows that accommodate financial regulations. Look for tools that include approval processes, archiving, and integrations with your CRM or email platform. Automating routine tasks like email follow-ups or event reminders doesn’t just save time—it keeps your brand consistent. The goal is to create a repeatable, scalable engine that stays within the lines while driving measurable results.
Action items:
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Review marketing compliance policies. Know what needs pre-approval and what’s restricted.
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Choose compliant tools. Look for email and social platforms tailored for financial services.
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Template your content. Create pre-approved formats for email, social, and landing pages.
Measurement and iteration
Marketing isn’t a one-and-done exercise—it’s an ongoing cycle of testing, learning, and refining. Some of your best insights will come not from what succeeds, but from what doesn’t. Maybe a lead magnet underperforms, or a webinar flops. That’s not failure—it’s feedback. The key is to measure results frequently and act on them. Monthly tracking can reveal short-term wins and early warnings. Quarterly reviews help align strategy with broader business goals. RIAs who take a data-informed approach will sharpen their messaging, improve conversion rates, and make better marketing decisions over time.
Action items:
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Establish a monthly review rhythm. Track what’s working, what’s not, and why.
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Run A/B tests. Try different subject lines, CTAs, and formats.
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Schedule quarterly reviews. Align your efforts with broader business goals every 90 days.
Marketing as an extension of service
The best RIA marketing doesn’t feel like marketing—it feels like part of the client experience. When your content answers real questions, when your onboarding emails reduce friction, when your website anticipates concerns—you’re showing clients what it’s like to work with you. Marketing becomes an extension of your ethos and values. And that alignment builds trust. For growth-minded RIAs, marketing isn’t just about getting new leads. It’s about reinforcing the kind of firm you are and the kind of relationships you want to build.
Action items:
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Identify one friction point. Use marketing to solve a common client pain (e.g., onboarding confusion).
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Get client feedback. Ask what content or communications have been most helpful.
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Commit long term. Treat marketing as a strategic function—not a side project.
