According to YCharts, poor communication is the number one reason clients leave their financial advisors. And during times of volatility, timely and effective communication is doubly important. But that does not mean advisors should rush out to write something. Going too quickly can often result in poor quality, which can be almost just as bad as never communicating. Luckily, by following a few copywriting tips, you can write an effective message while still saving yourself time. Read on to learn more about these 7 copywriting tips and how you can use them to improve your client communications.
1. Use the Right Formatting
For the first of our copywriting tips, always think of your reader when formatting your writing. What do they want? Like most of us, they’re looking to receive the information they’re looking for as quickly as possible. The best way to do this is to ensure your message is concise. Consider headers and sentence breaks, and never write in large, blocked paragraphs – in short, make your writing skimmable.
Readers can then determine what information they deem is worth their attention and move between sections with ease. Effective formatting can also be used to help spotlight certain elements of your message as well. For example, a link in an email will stand out better if it isn’t surrounded by other text. The exact format of your message will depend on its content, but whether it’s a blog or email, the writing style will remain relatively the same. If you’re looking for additional information on creating a financial advisor blog, this article can help.
2. Write As Your Speak
Formal writing is often the standard in business, but in many cases, a lighter approach can be more effective and relatable. Readers want to feel like they’re reading something from a person, especially if that person is handling their finances. For this reason, try using conversational language in your communications when possible. Of course, how light-hearted you get will depend on your brand. So, only write conversationally when appropriate. Such an approach can benefit all forms of communication, from emails and blogs to social posts. For example, a social post that’s more relatable often garners more engagement – after all, people prefer to connect with people over brands.
3. Write for Your Customers, Not for Yourself
The main goal of copywriting is to induce action from the reader, whether that’s signing up for a newsletter, getting a quote, or making a purchase. That’s why, as mentioned in point one, it’s important to write for your customers, not for your company. But beyond formatting, how can you do that? A great place to start is to look at your company’s testimonials and messages. What sort of language does your audience use? What kind of problems do they want to be solved, and how can you present yourself as a solution? For clients, this can help support a sense of timeliness, especially if your research – and your customers’ concerns – are recent. For prospects, such research helps demonstrate your expertise and awareness, improving their chances they contact you.
4. Use Imagery to Support Your Copy
One of the best copywriting tips is to not use copy at all. Images can be used to share data, describe concepts and break apart your text, effectively improving engagement. In fact, research shows that content with images receives up to 40% more shares compared to imageless counterparts. Since humans can interpret images faster than text, images are able to instantly communicate a message without opting for a large wall of text. This helps improve the skim-ability of the article and makes it more engaging. Of course, images do not need to be only for graphs and data. They can also be used for branding purposes and add a sense of levity to a message – especially in emails and social posts.
5. Prioritize Active Voice
Beyond making your writing more engaging, using an active voice also brings clarity to your writing – both essential elements to client communication and marketing as a whole.
But what does this look like? As an example, compare these two sentences:
- Your marketing will be handled by us.
- We’ll handle your marketing.
Both say the same thing, but the second sentence is easier to read. It’s more direct. In fact, it’s even shorter. It’s also written in the active voice. That doesn’t mean a passive voice can’t work its way into your writing. Just aim for an active voice as often as possible.
6. Optimize for Voice Search
One of the most significant trends in search today is the transition from typed to voice-oriented searches.
Voice-activated devices like the Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple’s Siri have made voice searching easier and more accessible to a larger audience. 30% of searches now occur on devices without a screen.
It is essential to realize that we speak differently than we type. Therefore, consider that many of your potential clients will be searching for you through voice search when creating marketing content. This means that both your keywords and content strategy should match voice searches. Your tone should also sound as if it could be coming out of your mouth rather than your keyboard.
How to get started with voice search
Dictation Tool: One great way to create this kind of content is to use the dictation tool available on most word processors. While using this tool will require you to spend extra time editing your piece, you may find that the content and copy you create through the dictation tool will have a more conversational tone.
Long-Tail Keywords: Though more of an SEO tip, and less one of our copywriting tips, Long-tail keywords are another way to make sure your content shows up more often in voice searches. You may have previously heard the term keyword used concerning marketing and search engine optimization. Keywords are short, sometimes two-word phrases that readers will focus on when creating a piece of content. Later, when they bid on advertising spots, the strength of their keywords will dictate how much they pay for PPC advertising.
A long-tail keyword is similar in that it is used for search engine optimization. However, it is, as the name suggests, longer, often a phrase or sentence. Long-tail keywords are great because they help financial advisor marketing content fit a particular search niche. Make your long-tail keywords a sentence or question that you could imagine your ideal client speaking into their home device while searching for your services.
7. Use the PAPA Formula
Along with the copywriting tips above, a formula can give you a structure to organize your messaging. In 1982 marketing Guru Victor O Swab released his book “How to Write an Advertisement,” which captured a copywriting formula that has survived for decades. The formula is simple:
- Define your audience’s Problem
- Illustrate the Advantage of solving the problem
- Prove that you can solve their problem
- Invite them to take Action.
First, you must prove to the reader that there is a problem that they have that needs solving.
When you can accurately describe a problem or situation that your ideal clients face, you will help them identify it themselves. By describing it and capturing it, you create a context for them to view the situation.
Next, explain the advantage of solving this problem and taking it on sooner than later.
By illustrating what they have to gain if they take action or what they stand to lose if they procrastinate–you can provide positive and negative motivation for them to take action.
Next, you must prove that you can solve the problem. Again, this is a great place to demonstrate knowledge and expertise. You can include references to past experiences with clients. You can also illustrate that you have a unique technique or process unavailable from other sources.
Finally, the last part of the PAPA technique is to invite action. Your copywriting piece will not be effective without an excellent call-to-action or CTA. A good CTA consists of a single simple step the reader can take to continue their engagement with you.
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