It’s almost impossible, as an advisor, to meet with all of your clients as often as you would like. Sending out a newsletter is one way to communicate regularly with clients and prospects, generate business and bring in referrals.

“A newsletter keeps the advisor’s name in front of clients,” says Joanne Ferguson, co-founder and partner of Advisor Pathways Inc. , in Stratford, Ont. With the right format, frequency and content, a newsletter can be an excellent tool for client education, marketing and generating referrals.

“You can share information and remind clients of upcoming events,” Ferguson says.

What makes a good newsletter? It should be consistent in its delivery and its content. Whether it is sent out monthly or quarterly, clients should get each issue on the expected date. Consistency is important on the inside as well, says Ferguson: “If a recipe is usually on page 2, then it should always appear on page 2.”

It’s also important to give the newsletter a personal touch, which makes the publication more interesting to read and shows clients the publication is coming from their personal advisor, not from an institution. “What you are trying to do is create a connection with your clients,” she says, “not just from a financial point of view but personally as well.”

Rob Kelland, director and associate portfolio manager with the Kelland Group, which operates under the ScotiaMcLeod Inc. banner in London, Ont., maintains sending out a newsletter is “the single best thing that I have done in my 23-year career with ScotiaMcLeod.”

He has been sending out Investment News on the first of every month since January 1990. He credits the newsletter’s content and consistency for much of his business success. “All of our business comes from referrals,” Kelland says. “We do no advertising and no marketing.”

The Kelland Group manages approximately $500 million in assets for about 800 households, primarily in London, but also across Canada.

The Kelland Group’s four-page newsletter is fashioned after the newspaper USA Today. “It’s easy to read and eye-catching,” Kelland says. The newsletter is written for an audience that has what Kelland describes as an “average knowledge” of the investment industry.

“We are not trying to speak above their heads,” he says.

The newsletter includes educational information, market commentary and tax advice, as well as the group’s tag line — Trusted Advice + Exceptional Service = Peace of Mind — which goes on every newsletter.

But Investment News also includes local stories and personal information about the team. It will note, for example, when a team member passes an exam. Or, for example, the newsletter mentioned when a member of the staff left on maternity leave. Later, when the baby arrived, the birth was reported, along with the baby’s name.

“There’s a touch of ‘down home’ to it,” Kelland says. “That personal element puts a personal touch on the relationship.”

Ferguson agrees. “Add some personal information about the team,” she advises. “It helps to build the relationship.”

Around the holiday season, some advisors dedicate the newsletter to their staff members, she says. For example, they might include a story about something each team member did during the year, along with a picture. It could be a note about a vacation they took, accompanied by a picture of the place they visited.

“That information might strike a chord with a client, and the next time they call, they’ll have something to talk about,” Ferguson says.

She also suggests you make your newsletter timely — by including an article about taxes just before tax time, for example. And express an opinion on certain issues.

“Mix it up a bit,” Ferguson says.

You can write your own newsletter, have a team member write it or hire a writer. Kelland wrote his own newsletter for 15 years; staff at the branch typed it, photocopied it and sent it out. Over the past two years, John Campbell, a chartered accountant and a Kelland Group team member, has been doing the writing.

“I give John the information and he’ll show me the copy throughout the month,” Kelland says. “I’m kind of the publisher and the editor.”

Now, Kelland outsources the production, printing and mailing.

Your newsletter can be sent out either as an e-mail or in hard copy, depending on your clients’ preferences. Three years ago, Kelland started sending out two newsletters. On the first of each month, he sends out a monthly version, which clients can choose to receive either as an e-mail or in hard copy. On the 15th of each month, he sends out a shorter, e-mail-only version.

@page_break@“Some clients even ask to have copies sent to friends and relatives,” Kelland says.

He recently added a monthly Canadian trivia competition to his newsletter. Usually, more than one person comes up with the right answer, so Kelland holds a draw, with the lucky winner receiving a $50 gift certificate to the restaurant of his or her choice. IE