Run a successful ad campaign

Advertising strategically and repeatedly builds name recognition, says Sara Gilbert, founder of Montreal-based Strategist. Building recognition will help keep you top of mind with prospective clients.

Follow this expert advice to start a successful print ad campaign:

> Find out your ideal clients’ interests
To determine where it’s best to advertise, look at your clients’ common characteristics.

Do a quick survey to discover what your clients have in common, says Terrie Wheeler, founder of MarketYourAdvisoryPractice.com in St. Paul, Minn. Look for things like their age and vocations.

For example, if the majority of your clients are retired executives between the ages of 55 and 65, consider publishing an ad in a media outlet that is popular with this group, such as a golf magazine.

> Create a specific solution
Your ad should show what makes you different from other financial advisors — by focusing on the solutions you provide for your ideal clients.

Ads should be about helping people, Gilbert says, not selling to them. A solution to specific problems faced by your target group will make you stand out and give you credibility with prospects.

For example, if you are prospecting for art collectors, talk about how you can help insure art or how to include art in estate planning.

> Hire professionals
The only way to create professional and consistent advertising is by hiring creative professionals.

Hire a graphic designer to work on all your marketing tools including ads, brochures and your logo, says Wheeler. Even if the publication you have chosen to advertise in offers to create an ad for you, stick with your graphic designer to keep your marketing consistent.

Be sure to consult with your firm’s compliance and marketing departments, says Gilbert, to ensure the ad content is approved.

> Make it part of a plan
Advertising in a publication doesn’t work on it’s own. To be effective it must be part of an overall strategy.

You need a strategic marketing plan that incorporates several different elements, Wheeler says, from print to the web to building a referral network.

Before you start anything, make sure all elements of the plan are ready and professional-looking. For example, if your magazine ad catches the interest of a prospect, he or she will likely go online to do more research about you, says Wheeler. If your website is unprofessional or incomplete, you will lose that prospect before even meeting him or her.

> Plan for the long-term
For an ad campaign to be successful, it must be persistent.

When you’ve selected a publication, commit to advertising there for at least six to eight months, says Wheeler. Unless you’re advertising for an event, a one-time ad will not be enough to grab people’s attention or stick in their minds.

Keep ads interesting to readers by changing them slightly from one issue to the next, says Gilbert. For example, in the first ad, you might show how you can help with estate planning; in the next, focus on TFSAs.

> Measure the results
Tracking leads will tell you whether your ad strategy is working.

Whenever a prospect calls your office, ask them how they heard about you, Wheeler says. After a year, compare the number of leads you received through the ad to those from other marketing initiatives, and evaluate whether it’s worth the cost.

Also consider the quality of the leads generated by your ad. Do they fit your ideal client profile?

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