For a seamless implementation of your new communications strategy, you must have a strong inventory of content that will engage your readers and make your plan come to life, says Sara Gilbert, founder of Strategist in Montreal.

“Before you start to run with the ball,” says Gilbert, “make sure you have a good inventory of content that you can easily tap into.”

You likely have already filled in some of the “prime” spots in your calendar, such as around tax season, RRSP season or financial planning week. For the rest of the year, however, a good communications inventory will help you make sure you have good content that will always be relevant to your audience.

Gilbert offers some tips on how you can build a bountiful inventory of communications materials:

> Create or curate?
Depending on the amount of time you decide to allocate to devote to client communications, decide whether you want to create your content yourself or curate it from other sources.

A likely choice, Gilbert suggest, would be a hybrid approach, whereby you keep a defined ratio of your own marketing materials vs third-party content, such as stories that appear in your local newspaper.

As a rule of thumb, Gilbert suggests you keep that ratio at roughly eight-third party pieces for every one of your direct marketing communications. (For more on the “Eight for One Rule”, see Investment Executive, Four keys to social media success, May 1, 2013.)

> Know where to go
One of the goals in your communication strategy might be to establish your brand as a “go-to” portal for relevant discussions on issues in the advisory channel.

In order to do that, know where you have to go to find good material.

For example, identify which resources you can employ to help you achieve your goals. Start by figuring out which websites, news articles, books or white papers consistently fit with your vision and then catalogue them as part of your inventory.

Alternatively, large accounting and law firms often publish studies and reports you might deem interesting for your audience. Also, check your firm’s intranet for any reports that you might be able to share.

“Start building your resources early,” Gilbert says.

> Etiquette matters
If you decide to publish portions of third-party news stories, give credit to where you got that information. Trying to pass off all insight as your own is disingenuous and will not help you in the long run.

Instead, if/when you post a third-party story or report, be sure to provide some kind of attribution to the original document. That way, others can easily find it online in case they wish to read it for themselves.

“Give credit where credit is due,” says Gilbert.

Also, consider adding a short disclaimer in your post that the opinions expressed in the piece(s) are purely for information purposes and do not signify that you (or your firm) endorse their conclusions.

> Change it up
Your main focus will be on issues that relate directly to financial services, but that doesn’t mean you can’t change it up every so often.

For example, if you are a wine connoisseur you can write an article about how clients can insure their wine collection. The same can hold true for art or another of your passions.

“Combining soft issues as well is a good communications strategy,” says Gilbert. “It will bring a different perspective for your readers.”

This is the third instalment in a four-part series on Communicating: with a plan.

Tomorrow: Hitting your plan’s “On” button.