If you’re not using inbound marketing to help build your book ofbusiness, you’re missing out on a tremendous opportunity.

For the past decade it’s been the most effective marketingmethod for conducting business online.

Inbound marketing is an inexpensive and nonintrusive way ofusing educational content and social media to develop yourclientele. It delivers what your prospective client wants, wherethey want to find it, right when they need it.

Give them what they want

And give it to them for free. Let me repeat that. Free. Although itfeels counterintuitive, giving people free, relevant content is atthe heart of inbound marketing, which starts with a single blog.Does blogging really makes a difference? Yes, it does. Businesses that consistently blog draw in 55% moreweb traffic than those that don’t. What’s more, they produce70% more leads.

Your first posting should provide an answer to a need, challengeor question facing the prospect at that point in their life.Perhaps they’ve become aware they have enough money set aside thatthey need help investing it and planning for retirement.

Related: 10 tips for a successful insurance agencyblog

At this stage of awareness, they’re strangers who recognize theydon’t know much about financial advisors or advising. They knowthey need to find out more. While surfing their preferred socialmedia, they come across your blog posting. It grabs theirattention. They read it. The blog addresses part or all of theircurrent need. Interested, they click on a link that takes them toyour website.

Once drawn to your website, they discover even more free,value-added material like white papers, eBooks and webinars. Theformer stranger becomes a return visitor. At each stage of theirinformation journey, you provide just the right content to answertheir question.

You’re not selling them anything. You’re providing information.This helps establish your expertise and your brand, and builds arelationship of trust between you and the prospective client.

Before you start your inbound marketing campaign, be sure tohave a library of at least eight publish-ready postings. While someadvisors enjoy writing their own content, this does take a bit oftime. Your broker-dealer should have a library of compliance-readycontent for your use.

Where they want to find it

Social media platforms provide a convenient, online gathering placeto shop, socialize, communicate — and self-educate. It’s wherethey want to be. It’s also where you want to be.

Fifty-eight percent of millennials use the internet to not onlysocialize, but find answers and solutions to their problems. Nearlyhalf of Gen Xers and baby boomers use search engines like Google tofind websites that answer their questions.

Related: Do’s and don’ts of Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebookfor advisors

Along with content, social media use drives inboundmarketing — and prospective clients to your website. Itprovides you with platforms to post content and links to yourwebsite. Sites used most often by financial advisors includeFacebook, which has more than 1 billion activeusers, LinkedIn and Twitter. Each platform caters to differentforms of communication.

LinkedIn is the preferred channel or platform forfinancial services. It lets you share professional and personalinsights and connect with your niche audience. You can also join orcreate groups with your connections to expand your reach.

Posts can range from business to casual, which helps yourprospect get to know you on a more personal level. LinkedIn letsyou share professional and personal insights and connect with yourniche audience. You can also join or create groups with yourconnections to expand your reach.

Instant gratification drives Twitter, where your voice andmessage can be heard and retweeted at the speed of light.

It’s best to concentrate on one social platform rather thanspread yourself and your time too thinly. Develop a picture of yourideal client. Find out what their preferred social platform wouldbe, and give yourself a presence there.

When they want to find it

When a prospect is actively seeking the material you’re providing,there’s no worry about finding the right time — it finds you.The fact that the prospect wants the relevant educational contentyou’re producing provides natural timing. You’re not selling themanything. You’re providing useful content to them on theirpreferred platform when they are most receptive to it.

Related: 3 ways to optimize your financial websitecontent

They’re drawn to your website or will seek you out when they’reready for it. That allows you to continue providing relevantmaterial at every stage of their journey, building your brand,authentic relationships and your book of business. You want to beat the top of your prospect’s mind when the time comes for them tohire an advisor. Inbound marketing keeps you there until they’reready.

Takeaways

Inbound marketing is a proven tool for building your book. To useit most effectively, make sure you have a good, user-friendlywebsite and a library of ready-to-publish content that addressesquestions or problems facing your prospective buyer. Identify thesocial media your ideal client is most likely to use, and makeyourself visible on that channel.

A good inbound marketing campaign draws in ideal prospects tobuild your book, while still allowing valuable time to spend withcurrent clients.

Related: LinkedIn blog basics for reaching clients andprospects

Kirk Hulett is executive vice president ofstrategy and practice management at Securities America. He is a leader and consultant forthe Practice Management Group, which provides consultation toinvestment professionals on how to improve the efficiency andprofitability of their practice.