Financial services marketing built around trust
Nobody hires a financial advisor, insurance agent or accountant on impulse. They look for someone who seems competent, honest and easy to talk to, and they check twice. Your marketing has to earn that trust while staying inside rules most industries never think about.
They're hiring a person
Financial decisions feel personal and risky. Before booking a call, prospects want to know who you are, who you work with, how you're paid, and whether you'll talk to them like an adult.
What each practice should lead with
| Business | Lead with | Good first step for prospects |
|---|---|---|
| Financial advisor / planner | Who you serve, how you're paid, your process | Book a 20-minute intro call |
| Insurance agent or agency | Lines you write, carriers you work with, local presence | Request a quote or policy review |
| Accountant / bookkeeper / tax preparer | Client types, services, deadlines, pricing approach | Book a consultation before tax season |
| Mortgage or lending professional | Loan types, licensing, the steps of the process | Start a pre-approval conversation |
Marketing rules to raise with compliance
Financial advertising is regulated, and which rules apply depends on how you're registered. I'm not a compliance professional, so I build with these in mind and everything goes through your compliance review before it's published.
Registered investment advisers
The SEC Marketing Rule (Rule 206(4)-1) covers adviser advertisements. It allows testimonials, endorsements and third-party ratings, but only with required disclosures, oversight and conditions. Performance claims have their own detailed requirements.
Broker-dealers and registered reps
FINRA Rule 2210 governs communications with the public, including websites and social media, with content standards and, for some communications, principal approval and filing. Dually registered firms may need to satisfy both regimes.
Insurance agents
Insurance advertising is regulated at the state level, and carriers often have their own approval process for ads that mention their products. Check both before publishing.
Ads on Facebook and Instagram
Meta requires ads for many financial products and services, such as credit and loans, to use its Financial Products and Services special ad category, which limits age, gender and location targeting.
A website your compliance team can sign off on
- Plain-language service pagesWhat you do, for whom, and how the process works. No promises of returns, no "guaranteed" anything.
- Disclosures where they belongFooter and page-level disclosures you provide, placed consistently and easy to update across the site.
- Reviews handled carefullyWhether and how you show client reviews depends on your registration. We decide that with your compliance contact before adding a review widget or star ratings.
- A version history you can showI send you each page for approval and keep the approved text, which makes recordkeeping easier on your side.
- A strong Google Business ProfileFor local advisors, agents and accountants, the map results bring steady enquiries. See Google Business Profile.
Marketing that builds trust slowly and surely
Educational content
- A checklist before tax season or open enrollment
- Short videos answering common questions, reviewed by compliance
- A plain-English glossary for your clients' biggest decisions
Local presence
- Workshops or talks at local businesses and community groups
- A complete Google profile with your office photos and hours
- Partnerships with attorneys, realtors or accountants who refer clients
What makes prospects click away
Vague promises
"Helping you achieve financial freedom" says nothing and can raise compliance questions. Specific, factual descriptions of what you do build more trust.
Hidden pricing model
Not saying how you're paid makes people assume the worst. One clear sentence about fees or commissions removes that doubt.
Stock-photo strangers
Smiling models in suits look like every other firm. A real photo of you and your office does more for a prospect deciding whether to call.
A form that feels like an application
Ask for name, email or phone and a preferred time. Save the detailed questions for the first meeting.
Financial services marketing questions
Can financial advisors use client testimonials?
Registered investment advisers can use testimonials and endorsements under the SEC Marketing Rule, but only with required disclosures and oversight. Broker-dealers follow FINRA rules. Your compliance officer decides how this applies to your firm before anything is published.
Can I target Facebook ads at people near retirement?
Often not in the way you'd expect. Many financial products and services must run under Meta's Financial Products and Services special ad category, which removes age and gender targeting and limits location targeting. Ads then rely on the offer, the message and the creative.
What should a financial advisor website include?
Who you serve, how you are paid, your credentials, your process, required disclosures, and an easy first step like a short intro call. Clear and honest beats impressive and vague.
Do you write the content for my site?
I draft pages from your notes and existing approved materials, then you and your compliance contact review and approve every word before it goes live.
What is in the free marketing audit?
A 5–10 minute screen-recorded video reviewing your website, Google Business Profile and any ads, showing what is likely costing you enquiries and what I would fix first. It is free and you keep it whether or not you hire me.
Related pages
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