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Financial marketers have known for years how much of a game changer video would be for financial professionals. But video has long been a compliance concern and a regulatory headache for a profession still getting comfortable with digital marketing.
Then the pandemic happened, and everything changed, including a shift in video and virtual usage.
Advisors were forced to adapt to new forms of client communication. Gone was the two-hour drive to a person's home or workplace. And with the rise of the robo-advisor, advisors had no choice but to trust in virtual meeting technology to hold open talks, policy reviews, and quick check-ins. Two years from the start of the pandemic, many financial professionals have gone from awkwardly holding virtual meetings to preferring them as their main form of outreach. Regardless of age or experience, an entire generation of video-savvy advisors have disrupted a profession grounded in inertia.
Alas, what a golden marketing opportunity! Here’s how financial marketers can repurpose virtual meetings and video content:
Online meetings are not just for meetings
Given the increased comfort level with online meeting services, advisors can use them to create video content. It’s important for advisors and marketers to work together to not only determine topics that would resonate with an advisor’s network but also to review said topics with compliance. Speaking of compliance...
Make compliance your friend
Compliance is not out to make the financial professional’s life difficult. Quite the contrary. They are the main line of defense to keep the advisor and firm safe from scrutiny. It’s the marketer's responsibility to explain the rationale behind the video and ensure the compliance reviewer is comfortable with the path forward. Once compliance gives the green light...
It’s showtime!
Schedule to record on a day with few to no distractions. Though the world is used to pets videobombing meetings, take the time to ensure furry family members won’t make an appearance onscreen. Even though we exist in a world of countless virtual meetings, there is something inherently nerve-wracking about being filmed. Have everyone take a moment of Zen and do some breathing exercises. Once recording is complete, the financial professional can bask in their Hollywood moment while the fun, mostly fun, begins in earnest for the marketing team.
Time to slice and dice
Editing can be the biggest pain point in the video process. Removing verbose sections to get to the nitty gritty of the content can take time. This doesn’t have to equate to expense. There are a variety of no- to low-cost online video editing software options available with easy-to-follow tutorials for any editing experience level.
Captions: Convenience and compliance
Videos tend to automatically play upon scrolling through a social media feed. Sometimes, the video playback is muted or the person scrolling may be hearing challenged. Giving viewers the ability to follow along with a transcript is considerate, adheres to ADA compliance, and could provide search engine optimization (SEO) benefits. Social network auto-captioning may lack accuracy. Be mindful to correct errors in the transcription or utilize a third-party or online service for caption integration.
The final branding flourish
Fight the urge to go with the edited MP4 file from the virtual meeting service. Take the video to the next level through brand representation. There are a multitude of simple design tools online that enable marketers to add logos, brand colors, and CTA buttons to encourage digital audience interaction. Also, these programs simplify adding necessary disclosures to the end of the video without detracting from it aesthetically.
Get started
Financial marketers are routinely challenged to be creative with the regulatory elephant in the room. The days of video as a compliance minefield are over, or at least less treacherous. It’s a great time to leverage video and empower financial professionals to tell a story that resonates with their ideal consumers.
Tara Meehan is a fractional CMO and owner of Meehan Marketing
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Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.