In this blog we explore what our friends in the estate planning space do to generate new business for their department. We’ve crafted 18 carefully thought-out questions that are designed to uncover common marketing strategies used within this industry.
We include the findings, our interpretation of the results and our tips in the following areas:
- Marketing strategy
- Building a database
- Lead generation and marketing
- Building a network
- Convenience for the client
1. Marketing Strategy:
The survey found that 71% of respondents don’t have a documented marketing plan or a designated marketing budget. This suggests that where organisations don’t have a dedicated marketing department, marketing is carried out on an ad hoc basis, probably ‘off the side of desks.’
Additionally, only 50% of respondents reported that they know who they should be targeting and what their total addressable market is. 46% reported that they don’t have a communications strategy for current clients or prospective clients.
Tip: Spending a small amount of time creating a high-level marketing plan can really help strategic marketing efforts and resource planning. It’s important to spend some time understanding who the target clients are, where they ‘hang-out’ (online and offline) and how to reach them. As this can help make sure you are utilising the channels that will reach your ideal client. Talking to your current clients can provide great insight in these areas.
Having a communications strategy with clients and prospective clients can help keep them engaged with your brand, keeping you top of mind for any changing needs that may arise. Consider putting a content plan together of what you could send them that would provide value and build trust. Make sure to keep it relevant to their needs and personalise it as much as you can.
46% of respondents also mentioned that they don’t know how they will track the success of marketing activity they carry out. Asking clients where they heard about your business and putting digital tracking methods in place will help you better utilise any future marketing budget.
2. Lead Generation and Marketing:
Despite not having a marketing plan or budget in place there is activity across various marketing channels, with reports respondents currently utilising paid advertising on platforms like Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn, as well as traditional media. This indicates a willingness to explore diverse marketing avenues despite the absence of a comprehensive strategy.
In the next twelve months respondents also plan on attending events, cross-departmental upselling and carrying out email marketing. 36% of respondents are also creating content in the form of articles, videos, podcasts, presentations, and media segments.
Far fewer are utilising more ‘press’ style channels, with 73% reporting that they do not put their business forward for industry specific awards or for media exposure.
Tip: Your tracking should heavily influence the marketing channels you use to reach your audience. Knowing who you want to target by speaking with your client should heavily influence the content you create. If you don’t have a large marketing budget or dedicated marketing team, look at your competitors that do… and take inspiration from their activity.
3. Building a Database:
Concerning database building, only 27% of respondents are actively building and communicating with an email list. Given the importance of email marketing in customer engagement, this represents a missed opportunity for many businesses.
The findings also highlight that only 5% of respondents capture client information digitally, and 67% of respondents said their marketing activity did not capture more than name, email address and phone number. This could hinder your ability to build a robust and easily accessible database for marketing purposes.
Tip: Being able to personalise your marketing campaigns, especially your email list, can really help your conversions. The more information you have about your clients, the more you can personalise the messaging and services you provide for them. This could be demographic information like marital status and gender but could include more detailed information. Building a comprehensive database for marketing purposes helps you make the most of marketing efforts, as not everyone will be ready to buy today, so keeping in touch and top of mind is key.
4. Building a Network:
76% of respondents have a strong referral network, which is a positive sign for their business growth. However, only 23% have established partnerships or joint ventures with other brands, indicating an area for potential for expansion.
Tip: Collaborations and partnerships can enhance visibility and credibility, leading to mutually beneficial outcomes for both clients and suppliers. Organisations can recommend services to clients that need them and recommend them to a trusted provider. This can sometimes produce commission, or it can also provide leads in return. Creating a network of organisations that work in similar spaces to you can be beneficial, especially if you provide them with useful content they can share with their clients on a semi-regular basis.
5. Providing Convenience for the Client:
A whopping 86% of people who answered Arken’s quiz offer both traditional and digital methods of engagement, making it convenient for clients to interact with them. 38% of respondents reported that their clients can complete their Will online with them as well as via traditional methods. This evidences an increased flexibility and a focus on convenience for the client.
However, 71% of firms still capture their client’s information by taking notes during a meeting with them. Whilst 24% sent them a Word template or PDF to complete.
Tip: In today’s digital age, people want convenient ways to interact with their service providers. Utilising digital data capture tools offer more convenience for your client and reduce the risks associated with taking handwritten notes.
How to Ramp up Your Marketing
In summary, the quiz highlights areas of opportunity in developing a cohesive marketing plan, based on measured successes and failures – improving database building techniques, enhancing lead generation efforts, and expanding collaborative networks. Additionally, businesses should focus on producing valuable content that supports their marketing efforts and actively seeking industry recognition to establish authority and credibility in their respective fields. Whilst also delivering convenient services to clients that offer multiple digital and traditional touchpoints.
To find out where your marketing could be improved and to get more tips, complete the quiz.
Arken Legal Can Help
Arken Legal offers a selection of software solutions that can help you generate new leads and enhance your marketing efforts:
Online Wills Software – This tool enables your clients to complete simple Wills online, either hands free or with service levels selected by you.
Intestacy Lead Generator – This product helps you reach a wider audience online. It’s a digital quiz that produces a personalised report for your clients that explains what will happen should they die without a Will in place.
Digital Fact Find Software – This product reduces admin for you and your client by digitally capturing vital information in advance of the interview. It also pushes data straight into your Will drafting software, streamlining the data capture process completely.
These tools can be used in email campaigns, through social media channels, in advertising campaigns, on your website and more.
Book a demonstration or reach out to us today for more information.
This article was submitted to be published by Arken.legal as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills and Probate. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills and Probate.
