What are the most annoying types of marketing you can think of?
Pop-up ads? Cold calls? Super salesy emails?
They’re all types of outbound marketing, which is a more traditional (and assertive) approach to getting your name out there. Outbound marketing can still be effective in certain situations, but in general? It doesn’t really make your audience look forward to meeting you.
If you run a boutique investment firm and want more qualified leads, inbound marketing is the way to go.
With inbound marketing tactics, you’re creating valuable content, conversations, and community to attract your target market—your true fans.
It's show vs. tell: would you trust a firm that tells you they're muni bond experts? or one that shows you by posting in-depth answers to questions they get about muni bonds?
Inbound marketing is a natural fit for boutique investment firms because it gives you the opportunity to get your name out there and showcase your unique expertise—and you don’t have to have a big budget to get started or bring in qualified leads.
attract prospects by crafting compelling content
Your ideal clients and investors are out there, and they’re looking for you! But they don’t know they’re looking for you—so it’s your job to create different types of content that will attract them into your orbit.
An easy place to start? Add a blog to your firm's website.
Consider your blog your home base to begin establishing your expertise through thought leadership. Position your firm as an industry authority by creating thoughtful blog posts, whitepapers, and case studies that address your clients’ key pain points and provide valuable solutions.
As you add content to your website and blog, consider keywords your target audience might be typing into Google and build around those ideas.
Remember, you are creating content so they can find you. Put yourself in their shoes, write about real questions you get, and try to ensure your posts show up in search engines to drive traffic to your website.
Then, you can start to mix things up with your content strategy a bit by leveraging multimedia content. For example, you could:
- Post short, engaging videos on your LinkedIn (high production value is not necessary! Just grab your phone camera)
- Be a guest on a podcast (or even start your own)
- Host a webinar (pick a topic your true fans will love)
Using different types of media will enhance your brand visibility and appeal to different audience preferences. Some of your true fans may love listening to podcasts but hate reading blogs, while others might go crazy for a good whitepaper but scroll by videos on LinkedIn.
If you think about it in finance-speak, it’s like diversifying your portfolio.
cultivate a strong online presence
Content creation is inbound marketing 101; over time, the investment builds, and you will begin to see more leads.
Once you have your content engine running, you can start to level up your strategy in a few ways:
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Enhance your website: Chances are, you already have a website (especially if you’ve been working on your blog.) But it’s time to take it beyond “Hi. We are XYZ Investment Firm. Please contact us. Oh yeah, here’s our founder’s bio. Bye.” You want to have a user-friendly website that's visually appealing and showcases your firm's unique differentiators and how you help your clients. It should be easy for visitors to navigate and convert into leads.
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Engage on social media: With over a billion members across 200 countries and regions, you shouldn't sleep on the power of LinkedIn. And we aren't just saying you need a profile—you need a strategy. Map out a plan to post on a consistent basis (start with 3x/week and work your way up to 7x/week) and comment on other posts. You’ll be connecting with your true fans, sharing valuable content, and fostering meaningful relationships.
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Embrace email marketing: Email marketing can be insanely effective; 89% of marketers use email as the primary channel for generating leads. The average expected ROI? $42 for every $1 you spend on email marketing. Email helps you nurture leads and stay top-of-mind by sending personalized, value-driven email campaigns that provide insights, updates, and offers.
maximize conversion opportunities
Once your inbound marketing strategy is humming along, there are a few more ways you can turbo-boost it and maximize lead conversion opportunities.
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Implement lead magnets: A lead magnet is a piece of content that you offer for free, as long as the person shares their email or fills out a short form first. You should offer a genuinely valuable resource, like an eBook, toolkit, or checklist, in exchange for contact information, allowing you to capture and nurture leads effectively.
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Utilize marketing automation: Streamline your lead nurturing efforts with automated workflows that deliver personalized content and follow-ups based on user behavior and engagement metrics. This tends to require a higher level of expertise, so you may want to hire a marketing pro at this stage.
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Organize virtual events and workshops: We mentioned webinars earlier, and those are included under this umbrella but try to think bigger. Host webinars, workshops, or Q&A sessions that cater to the specific interests and needs of your target audience. Invite industry experts or guest speakers to share their insights and facilitate discussions. These events not only showcase your firm's expertise but also provide a platform for lead generation, as participants are likely to be highly engaged and receptive to your offerings.
what are you waiting for? go out there and get those leads
Do you know one of the best things about inbound marketing? It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
The more content you create, the bigger your digital footprint becomes, and the more opportunities you create to bring in leads.
By embracing inbound marketing tactics, boutique investment firms can attract, engage, and convert leads in a way that aligns with modern consumer preferences. Start implementing these strategies today, commit to the process, and let us know what happens (we’re cheering for you!)