As financial professionals, we often think of marketing as a set of tactics—social media, events, emails, websites, referrals. But one of the most important lessons from our recent Women Inclusion Network (WIN) webinar is that effective marketing isn’t static. It should evolve alongside your business.
During the webinar, Experts in the Field: Marketing by Career Stage: What to Do Now and What Do Next, Megan Hand, CFP®, shared practical insights on how advisors can align their marketing efforts with where they are in their professional journey.
While every practice is unique, one theme remained consistent: the marketing strategies that help build a business are often different from the strategies that help scale one.
Early Career: Focus on Visibility and Credibility
For advisors in the early stages of their career, marketing should center on building awareness and establishing trust.
This often means:
- Developing a consistent professional presence online
- Creating and sharing educational content
- Expanding your network through community involvement and professional organizations
- Building a referral network of centers of influence
At this stage, consistency is often more important than perfection. Small, regular efforts can help establish credibility and create opportunities for meaningful conversations with prospective clients.
Mid-Career: Strengthen Relationships and Referrals
As your client base grows, your marketing strategy should shift from primarily attracting new connections to deepening existing relationships.
Megan emphasized the importance of:
- Creating a deliberate client communication strategy
- Staying visible with clients through newsletters, events, and educational outreach
- Developing referral conversations that feel natural and authentic
- Leveraging client success stories and testimonials where appropriate and compliant
Many advisors discover that some of their best growth opportunities come from the relationships they have already built.
Established Practices: Scale with Purpose
For experienced advisors, the challenge often becomes maintaining growth while managing time and resources effectively.
Marketing efforts at this stage may focus on:
- Defining and refining a niche or specialization
- Delegating marketing activities to team members or partners
- Building systems that support consistent outreach
- Strengthening brand positioning within target markets
Rather than trying to do more, successful firms often focus on doing the right things more strategically.
One Constant: Keep Evolving
No matter where you are in your career, marketing should never be viewed as a one-time project. The most successful advisors regularly assess what’s working, what isn’t, and what adjustments are needed to support their next stage of growth.
The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your entire marketing strategy overnight. Often, a few intentional changes can create meaningful momentum.
Missed the webinar or want to revisit the discussion? Watch the recording to hear Megan’s practical advice and learn how to align your marketing efforts with your current stage of business growth.
TC8953838(0626)1
