It used to be that financial advisors relied on cold calling, hosting information sessions in hotel ballrooms and being one of just a few (or the only) advisors in town to bring in new business.

But things are changing, and the financial services industry is becoming more competitive. At the same time, the makeup of clients and their preferences is also evolving. To stay relevant and grow a firm, advisors have to change their marketing approach.

Here are the four marketing trends all advisors should try in 2026.

1. Prioritize content marketing
Clients and potential clients want to work with a financial expert. They also want to be educated, not sold to. Content marketing is your way to showcase your authority and build credibility while also creating potential leads.

Using content marketing, you create content such as blogs, videos or webinars to share your knowledge on social media and other platforms.

• What questions are you asked frequently?
• What are clients confused about?
• What information should new investors know?

Create informative content about these topics. The goal of content marketing isn’t to sell your services outright, but to showcase your expertise, build relationships and provide valuable information to potential clients. It’s a great way to get more eyes on your firm and build your brand so that people come back for your services when they’re ready.

If you already use content marketing, don’t forget to update your content at least once a year. Even adding new statistics or headlines to an older blog post or FAQ sheet can help it gain more traction online and improve its search rankings. The goal is that when people search for terms like “How should I prepare for retirement?” or “What should I save for small business taxes?”, they end up reading or watching your content.

2. Use social media to build trust
Related to content marketing is social media. Many of the principles are similar, but social media is its own, fast-paced world. More than 60% of adults under age 35 look for investment information on social media. And of the rising Gen Z, 23% of adults say they wouldn’t even consider a financial professional who didn’t have a social media presence. That means there’s a huge market for sharing updates and resources on social media.

One reason social media is so powerful is that it allows advisors to be human and authentic. Paired with financial expertise, clients can feel comfortable working with someone who is knowledgeable and with whom they feel a connection.

Young investors largely decide who to trust online by looking for people who explain things clearly. At the bottom of the list is someone with a similar background. That means advisors who post consistently and clearly share valuable information can attract a wave of new clients.

3. Make it visual
In a sea of marketing campaigns and content, yours needs to stand out. Make your marketing visual with short videos, charts and slides to capture people’s attention.

You have great information to share. How can you make it more visually appealing?

A short client testimonial video is more impactful than a text quote. Similarly, a chart to show your client’s performance over time or an animated drawing of the investment process will also gain more attention than long-form text. The goal isn’t to simplify or “dumb down” your content, but to make it more visually appealing so people stop scrolling and pay attention. 

4. Automate and leverage AI
No list of marketing trends is complete without AI. Today’s potential clients crave hyper-personalization, or marketing that is tailored to their unique needs. It isn’t enough to send the same message to every lead and just replace their name in the email greeting. Hyper-personalization means creating smaller segments to send targeted messages to recipients, such as a pitch for new business owners or young professionals in the first three years of their careers.

AI makes hyper-personalization possible. First, AI can dig into data to segment potential clients into tailored groups. Then, advisors can use AI to create personalized outreach messages. One recent report even found that advisors who use generative AI for personalization see a five-times increase in leads and a doubling of conversion rates.

Automating with AI is a win-win: It frees advisors’ time while also delivering highly personalized (and effective) messages. There’s a reason 88% of advisors plan to use AI to help their personalization efforts. Advisors who don’t automate are at a significant disadvantage.

Read the original article here.