Podcast Summary: Advisor Marketing Made Simple

Episode Title: Advice Line: How To Build A Digital Marketing Funnel From Scratch (Joe Eck)
Release Date: November 27, 2024
Hosts: Taylor Schulte and Kendra Wright
Guest: Joe Eck, Founder of Stage Ready Financial Planning

Introduction

In this episode of Advisor Marketing Made Simple, hosts Taylor Schulte and Kendra Wright welcome Joe Eck, a financial planner from Dayton, Ohio. Joe seeks guidance on constructing an effective digital marketing funnel to transition his entirely virtual financial planning firm, Stage Ready Financial Planning, into successfully attracting and converting online clients.

Guest Background and Initial Challenge

Joe Eck explains his transition from a broker-dealer background to launching his virtual firm in January 2024. Despite his in-person experience growing his client base through dinners and seminars, Joe faces challenges in replicating this success online. His primary concern revolves around building a robust marketing funnel that effectively attracts his target demographic—local pre and early retirees over 50 with incomes around $200,000 and assets exceeding $750,000.

Joe Eck [00:20]:

"I'm really trying to build a marketing funnel. ... I'm not even connected with the communities of people that I love to serve."

Understanding the Marketing Funnel

The hosts delve into the concept of the marketing funnel, emphasizing its three core components: top of funnel (awareness), middle of funnel (nurturing), and bottom of funnel (conversion).

Taylor Schulte [08:52]:

"There is no middle of the funnel... no middle of the funnel. And I'd argue that the bottom of the funnel certainly needs some work..."

Top of Funnel Strategies: SEO and Content Marketing

Joe has been focusing on improving his SEO ranking through local SEO and bi-monthly blogging with assistance from an SEO consultant. However, the content strategy lacks a clear connection to his target audience's pain points.

Kendra Wright [07:31]:

"You have align your money, invest with purpose, reduce taxes... listen to your clients and use their words on your website."

Taylor underscores the importance of quality over quantity in SEO efforts, suggesting that crafting fewer, highly optimized blog posts can yield significant traffic.

Taylor Schulte [12:21]:

"It's better spent on improving the quality of an article that you've already done the research for. ... thousands of people showing up to your site."

Middle of Funnel Strategies: Email Marketing

Currently, Joe's middle of the funnel efforts are minimal, relying solely on his blog as a stand-in. Taylor and Kendra recommend developing an email marketing campaign to nurture leads captured from his SEO efforts.

Kendra Wright [20:55]:

"The easiest thing is going to be how do I get them on the email list because it's going to plug right into everything else they're doing..."

Taylor Schulte [23:25]:

"Go deep... just write one amazing SEO optimized blog post... and then work on stitching together this email marketing process."

Bottom of Funnel Strategies: Streamlining the Sales Process

Joe's current conversion strategy involves inviting website visitors to schedule a lengthy introductory call, which may deter potential clients due to its intimidating nature.

Taylor Schulte [15:56]:

"If you go all in on SEO right now and it starts to work, then you can ask yourself, do I need another top of funnel activity?"

Kendra advises simplifying the call booking process and clearly defining the purpose of introductory calls to enhance conversion rates.

Kendra Wright [17:16]:

"Decide where you want to begin improving things. It could be dial in the bottom of the funnel..."

Actionable Recommendations

1. Enhance SEO Blogging:

   • Focus on writing high-quality, SEO-optimized blog posts that address the specific pain points of Joe's target audience.
   • Limit the number of posts to prioritize depth and quality, potentially targeting four outstanding posts per year.

   Joe Eck [12:57]:

   "I'm doing a vertical version one right now just by default of not knowing like the right approach to take."

2. Develop an Email Marketing Campaign:

   • Create a compelling lead magnet (e.g., a tax guide) to capture email addresses.
   • Design a nurturing email sequence to build trust and guide leads through the funnel.

   Taylor Schulte [26:24]:

   "People do enter their email like real people with real money that want to hire real financial planners."

3. Simplify the Sales Process:

   • Redesign the website's call-to-action to clearly explain the introductory call's value.
   • Shorten the duration of initial calls to make them less daunting for prospects.

   Taylor Schulte [17:51]:

   "...it's a 60 minute appointment that is a big commitment on my end as a total stranger on the Internet..."

4. Refine Targeting Through Pain Points:

   • Identify and emphasize the top three pain points of the ideal client on the website and in content.
   • Avoid overly broad targeting by focusing on local demographics and specific financial challenges.

   Taylor Schulte [28:06]:

   "What are the top three pain points that my ideal pre or early retiree has? Just nail those things down."

Additional Insights and Considerations

• Consistency and Patience: SEO efforts require time and patience. Joe should avoid spreading himself too thin by attempting multiple channels simultaneously.

  Kendra Wright [32:13]:

  "More channels do not equal more results. The opposite is often true."

• Content Strategy Alignment: It's crucial to align content creation with either SEO optimization or personal passion, ensuring sustainability and effectiveness.

  Taylor Schulte [34:33]:

  "...learn how to write better for SEO if that's what you're writing for."

• Website Optimization: Instead of overhauling the entire website, focus on refining copy and clearly delineating the sales process from client onboarding.

  Taylor Schulte [16:06]:

  "Consider breaking up what the client onboarding experience looks like and what the sales process looks like."

Conclusion

Joe Eck gains valuable insights into structuring his digital marketing funnel by focusing on high-quality SEO-driven content, developing an effective email nurturing strategy, and simplifying the sales process to enhance conversions. Hosts Taylor Schulte and Kendra Wright emphasize the importance of understanding and addressing client pain points, maintaining consistency, and prioritizing quality over quantity in content marketing efforts. By implementing these strategies, Joe can build a sustainable and effective online presence to grow his virtual financial planning practice.

Notable Quotes:

• Joe Eck [00:20]:
  "I'm really trying to build a marketing funnel... I'm not even connected with the communities of people that I love to serve."

• Taylor Schulte [12:21]:
  "...writing two amazing SEO optimized blog posts that speak to your target client and that's it. And you could have thousands of people showing up to your site."

• Kendra Wright [20:55]:
  "How do I get them on the email list because it's going to plug right into everything else they're doing."

• Taylor Schulte [17:51]:
  "It's a 60 minute appointment that is a big commitment on my end as a total stranger on the Internet..."

• Kendra Wright [32:13]:
  "More channels do not equal more results. The opposite is often true."

Resources Mentioned:

• FP Pathfinder Tax Guide: A downloadable resource used as a lead magnet for email capture.
• Marketing Funnel Template: A PDF and video resource created by Kendra and Taylor to help advisors design their marketing funnels.

For more detailed strategies and resources, listeners are encouraged to visit the show notes linked in the podcast episode.