Advisor Marketing Made Simple: Episode Summary

Title: Advice Line: Why Great Content Still Isn’t Bringing In the Right Clients (John Gigliello)
Host/Authors: Taylor Schulte and Kendra Wright
Release Date: May 14, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of Advisor Marketing Made Simple, hosts Taylor Schulte and Kendra Wright engage in an insightful conversation with John Gigliello from Albany Financial Group. With over two decades of experience and ambitious growth goals, John seeks guidance on optimizing his marketing strategies to attract the right clients as he approaches retirement.

Guest Introduction and Current Marketing Landscape

John Gigliello begins by sharing his professional background and current standing:

• Current Revenue: $550,000
• Assets Under Management (AUM): $75 million
• Growth Goals: Increase revenue to $800,000 and AUM to $100 million within three years before retirement.

John highlights his frustrations with existing marketing efforts:

“I feel sincerely that we have a lot of good content to share with folks. It’s just not getting out there to the proper channels and the right audience doesn’t seem to be receptive.”
(00:52)

Current Marketing Activities

John outlines his current marketing strategies aimed at driving firm awareness:

• Facebook Ads: Utilizing both ads and content posts.
• Podcasting: Hosting a podcast for two years, distributed via LinkedIn and Facebook, though engagement remains low.
• Word-of-Mouth Referrals: Relies heavily on referrals but admits difficulty in actively soliciting them.
• YouTube Content: Dabbled in creating YouTube videos with limited success.

He acknowledges a previous using of a “shotgun approach” in marketing, lacking focus on his ideal client.

“We were doing a lot. Yeah.”
(03:03)

Despite these efforts, John reports modest results:

• Podcast Subscribers: Approximately 77
• Website Visits: Around 250 per month (05:10)

Identifying the Ideal Client and Core Pain Points

The conversation shifts to understanding John's ideal client, mirroring the demographics of the hosts:

• Primary Pain Points Addressed:
  1. Uncertainty About the Future: Concerns about adequate retirement planning and sustainable annual spending.
  2. Income Gap Between Social Security and Medicare: Strategies to bridge this financial gap.
  3. Long-Term Care Planning: Addressing the often-overlooked necessity of long-term care.

“It’s the uncertainty of not knowing the future... how we fill that income gap... long-term care conversations.”
(05:35)

Strategic Marketing Recommendations

Taylor and Kendra provide actionable insights to refine John's marketing approach:

1. Personal Branding and Website Optimization

   • Current State: Dual websites (firm and personal) with shared SEO benefits but lacking personal touch.
   • Recommendation:
     • Make the personal website more personable by featuring a prominent photo and clear messaging focused on retirement planning.
     • Rebrand the podcast to include "retirement" in the title for better alignment with target demographics.
     • Enhance the website’s call-to-action (CTA) to guide prospects through a clear journey toward booking consultations.

   “I want to see John front and center... the word retirement should be front and center.”
   (14:50)

2. Podcast Enhancement and Rebranding

   • Current Podcast Name: Invest in Knowledge
   • Issues Identified: Lack of clarity in target audience and retirement focus.
   • Recommendations:
     • Rename the podcast to reflect retirement planning explicitly, e.g., “Retire with John” or “Retirement Planning with John.”
     • Update podcast cover art to feature John’s image, enhancing personal connection.
     • Revise podcast episode titles to clearly address retirement-specific topics, mirroring successful examples like Taylor’s titles.

   “The word retirement should be in the title... keep the podcast name simple and descriptive.”
   (23:53)

3. Focusing Marketing Efforts for Immediate Growth

   • Current Challenge: Balancing content creation with immediate client acquisition needs.
   • Suggestions:
     • Consider shifting focus to Centers of Influence (COI) and building stronger referral networks for quicker results.
     • If maintaining the podcast, prepare for a longer timeline (2-3 years) to see substantial growth, potentially treating it as a legacy project post-retirement.
     • Explore YouTube as an alternative content platform, leveraging its higher discoverability despite higher production demands.

   “If growth is critical in the next two to three years, let's think of something that's going to have shorter term success.”
   (32:02)

4. Implementing a Defined Marketing Funnel

   • Top of Funnel: Enhance SEO and engage in podcast tours to expand reach.
   • Middle of Funnel: Utilize the rebranded podcast to educate and engage listeners.
   • Bottom of Funnel: Establish clear CTAs for booking consultations, moving prospects toward becoming clients.

   “Once they're on your show, the bottom of funnel, the next action we need to take is booking a call on your calendar.”
   (28:14)

Action Items and Takeaways

John synthesizes the discussion into actionable steps:

• Rebrand the Podcast: Incorporate retirement-focused naming and imagery.
• Enhance Personal Website: Feature a prominent personal photo and create a clear client journey with defined CTAs.
• Refine Content Strategy: Align podcast episodes and website content with the identified pain points of the ideal client.
• Explore Alternative Marketing Channels: Consider strengthening COI processes or experimenting with YouTube for better short-term results.

“My big takeaway is really, really focusing on the low hanging fruit here... making easy changes in the podcast title and website structure will move the needle.”
(37:13)

Conclusion

The episode concludes with John expressing gratitude and a clear plan inspired by Taylor and Kendra’s advice. Emphasizing the importance of targeted marketing and personal branding, John is poised to implement the recommended strategies to attract the right clients and achieve his growth objectives before retirement.

Notable Quotes

• John Gigliello:
  “I feel sincerely that we have a lot of good content to share with folks. It’s just not getting out there to the proper channels and the right audience doesn’t seem to be receptive.”
  (00:52)

• Taylor:
  “Just pick a simple name that has a word retire or retirement in it... the word retirement should be in the title.”
  (23:53)

• Kendra:
  “Build your marketing on an authentic marketing channel to you... what are you excited about?”
  (35:00)

Next Steps for Listeners

For more in-depth strategies on building a personal brand and optimizing marketing funnels, listeners are encouraged to explore additional episodes such as “How to Leverage Other People's Audiences” and “Top of Funnel Using Podcast” featuring Phil Weiss.

Resources Mentioned:

• Top Advisor Website Questions Episode
• Sign Up to Join as a Guest

Feedback & Sharing: Listeners are encouraged to forward their favorite episodes to colleagues who could benefit from enhanced marketing strategies.

Thank you for tuning into Advisor Marketing Made Simple! Join us next week for more actionable insights to elevate your financial services marketing.