t4 Marketing Innovations Blog

The new Chancellor George Osborne, and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Laws, have made it clear this week that the need to get the budget deficit under control ‘overshadows everything’.

Some spending cuts have already been announced (all ministers are taking a 5% pay cut) but the scale of the national debt means much tougher measures are needed to balance the books.

We’ve been told capital gains tax will rise. An emergency Budget is scheduled for 22 June when further tax rises could be announced. Here’s what we know so far.

Capital … Continue Reading

As the nation continues to be outraged by MPs’ expenses, we’re missing that the real free ride MPs are getting is their pensions.

Remarkably little comment has been made about the generosity of the MPs’ pension scheme, but then duckhouses and moats make for better copy.

We’re told the annual cost to UK taxpayers of an MP’s pension is £13,000, but the real cost is more like £30,000, according to pensions economist, John Ralfe – who is a regular contributor on the economics of company pensions and reform of pension regulation to the … Continue Reading

Any last words dear...?

Investment News – a specialist trade publication for Financial Advisers in the US has been doing some research on advisers use of social networking and blogs as part of their marketing strategy.  This is interesting because the structure of the financial advice industry in the US is similar to ours and what happens in America tends to predict what will happen in the UK 5 years down the line.

More and more advisers we talk to want to integrate social media into their marketing plans. They … Continue Reading

How was your day?

Investment News – a trade journal for financial advisers in the US published a great article on how blogging works to the good for financial advisers – it is full of practical examples.

They account for only a minuscule fraction of the world’s estimated 100 million bloggers, but financial advisers who maintain their own commentary-oriented websites are finding that blogging can pay.

Blogs can be an inexpensive way to attract prospects, market a practice and communicate with clients. They’re also a way to … Continue Reading

I often read Marketing Wire – an excellent blog about marketing for financial adviser firms in the USA.  Kirsten Luke, the woman behind Marketing Wire has done a lot of work on simple marketing approaches for American advisers.  She reckons they can put together a great marketing programme for only $3,000 a year! So can you in the UK – for £2,000.  Here is a UK version of that approach for our market.

Marketing Plan

It is more important than ever to market your business. However, your dilemma … Continue Reading

Hungry Piggy Bank

The increases to tax and national insurance announced in the pre budget report last autumn greatly increased the opportunities for using  salary sacrifice as a tax and national insurance planning tool. Just under half of UK employers have now put a salary sacrifice scheme in place*.

Salary sacrifice deflects affects of NI rise – FT

NI set to boost employer interest in salary sacrifice – Employee Benefits magazine

Helping advisers find quality leads is key

How can financial advisers approach this market? Finding … Continue Reading

Budget Pig

The world economy is under the spotlight again this week with the G20 meeting in London. Many economists say we need a Bretton Woods agreement for the 21st century although few expect to get one. Clients have never been more cautious, and many financial advisers I come across are a little at a loss as to how to develop business in the current market. Trust in old investment paradigms is shaken and people are spooked.

I read about the rather strangely named Oechsli Institute in the … Continue Reading

Hhhmmm.... recession?

Change creates opportunities

A lot of businesses will tell you they are making big changes to get through this recession …cutting back, changing processes, off-loading stock… . But more than anything, whenever a business is facing big changes in their market – good or bad – it is time for lots of sales activity. Sales opportunities are always created as a result of change and the challenges that creates. Challenge and change are the greatest sales lead generators of all.

Here are 5 things you can do as … Continue Reading

If you are marketing a financial adviser businesss, test social media

Social Media

Several conversations with both B2B marketers and financial advisers have really opened my eyes to the role that social media can play in B2B demand generation – and, yes, even for the marketing of financial adviser firms and services.

Blogs, LinkedIn groups, Twitter feeds, and the like don’t replace workhorse tactics like referrals, direct mail, email marketing or seminars (or even webinars), but those channels increasingly are where your customers and prospects spend time … Continue Reading

IFAs risk missing out on the upturn through a lack of marketing planning

Marketing Planning

· Financial advisers should be building up their profile now to be ready for the upturn.
· There are several ways they can build trust with clients and prospects.

When the recovery comes, many financial advisers will be unprepared and will miss out on the renewed energy in the marketplace because they have failed to prepare and build up their marketing activities.

Financial adviser businesses need to think beyond the mechanics of giving advice towards … Continue Reading

Asking for feedback from clients is really important, especially in tough times. Here are 7 reasons why it is worthwhile:

Client feedback is important

1. A client receiving unprompted but timely contact from their financial adviser when times are difficult sends a very positive signal that you know your responsibility in the relationship. Your clients will remember how you treated them when times were tough, when they needed a break, when a little support meant everything. No one in particular will remember how you acted during the … Continue Reading