For financial advisors, trust is everything. After all, people are trusting you with their money – one of the most personal things in their lives.

How you manage your clients’ finances has an impact on their ability to retire, pay their kids’ tuition, survive hardships and grow their wealth. So when it comes to choosing a financial advisor, people want someone they can trust.

The internet has changed the way we build trust. In the past, people relied on word-of-mouth and personal relationships to make decisions about who to trust. But now, with an increasing number of financial advisors moving online, people are looking for new ways to assess trustworthiness.

As a financial advisor, you need to be aware of the ways you can build trust online – with both current and potential clients. Here’s how:

A financial advisor’s guide to reputation management – 10 tips for building trust

1. Develop a professional website

Whether someone hears about your financial advisory firm through word of mouth, social media or an ad, more often than not, they’ll visit your website to learn more about you before scheduling an appointment.

Your website will be most people’s first introduction to your business. It needs to make the right first impression if you want to convert visitors into clients.

Here are a few tips for developing a trustworthy financial advisor website:

• Choose a simple website design – A complex website design can be confusing and off-putting for visitors. Stick to a clean, simple design that’s easy to navigate.
• Make sure it’s mobile-friendly – Most internet traffic now comes from mobile devices, so your website needs to be optimized for small screens. Choose a responsive design that will reconfigure itself automatically for the device being used, and test any website updates on your smartphone.
• Make sure it’s easy to navigate – Your website should be easy to navigate, with clear menus and links to the most important pages. Use drop-down menus sparingly, as they can be difficult to use on mobile devices.
• Include testimonials and reviews – Positive customer reviews will help build trust with potential clients. Include testimonials on your website, and make it easy for clients to leave reviews by embedding a reviews widget.
• Add trust badges – Trust badges are symbols that show your website is safe and secure. They’re typically displayed in the footer or sidebars of websites.

Your financial advisor website is your business’s home online and the first place you should focus on building trust.

#2. Be proactive about asking for reviews

In today’s digital world, reviews are more important than ever. They provide social proof that your financial advisory firm can be trusted.

The best way to get reviews is to proactively ask your clients for them. You can do this by sending an email after each interaction, or by adding a review request to your invoices or receipts.

When asking for a review, make it easy for your clients by providing a link to your Google Business Profile or Top Rated Local® listing. You can also embed a reviews widget on your website.

Not only is asking for reviews a great way to build trust online, but it can also help to make your business more visible online.

Google, as well as Yelp and other directories, prioritizes businesses with more reviews and higher average star ratings in search results. That means you’ll show up higher in local searches and get in front of people actively looking for a financial planner in your area.

#3. Respond to your reviews – both good and bad

It’s not enough to just collect reviews – you also need to respond to them. When people leave positive reviews, thank them for their feedback. For negative reviews, take the time to address the issue and apologize if appropriate.

Responding to reviews shows that you’re paying attention and that you care about your clients’ experiences. It also shows that you’re not afraid to face criticism head-on.

Pro tip – Give yourself a moment to breathe

Sometimes, negative feedback can feel especially personal, and it’s all too easy to get offended. But, it’s important to remember that anyone online can read your reviews, as well as your responses.

If you’re upset, it’s more than acceptable to take a minute to breathe before you respond to a negative review. This will help you maintain professionalism in your response.

#4. Monitor your online reputation

It’s important to stay on top of what people are saying about your financial advisory firm online. One way to do this is to set up Google Alerts for your business name, as well as key terms like “financial advisor” and “investment advice.”

This way, you’ll be notified anytime someone mentions your business online, and you can address any issues right away. You can also use reputation management software, like the Marketing 360® Reputation app, to monitor your online presence and quickly respond to any negative reviews or feedback.

Monitoring your online reputation is an important part of maintaining trust with your clients. It shows that you’re proactive about addressing any issues that may come up, and that you’re always working to improve your business.

#5. Get involved in your community

One of the best ways to build trust with potential clients is to get involved in your community. This can be done by volunteering, sponsoring local events or donating to charitable causes.

When you give back to your community, people will see that you’re not just interested in making money – you’re also invested in making your community a better place.

Getting involved in your community is a great way to build relationships and show potential clients that you’re a financial advisor they can trust.

#6. Provide great customer service

Asking for reviews is essential, but what those reviews say will depend on the kind of customer service you provide. Your online reputation is a reflection of your customer service.

The bottom line is that if you want to build a strong reputation, you need to provide great customer service.

This means being responsive to phone calls and emails, providing helpful and accurate information, and always following up with clients.

When you provide great customer service, people will see that you’re reliable and that you care about your clients. This can go a long way in building trust with potential clients.

#7. Get active on social media

Social media is a great way to connect with potential clients and build trust. Use social media to share helpful articles, answer questions and provide valuable information.

When you’re active on social media, potential clients will see that you’re an expert in your field, and that you’re always willing to help. This can go a long way in building trust and showing potential clients that you’re a financial advisor they can rely on.

Here are a few social media management tips for financial advisors:

• Choose the right social media platforms – Not all social media platforms are created equal. Choose the platforms that your potential clients are most likely to use, and focus your efforts there.
• Post regularly – Consistency is key when it comes to social media. Make sure you’re posting regularly, and that your posts are timely and relevant.
• Be engaging – Social media is all about engagement. The more you interact with potential clients, the more likely they are to trust you.

By being active on social media, you can build trust with potential clients and show them that you’re a financial advisor they can rely on.

Pro tip – Use social media management software

Finding time in your busy schedule to post on social media can be a challenge for many financial advisors. Luckily, social media management software, like the Marketing 360 Social app, can help.

Create social posts for multiple social profiles for the day, week or month ahead of time and schedule them out when you have a free minute in your schedule. Plus, monitor and maximize your performance with easy-to-understand reports.

#8. Invest in content marketing

Content marketing is a fantastic way to build trust with potential clients. By creating and sharing helpful, informative content, you can show potential clients that you’re an expert in your field.

When you provide helpful information, people will see that you’re knowledgeable and that you’re always working to help your clients. This can go a long way in building trust and showing potential clients that you’re a financial advisor they can rely on.

Here are a few content marketing tips for financial advisors:

• Create a blog – A blog is a great way to share informative articles, answer frequently asked questions and provide helpful information.
• Share infographics – Infographics are a great way to break down complex topics and make them easy to understand.
• Create eBooks – If you have a lot of knowledge to share, an eBook is a great way to do it.

By investing in content marketing, you can build trust with potential clients and show them that you’re the right financial advisor for their needs. Plus, it can help to increase your organic visibility.

#9. Manage your local listings

If you want to build trust with potential clients, you need to make sure your local listings are accurate and up-to-date.

Local listings are the online directories that show your business name, address and phone number (NAP). They’re an important part of local SEO, and they can have a big impact on your reputation.

If your local listings are inaccurate, it can lead to confusion and frustration for potential clients. And if potential clients can’t find your business online, they may not trust that you’re a reliable financial advisor.

Here’s how to manage your local listings:

• Claim your listings – The first step is to claim your listings on major platforms, like Google Business Profile and Yelp.
• Monitor your listings – Once you’ve claimed your listings, it’s important to monitor them regularly. This way, you can quickly fix any errors that pop up.
• Encourage reviews – Reviews are a great way to build trust with potential clients. Encourage happy clients to leave reviews on your local listings.

By managing your local listings, you can ensure that potential clients can easily find your business online. Plus, you can encourage reviews and show potential clients that you’re a financial advisor they can trust.

Pro tip – Use listings management software

From Yelp to Top Rated Local, there are many places people can go to find a financial advisor online. Listings management software, like the Marketing 360 Listings app, can help you manage them all from one place.

Syndicated content across listings allows you to make updates to all of your listings in minutes.

#10. Build long-term relationships with email marketing

Email marketing is a great way to build long-term relationships with potential clients. By sending helpful, informative emails, you can keep your name in front of potential clients and build trust over time.

Here are a few email marketing tips for financial advisors:

• Segment your list – Segmenting your email list allows you to send targeted, relevant emails to potential clients. This way, you can make sure they’re getting the information they need and that you’re not bombarding them with irrelevant messages.
• Personalize your emails – Personalizing your emails is a great way to build rapport with potential clients. By addressing them by name and tailoring your content to their needs, you can show them that you’re invested in their success.
• Include a call to action – Every email should have a call to action (CTA) so potential clients know what they should do next. Whether you’re asking them to schedule a consultation or download an eBook, your CTA should be clear and easy to follow.

Email marketing is a great way to build trust with potential clients. By sending targeted, helpful emails, you can keep your name in front of them and show them that you’re invested in their success.

Pro tip – Use email marketing software

Email marketing software makes building relationships with leads and clients quick and easy. With the Marketing 360 Nurture app, you can create and send personalized emails in minutes.

Plus, you can segment your email ist, monitor your performance and more — all from one place.

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By following these tips, you can build trust with potential clients and show them that you’re the right financial advisor for their needs.

Learn more about how Marketing 360 can help you build trust for your firm. See our plans and pricing.