Anyone can pick up the New York Times and read about a current crisis – everything from climate change to teen vaping. But, most people have more of an interest in a crisis that will have a direct effect on them. For the 50+ high net worth demographic, this means taxes, the seemingly tenuous future of Social Security, and question of what will happen when they’re no longer able to take care of themselves. One shortcoming of news sources is that they often focus on the numbers and the negatives when it comes to these issues and fail to answer the questions “what does this mean for me?” and “what can I do about this?” That’s where a financial advisor can step in and provide viable solutions to suit a specific client’s needs.
About 4.4 million blogs posts are published every day. That means that there are 4.4 million new blogs competing for eyeballs everyday, plus the millions already out there. As many news sources provide free content, it seems strange that people consume so much other content. Maybe this is because good marketing content not only seeks to inform people of a problem, but also provide a solution.
This year, Simplicity Lone Beacon quadrupled the number of our guides and whitepapers on subjects such as Social Security changes, tax tips, long-term care, and estate and legacy planning. These aren’t reports, but guides that show how financial planning can help someone overcome obstacles.
For example, as America ages we see a multitude of content on long-term care needs and cost, generational wealth transfer, and family conflict. We realize that people are not only interested in learning how much a room in a nursing home will cost them, or the logistics of wills and trusts, but what they and their loved ones can do to get a better outcome. We even created a “Communication Guide” companion for the Legacy and Estate Planning guide, which gives advice on talking to loved ones about the sometimes uncomfortable subjects of money and wealth transfer. This focus on the “human side” of financial issues is important for advisors, who are not simply money crunchers to their clients, but a trusted source of information and advice.
While news sources tend to highlight major, seemingly unsolvable problems, advisors can present solutions. ‘Social Security is running out of money?’ ‘Not quite, and there are many things you can do to increase your benefit.’ ‘There’s a 70% chance I’ll need long-term care?’ ‘Yes, and here are ways you can plan for the costs.’ ‘Washington will raise my taxes?’ ‘Maybe, and here’s what you can do to lower your tax bill for right now and the future.’ Effective marketing content goes beyond what news sources provide and builds the trust with prospects that is so necessary in their journey to becoming a client. Contact Simplicity Lone Beacon for more information on our new content offerings and marketing campaigns we’ve built around them!
