Marketing that feels authentic: Strategies for advisers who don’t like ‘selling’

It would be a safe statement to say most advisers didn’t choose the profession to become marketers. The focus has always been on serving clients by providing quality advice, not selling.

Yet, growth doesn’t happen by accident and with no effort. Without some form of marketing, even the best advice firms can become stagnate as those evolve around them.

Effective marketing doesn’t have to feel uncomfortable or pushy, and in fact, the most effective strategies more often mirror the advisers’ strengths of being genuinely helpful, adding value and building trust.

Before diving into digital strategies and tactics, it is still worth noting the timeless ability of referrals to bring in new business. Overwhelmingly it is the most relied tactic of financial advisers, and you can see why firms feel more comfortable with it. There’s no cold outreach or self-promotion involved, but like all marketing efforts, it does rely heavily on trust.

When it comes to investing in marketing beyond referrals, the marketing tactics that feel the least uncomfortable, share a common characteristic: they lead with value rather than promotion.

Creating genuinely helpful, insightful quality content that educates your audience on their concerns and provides solutions allows you to build authority, trust and rapport with potential clients by first providing value. From there, it becomes possible to convert them into clients.

This reframes marketing from the presumed best approach of “look at me” to the actual best practice of “here’s something useful.” The distinction matters psychologically. Sharing expertise feels like service, whereas asking for business feels like imposition.

The mechanics of achieving this varies widely, with some advisers developing newsletters explaining recent regulatory changes and their implications for retirement planning. Others host educational webinars on topics like aged care funding or business succession. Others might launch a podcast interviewing specialists in adjacent fields, aiming to produce a highly engaging show that builds credibility with listeners. All share the common thread of offering something useful without demanding anything in return.

This approach isn’t inherently easy. Generic financial content floods the Internet, and the first challenge is standing out enough to be perceived as an expert. What cuts through is perspective and sharing a point of view that is shaped by genuine expertise and experience.

To stand out in a crowded digital marketplace, you need to figure out what you’re good at, and what content your followers are resonating with, and double down on it.

Chances are that you have a particular area that you’re both most interested in and an expert in. Don’t be afraid to double down on that in your communications.

Indeed, specialisation is a compelling marketing advantage. Advisers who focus on specific client types, such as medical professionals, small business owners, women navigating divorce, can speak directly to concerns their audience have. The content feels relevant because it addresses real situations rather than generic financial principles.

It’s also important to understand that marketing that works for advisers rarely delivers instant results. It might be tempting to splash out on a big advertising campaign, and that will result in an immediate boost in visitors to the website or enquiry calls, but many find the conversion from that to customer to be incredibly low, for the simple reason that catching a person’s attention with a flashy ad doesn’t mean you’ve got the credibility with them to earn their business.

The emphasis on consistency matters as much as the breadth. Sporadic bursts of activity, such as a newsletter sent enthusiastically for three months then abandoned, or a LinkedIn presence that goes quiet for weeks, can undermine the trust-building that makes marketing effective.

Advisers who maintain frequent communication with their clients have a significantly higher chance of achieving meaningful results from their marketing endeavours compared to those who communicate sparingly. The same principle applies to prospective clients: staying visible over time builds familiarity that eventually converts to trust.

Not all marketing tactics suit adviser temperaments. Cold calling, for instance, ranks surprisingly high in effectiveness for those willing to do it, but the psychological cost for most advisers outweighs the benefit. And it’s worth noting that cold prospecting typically results in lower revenue than customers earned in other ways, so while it is an option, an advisor should not feel compelled to add it to their skillset.

The most sustainable marketing strategies align with natural communication styles. Advisers who enjoy writing tend toward newsletters and articles. Those comfortable on camera gravitate toward video. People who thrive in conversation excel at networking.

Fighting your natural inclinations rarely produces the authenticity that sits are the core of good marketing.

For advisers who’ve avoided marketing entirely, the prospect of building content libraries and social media presences can feel overwhelming.

It shouldn’t have to.

Focus on what feels manageable and authentic. If writing comes naturally, start a newsletter. When you enjoy conversations, explore networking events or seminars. If you’re comfortable asking, make referral requests a systematic part of client reviews.

You don’t need to write an article a day or fill a YouTube channel with content overnight. Trust in a process that allows for a gradual accumulation of content, and look for a steady lift in engagement rather than a rapid spike.

If nothing else, the most “cringe” marketing of all is the marketing that comes across as desperate. Marketing doesn’t have to feel like selling. And, in fact, it shouldn’t. Think of it more as an opportunity to communicate and share what you know and do best, and that will help draw people, and customers, to you.

Abbey Minogue

Abbey Minogue is account director at Capital Outcomes.