Advisors: 4 Keys to Getting More (and Better) Media Attention

Our recent post (HB Clients Featured in Philly Inquirer, Advisor News and Accounting Today) generated higher than normal feedback, so we thought we’d do a follow-up. In a highly competitive business in which most of your work, establishing yourself as a thought leader is one of the best ways to separate yourself from the pack.

According to the Wealth Advisor Confidence Survey™ that we conducted in conjunction with The Financial Awareness Foundation, getting mentioned in the press is one of the most effective thought leadership tactics advisors can use today. In fact, “Being quoted in the press” ranked #4 out of 15 tactics surveyed and #3 among firms expecting double-digit growth in 2018. Full rankings here.

“A mention is most valuable when it is in a media outlet that your existing or potential clients follow regularly,” said Rich Chernela, a veteran financial media relations professional who will be joining our firm this fall. “A mention in an outlet that is not followed will only have value if you leverage it.”

Also consider media outlets that your clients’ spouse or adult children follow. Case in point: Our client James Nevers (Soundmark Wealth) shared his thoughts about planned giving yesterday in the Self Magazine financial planning guide (What Financial Planners Want You to Know Before You Donate to Charity).

According to Chernela, media mention “is not an end in and of itself; it is a part of building your brand and establishing yourself as a thought leader.” He suggested four ways to leverage your media hits, whether a simple quote or a feature-length interview:

1. Share it. Post a link on your web site and send an email to your contacts with a link to the article and include additional comments, expanding on your mention.
   
   
2. Incorporate your mention in a blog. If you were quoted in an article, chances are much of what you said to the journalist who wrote the story did not appear.  Incorporate the comments left on the cutting room floor into your blog post.
   
   
3. Use social media. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are useful social media platforms to broadcast your media mention to a wide audience. Note that many journalists follow social media and may pick up your mention and further comments in your post for own their stories.
   
   
4. Cite your media mentions when you are meeting with prospective clients. They validate that you are a leader in your profession.

Conclusion

Attracting media attention is not too difficult for most of you. The challenge is getting featured in the right outlets and doing more with the media attention that you DO receive. Contact us any time if you’d like to discuss media training and PR outreach strategies to build our personal brand.

TAGS:  Rich Chernela, Wealth Advisor Confidence Survey, Financial Awareness Foundation, Self.com, James Nevers, Soundmark Wealth, media coverage, media training