Online Presence & COVID-19: A Wealth Manager Checklist

If you’re a wealth manager, you probably know that clients and prospects are concerned with how your company is adapting to the challenges presented by COVID-19 – and they are looking for updates online.

For example, people may be wondering if your offices are open, how you’re transitioning from in-person to virtual meetings, and what your perspective on the latest market upheaval may be.

Managing your online presence can feel like a game of whack-a-mole at the best of times, let alone during a global crisis. So we created this comprehensive Online Presence Checklist to help you easily update your website and other digital properties with the information people need.

Local business listings

▢   Google My Business

For brick & mortar offices, clients will typically see local directory listings first in search results, not your website (if you have one). If you haven’t already, update your Google My Business (GMB) profile with changes to business practices and operations. 

▢   Google Posts

You should also take advantage of Google Posts – a GMB feature that allows you to keep clients up to date on the status of your business. The posts are live for 7 days and can be seen in both search and Google Maps. Posting regularly can help clients feel confident that you’re on top of the situation, value their need for answers, and care about their general well-being. 

▢   Other listings

Make sure to update all active listings across Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Places, Facebook, and any other social profiles. Consistency is key!

Your website

▢   Dedicated COVID-19 pages

If you feel the crisis will significantly impact your business, you may want to explain how you’re adapting on a dedicated page. Link to this page in the primary navigation, via a banner call-to-action, or front-and-center on your homepage. 

In your statement, outline the situation for your clients and consistently update this information. If you’re a larger firm, you might consider using this page as a hub for advisor contact information – make it as easy as possible for clients to reach out if needed. 

You can also add external links to relevant resources that are regularly updated with Covid-19 information, such as local news, local government, tax and legal sites.

▢  FAQ pages

COVID-19 has produced a brand new set of questions that clients need answered. As a financial advisor, you’re likely seeing an influx of client inquiries. As much as possible given compliance constraints, try to address these questions on your FAQ page. For example:

• • Are we currently in a recession? If not, when will we be in one?
  • What tax filing updates do I need to know about?
  • What does a bear market mean for me and my finances?
  • Will this impact my retirement?

Addressing these questions transparently on your website can help cut down on panicked client calls. It can also illustrate your value to potential clients who may be scoping your site.

▢   On-page messaging

COVID-19 is now a major decision-making factor in nearly all aspects of daily life—something your firm needs to take into consideration when communicating with clients. 

Review the current messages on your website to ensure they are suitable given the current crisis. You may find bits of copy that feel out of sync with the empathetic tone we’re all trying to hit right now as marketers.

Your marketing

▢   Social media

Just like you did with your website, audit your social media channels to ensure all permanent messaging (e.g., your ‘About’ section) feels congruent with the times. Pause any automated social media posts and get that lineup in check, as well.

▢   Advertising

Our take on marketing during a crisis: if you’re an ethical business selling an ethical/relevant service, it’s not unethical to sell your services right now. However, it needs to be done in a really sensitive way. And frankly, it won’t be effective if your ads pretend like Coronavirus isn’t even happening. 

Once again, take the time to pause any automated marketing, audit it, and make any copy or visual changes necessary to ensure sensitivity and relevance.

▢   Content

If you have a blog, this is a great time to use it! Mine your client conversations for topics that may be helpful to your readers. Get into your clients’ shoes to really understand their challenges and fears right now. If you can help provide any reassurance or stability, now is the time.

 

And one final piece of advice: be the human that your audience needs right now. Your business and marketing don’t need to be perfect, but it will help to demonstrate that you’re in this with your clients, come what may.