Five Ways LPL Advisors Can Nail Their Next Event

Events create powerful opportunities for financial advisors to connect with their target audience, earn referral business, and meet centers of influence. They can also serve as tools for establishing an advisor’s brand recognition within local and digital communities. If building purposeful relationships over time is your goal, then events are wonderful resources for growing your financial practice. Below are five ways to help you nail your next event:

1. Select a platform: The first step in hosting a successful webinar or virtual event is to select a platform. Today you have several options to choose from such as Zoom, WebEx, and Skype, to name a few. We recommend comparing features and pricing, then deciding what makes the most sense for your practice. For a full guide on platforms, visit our Fireside Chat podcast in the Resource Center and listen to “Choosing the Right Webinar Platform” podcast.
2. Choose your content: Your content is one of the most important elements of an event because it is how you will engage with your target audience. Whether you’re creating your own original thought leadership content or borrowing curated content, you’ll want to plan it out ahead of time. We have preapproved, turnkey materials on Marketing on Demand as well as the Resource Center.
3. Dress for success: Dressing for success means you’ve put thought behind showing your audience you take the event seriously and want to put your best image out there. This can also boost your credibility—and help define your personal brand. If you’re hosting a formal event, be sure to mention the dress code expectations on the invite.
4. Be mindful of timing: How we do business has shifted, which means our behaviors have changed. Many people are juggling busy schedules with hard start and stop times. Ensuring you stay within those windows of time can help make the overall event experience a more positive one for your guests. Go the extra mile and announce you’ll begin at a specific time, or shout out that it’s going to be last call for questions at the end. Your attendees will thank you.
5. Use digital to promote: Don’t forget that digital channels of communication—such as websites, email, and social media—are all excellent ways to get the word out about your event. If you’re looking to go a step further, boosted posts and paid ad campaigns promoting your event are also great ways to gain attention and inform potential attendees. Pro tip here: The sweet spot to begin promoting is right around 30 days out.

Looking for a step-by-step guide you can follow?

The Marketing Consulting team created a Webinar and Event Guide, and Checklist that can be found in the Resource Center. We’ve included detailed information on platform selection recommendations, content ideas, promotion options, LPL resources, and a fully comprehensive checklist to make sure you’re ready to hit the ground running.

The guide can be found in the Resource Center under Your Business > Manage Your Business > Marketing Your Practice > Event Ideas and Direct Mail > Webinar and Event Guide.

Additionally, we’ve also curated turnkey event templates that can be downloaded and personalized within minutes. So, whether you’re looking to host an in-person event, seminar, or virtual webinar, you have a generic invitation, sign-in sheet, and event survey template that can be tailored to fit your needs. Please note: These materials are not preapproved by compliance and will need to be submitted for approval before use.

Questions and Consultations

If you have questions or would like to schedule a one-on-one consultation, or if you’d like to subscribe and receive email alerts when new articles become available, contact LPL Marketing Consulting at (800) 877-7210 Option 9 > Option 5 > Option 1 or email Marketing Consulting.

If you’re interested in LPL running your digital marketing plan for you, ask us about our Marketing Solutions program.

Consult your compliance department for information about the rules and use of social media and the review of all advisor marketing materials.

Katie provides strategic, customized marketing consultations to independent advisors, banks, and institutions on website design, content creation, and social media best practices. View full bio.