7 Writing Tips for Financial Advisers
As financial advisers, it’s your mission to guide individuals, couples and families through complicated and intense economic landscapes. Written communication—like emails, blog articles and newsletters—can be useful tools for your clients; but it’s difficult to organize such intricate information into a straightforward document.
We’ve collected these seven writing tips to help you create quality content for your current and potential clientele.
Tip No. 1: Just Start Writing
The hardest part of creating quality content is the beginning. Once you have something on a page, it becomes much easier to rewrite and revise your text until it reaches its finished state. If you’re feeling stuck, just start writing. This simple act will encourage your mind to think about the topic, organize the information and perfect your document. Even if your first draft is completely unusable, you’ll find that each revision will bring more clarity and refinement to the piece.
Tip No. 2: Keep It Simple
Remember that your clients come from a variety of backgrounds, education levels and experiences. They won’t all understand complicated financial concepts or terms. If you make too many assumptions about your audience’s knowledge, you run the risk of making them feel overwhelmed and losing their attention. Use the most basic vocabulary possible to ensure that all your readers understand your message and stay engaged.
Tip No. 3: Remove Excess Words
When it comes to writing, less is often more. Your clients are less likely to read longer pieces of text, and fewer words can refine and focus your message for ultimate clarity.
Tip No. 4: Avoid Qualifying Phrases
When you’re trying to simplify information, it’s easy to get self-conscious. We don’t want to offend our readers, so we start using qualifying phrases like, “As you probably know…” It’s unlikely that a reader is going to take your simplicity as an insult, and the extra words will unnecessarily clutter your document, so take them out.
Tip No. 5: Use Descriptive and Intriguing Headlines
You can write the most informative, entertaining financial content in the world—but without a great headline, no one will read it. To maximize engagement, make sure you are using descriptive, action words. Keep it relatively short (less than 100 characters), and don’t hesitate to use a “tried and true” formula. For example, list-style headlines (8 Reasons You Should Diversify Your Portfolio), questions (Are You Ready To Retire?) and instructional headlines (How To Pay Off Your Debts Without Even Trying) are proven formulas for success.
Tip No. 6: Break Your Information into Smaller Sections
When tackling a complicated topic, make sure to break your content into easily digestible portions. Using headings and subheadings help your readers remain focused on your article without becoming overwhelmed. Headings also help readers “skim” your material for specific information and reference.
Tip No. 7: Anticipate and Answer Your Reader’s Questions in Order
Mystery is only appreciated in fictional thrillers or true crime stories. If you want to teach your readers about financial health, you need to organize your information in a sequential, understandable way. If a reader is confused while reading your content, they will be less likely to comprehend your advice and message. Lay out your information so that any potential questions are answered before proceeding to new information.
Kalli Fedusenko combines her knowledge from her formal education in mass communications and her experience in the financial industry to help financial advisers create a brand that represents their values and resonates with their target audience. She is the digital marketing specialist and owner of KalliCollective and a coach in the FPA Coaches Corner.