Standing Out in the RIA Market: How to Create a Powerful Thought Leadership Platform in 5 Steps

Thought leadership can be a powerful tool to help financial advisors and planners stand out from the competition, especially in an increasingly competitive RIA environment. That said, thought leadership is an over-used term that can mean many different things. It’s used to describe everything from real-time commentary on breaking news and forward-looking opinion, to general perspectives on evergreen issues and in-depth analysis based on proprietary research. So how do you decide which topics and viewpoints you are qualified to comment on while ensuring they will resonate with the media? How do you go about prioritizing the kind of content the media is looking for?

At Financial Profiles, we use a 5-step process to help our clients develop an effective thought leadership platform. If you are interested in voicing your insights on behalf of your organization or your personal brand, start by asking yourself these questions:

1. Determine the target audience: What kind of client or prospect am I trying to reach? Which media outlets do they read? What topics would be of interest to my target audience?
   
   
2. Prioritize areas of focus: Where is the overlap between my expertise and the topics my target audience is interested in? Which topics do I have the most to say about? Which are emerging and which ones are already over-covered in the press?
   
   
3.  Outline points of differentiation: How do I differentiate my expertise in conversations with clients and partners? What are the distinct, common threads across the types of clients I work with or the problems I help them solve? How can I use those differentiators to make my viewpoints stand out from peers or competitors? What emerging challenges am I helping clients deal with right now?
   
   
4. Develop relevant points of view: What are clients missing about what is happening in the investment industry? What should organizations do differently? What is missing from the media stories I read? Which of my views are contrarian or unique in the context of current topics in the news?
   
   
5. Build out supporting messaging: What supporting points validate my views? Are there third-party research findings or news articles that support my key messages? Are there any client stories or anecdotes (named or anonymous) that I can share with reporters?

If you’re considering using thought leadership to increase awareness of your business or the services you provide clients, but aren’t sure where to start, reach out to the Financial Profiles team for an introductory conversation. We have deep experience in developing media relations programs on behalf of our clients in the wealth management sector, and we’d be happy to discuss ways in which we can help drive your business.

Whether you are launching a new firm, an established RIA looking to attract new clients or an aggregator seeking to expand, we can create a thought leadership platform that will make you stand out.