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Traditional marketing methods alone don’t work anymore. Today’s experience economy, which shapes the delivery of our services, reveals how to identify your target clients and employ specific strategies to attract them.

With increased client mobility, it no longer matters whether you’ve had years of practice experience or that your firm has been in the community for almost 100 years. Sure, those attributes help, but that alone won’t bring business to your doorstep. Differentiating your services from those of your competitors is more difficult than ever in the present age of commoditization. Not only can clients choose between all the advisors clamoring for their business, but the Internet also opens up a new world of do-it-yourself tools.

So, how do you attract A+ clients and, once in front of them, break through this commoditization trap? By effectively employing media in your marketing efforts.

Start With Why

Author and TED Talk contributor Simon Sinek instructs in his book, Start with Why, that companies should emphasize why their services or products will benefit the consumer. Companies that do this will always outperform those that advertise the specific attributes of their particular service or product. 

Sinek compares Apple to Dell. Dell focuses on the features of its computers and laptops, while Apple expands beyond those products through a corporate culture of breaking the mold to bring consumers what they want. Steve Jobs never conducted a focus group, explaining that, “[it’s] really hard to design products by focus groups. Oftentimes, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

Identify Your Target Market

The first step to creating the most effective marketing plan is to identify your target market. Because I practice in a resort area with wealthy semi-retirees and retirees who are current and former business professionals, I target those families. Many of those clients are seasonal residents, spending half the year in another state. These individuals face residency and tax issues when updating their estate plans.

Everyone has their own niche. You might be an expert with physicians’ asset protection planning or live in a community of farmers who have land wealth. Perhaps you developed a following with performing artists or professional athletes. When you’re a hero to a specific group, that group is your target market. 

Identify Common Goals and Concerns

Once you identify that target market, the next step is to identify those clients’ common dangers or concerns: 

• What keeps your target market clients awake at night prompting them to schedule an appointment? 

• Do these clients miss important issues until you bring them up for discussion? 

• What misconceptions do they harbor? 

• What legal, tax and financial opportunities do you point out when discussing how they may address their concerns and achieve their goals? 

• How do you ensure client success in taking advantage of those opportunities?

• What are the common strengths that you find among this target market? 

• How can those strengths best be used? 

Client Value Creation

Remember that you don’t sell wills, trusts or plans; those are commodities. You sell an educational experience. For example, I have a trademarked client estate-planning experience, “The Family Estate Legacy Program,” which does just that. It serves as the content for my law firm’s website and focuses on what the clients want. Partnered with “The Estate Settlement Program”—used for estate administration—we emphasize the transformative experience.

Creating a client experience answers the question of why a client should meet with you; this is your marketing launch pad. The obvious distribution channel is your firm’s website. Rather than build a site that talks all about you, showcase the material that speaks to your prospective clients’ concerns.

Multimedia Content Creation

Media, such as videos, webinars and podcasts give you new capabilities and confidence in your marketing efforts. Today’s cost of producing and posting multimedia is a fraction of what it once was. Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor will your client’s educational experience be so built. If it was that easy, then everyone would do it, but it still doesn’t take a technical guru with loads of cash. 

Videos. It’s as simple as recording and uploading video content from your Smartphone—at least to start. Further down the line, it’s wise to produce content that appears professional and not amateurish. Prosumer video equipment, while not quite the equipment that network news stations purchase, is better than your Smartphone, affordable, and easy to use. I converted a 72-square-foot file room in my office into a soundproof video and podcast studio, and there’s little stopping you from doing the same. Nevertheless, have your videos professionally edited. Editors are available on freelancing websites like Upwork.com and Guru.com. 

Podcasts. Podcasts are yet another educational medium that you can launch from your website. Five years ago, creating and uploading podcasts was prohibitively expensive. Today, you can record and upload a podcast from your Smartphone. Podcast hosting resources like Blubrry work well. 

Webinars. Your clients may appreciate receiving current advice through seminars, but don’t have the time to attend live productions. You can easily produce webinars online via sites like Gotowebinar.com or Clickmeeting.com. It’s uncomplicated and inexpensive. If you know how to create a PowerPoint presentation and can speak articulately, you have the ability to produce a webinar. 

Books. A decade ago, publishing a book took years if you were lucky enough to find a publisher interested in your content. Today, self-publishing allows you to get a professional looking book to print in no time. I’ve published several books through Amazon’s Createspace. Self-published books are extremely customizable. For example, with my estate practice systems, adding an attorney licensee’s name to my books for distribution to their own clients is a simple change.When writing books, you don’t have to write a several-hundred page treatise on all aspects of a subject. In fact, you shouldn’t. Your books should be short and limited to a single topic. As you start to build your educational content, you need to consider the multitude of distribution channels to promote your material and attract new clients.

Deliver Content to New Clients

Your centers of influence and existing client base will serve as your best distribution channels. One way to let your referral sources and clients know that you’ve created all of this educational content is via emails. I use both Constant Contact and Mailchimp. 

To get the word out in a more personalized fashion, schedule lunches and conduct client or continuing education workshops for your referral sources. It’s easy to register with the state bar, local CPA chapters or CFP organizations to provide continuing education hours to those that attend. Promote your content to your referral sources, and make it easy for them to forward that content to their clients. 

Where to spend your marketing budget takes careful thought; otherwise, you find yourself wasting thousands of dollars. Social media like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn fight for your dollars. I recommend hiring a good marketing and public relations firm. They’ll be able to best direct what type of print or electronic media is suited to your market. Personally, I enjoy conducting workshops for my existing client base in my maintenance program and advertising workshops for new clients. 

It’s important to have a catch for clients that might attend your workshops. I offer attendees a free book educating them on Florida residency and estate planning, among other things, thereby using content that also promotes my unique educational experience. 

It Takes Courage

Having an effective marketing plan is not only about being intentional in attracting the best clients, it’s also about having the right mindset. Many planners loathe advertising. Now, you’re creating something you’re proud of, far from the screeching ad of a personal injury attorney. Creating educational content then marketing that content helps even those who never choose to meet with you. 

This is an adapted and abbreviated version of the author’s original article in the February issue of Trusts Estates.

MUMBAI: VideoTap Digital, the media technology company, promoted by media veteran Dilip Venkatraman, former CEO of CNN-IBN and IBN7 and Savvy Dilip, former Group CMO of ITV Network, is all set to showcase VideoTap, the next generation video platform at 4YFN – Mobile World Congress at Barcelona. VideoTap is a highly innovative, cloud based Interactive Smart Video platform, powered by proprietary patent pending technology, that is all set to transform the way video content is delivered, viewed and monetised.

Consumers want video on demand, but many times they want to watch only a specific segment within a video, and not the full video. They also want to watch many such specific segments one after the other, continuously, for a personalized experience. They do not want to waste time to search from many videos. Addressing this gap VideoTap offers consumers personalized real time video compilations, interactivity on videos, and direct-to-scene watching.

Commenting on this VideoTap founder and CEO Dilip Venkatraman said: “VideoTap is an original concept and is fundamentally differentiated from existing offerings in the world. Our highly motivated and innovative in-house technology team has built this platform from scratch. We are very excited about showcasing VideoTap at a global platform.”

VideoTap co-founder and COO Savvy Dilip adds: “Consumers want more control over their viewing experience, and we have built an entire ecosystem to deliver an unparalleled user experience. We are excited about working with video publishers, especially broadcasters and production houses, to unlock the value of their content libraries.”

Dilip Venkatraman’s last assignment was as the Group COO of ITVNetwork, which operates news channels India News, NewsX, and Sunday Guardian. Prior to that he worked at Network18 as the CEO of CNN-IBN IBN7. Dilip has over 23 years of corporate experience, including 3 years in USA. Prior to joining TV18, he held key positions at the India Today Group and the Zee Network. He was the Head of Brand Management at Zee News and the President of Marketing for Dish TV. Dilip is an accomplished professional, with many industry benchmark setting initiatives to his credit. In 2011 Dilipwon the prestigious « News CEO of the Year Award” at the “Exchange4media News Broadcast Awards ». He is a Graduate in Public Administration, and has completed his management Program from IIM Bangalore, and the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School, Boston.

Savvy Dilip till recently was the Group CMO of the ITVNetwork, (India News, NewsX Sunday Guardian), where she developed and launched the network identity. Prior to that she worked at Network18 as the VP – Marketing for CNN-IBN IBN7. She has vast experience in product management, brand management, and brand building across media including digital media, strategic alliances, programming planning, events experiential marketing, sales enablement and public relations. Savvy was the driving force behind some of the most popular, credible and editorial driven media awards like CNN-IBN Indian of the year, IBN7 Diamond States Awards, Real Heroes, IBN7 Super Idols, Zindagi Live Awards, India Positive Awards, Citizen Journalist Awards, Young India Leaders, Guru Sishya Awards, 4GLTE, ShauryaSanman Awards. She is a Commerce Graduate and has completed her management Program from IIM Bangalore, and the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School.

Last week’s column focused on stagnation in the tourism sector and the weak marketing of TT. The point is buttressed by an interview video you can find on YouTube between a St Lucian journalist and an official of the Tourism Development Company.

The exchange, probably recorded last year, covered a TT roadshow to St Lucia in an attempt at luring St Lucians to our islands. The presenter couldn’t mask his incredulity over the 10-person TDC juggernaut dispatched to that island.

The St Lucia thrust was all data based, explained the TDC representative.

Between 2009 and 2010, eight thousand St Lucians travelled to TT.

That “tsunami” of humanity, coupled with tepid interest in major markets like the US, UK and Europe, pushed the TDC to rekindle that perceived romance between TT and St Lucia.

Inter-Caribbean tourism is nothing to scoff at, but a ten-person contingent to the island of St Lucia feels like overkill for an organisation which always seems faced with funding challenges. Even more troubling is the fact that the bloated roadshow, as a concept, is alive and well in the age of digital media.

The TDC rep also referenced declines in tourist arrivals from the European market. This was attributed to lower cost destinations nearer to travellers’ home countries.

Proximity and cost are undeniable factors, but that’s precisely where creative marketing comes in.

Brazil isn’t exactly next door for European travellers, but in 2015 just under one million people flooded that South American nation for their world famous carnival. On the other side of the planet, of the 25 million tourists visiting Thailand each year, an estimated one million are British citizens.

Those far-from-home destinations are obviously pulling in European globe trekkers with an experience that’s tough for other contenders to match.

In other words, today’s crowded market means you have to come good.

Recently, a clever video marketing both JetBlue airlines and Jamaica was burning up social media. It was a simple, but effective premise.

Two smartly dressed actors surrounded by the accoutrements of Jamaican culture ensnared harried, frozen-to-the-bone commuters at the Jamaica subway station in Queen’s New York.

The pitch to passers-by was they could escape their frigid existences temporarily for sunny Jamaica.

The catch: you had to swap your subway ticket for a JetBlue ticket. The idea came to a New York ad exec while on the daily commute of the living dead.

Seeing tourism posters lining the walls of subway stations he thought to himself, “How can I bring those posters to life?” That lightbulb moment made all the difference.

The video works because it appeals directly to the emotions of work and weather frazzled New Yorkers.

The Jamaica Tourist Board obviously saw the immense potential behind such a thought-driven strategy and jumped on board.

We are surrounded by examples of innovative tourism marketing.

Lately I’ve been watching a television series called An Island Parish. It features the idyllic lifestyles of the locals in British Anguilla.

After watching the first two episodes, I wanted to go there myself.

But why? There isn’t anything particularly special about British Anguilla. There’s snorkelling, sailing, sunbathing and chartered boat tours.

Tobago has all of those touristy distractions. The television series though, plays up the indomitable character of the islanders and their everyday lives.

It’s a simple concept, yet it averages two million viewers each week.

The programme wasn’t conceived as a tourism marketing gimmick, but a recent article suggests thatGoogle searches from the UK for holidays in Anguilla surged by 50 per cent since the show began.

Here in TT we still seem to not appreciate the importance of creative marketing to boost our visibility and google rankings. The international tourist has evolved, yet our marketing scarcely reflects that.

Video and pictures circulated on Facebook of the warm welcome for tourists at the airport.

Moko jumbies, steel pan, free doubles andCarnival care packages were on offer. Caribbean Airlines boasts of 250 flights bringing an estimated 30,000 tourists. That, however, should not be mistaken as tourism marketing as it caters strictly for those who have already decided to come. Sure, there will be some word of mouth benefit. How many of those visitors though, are VFR’s (visiting friends and relatives).

The US market is said to account for 40 per cent of visitors and most of them, according to the TDC, are returning Trinis.

While the folding money brought in by VFRs is always welcome, research suggest that most of the US dollars they bring with them find their final resting place at the homes of relatives where many of them stay.

We need a marketing thrust that will entice travellers who will stay at hotels, patronise local restaurants, book tour guides, and visit tourist spots (such as they are).

Trinidad and Tobago is being left behind in almost every sphere of development by countries that didn’t have a fraction of the resources we did to fund our economic diversification.

If there isn’t an immediate and dramatic overhaul of our thinking on tourism marketing, the fortunes of the sector are bound for further decline.

Former immigration enforcement chiefs are questioning the legality of President Trump’s plan to ramp up a program that allows federal agents to quickly deport suspected undocumented immigrants without appearing before a judge.

« Expedited removals » have been in force for 20 years but have only been used against people caught within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexican border and who are alleged to have entered the country within the previous two weeks.

Now, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has ordered an expansion of the program to apply nationwide and for anyone who entered the country within the previous two years.

That expansion threatens the constitutional rights of undocumented immigrants who may get mistakenly deported, warned John Sandweg, who headed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under President Obama.

« The Supreme Court has consistently held that even undocumented immigrants are entitled to due process, » he said.

Sandweg added that expedited removals have been a valuable tool for immigration agents working near the border when they are dealing with clear-cut cases of illegal entry.

Julie Myers Wood, who headed ICE under President George W. Bush, agreed. She said her team considered expanding expedited removals, but decided against it because of legal concerns. She said other aspects of Trump’s tougher immigration enforcement plan also may run afoul of the law.

« Many of these authorities have never been used that way, » Wood said. « The administration is really testing the parameters of what’s acceptable. There is some litigation risk there. »

Read more:

Trump laid out his planon Jan. 25, and Kelly issued orders for implementing it Tuesday..

Congress created « expedited removals » in 1996. It allows federal agents to interview each subject to determine if the person should be deported. The agent reviews any documents the person has to establish how long they’ve been in the country.

If the undocumented immigrant claims fear of persecution or torture if returned to their home country, the agent is supposed to turn them over to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to determine if the detainee has a « credible fear » and should be allowed to apply for political asylum.

The law allows for removal of undocumented immigrants who entered the country within the previous two years. But the Clinton administration limited its use to people caught at ports of entry who had arrived in the previous 14 days. The Bush administration expanded that to people caught within 100 miles of the border and President Obama maintained that guideline.

Kelly’s order said an expansion is necessary because immigration courts are so backlogged it can take up to five years to deport people brought before a judge, creating a « national security vulnerability. »

Critics say that approach will rush undocumented immigrants through a process they barely understand without the right to an attorney and few options to appeal their deportation.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent commission created by Congress, concluded in a 2016 report that those fears are well grounded. Researchers observed expedited removal proceedings in several states and found that immigration officers frequently skipped legally required steps, which it called an « alarming » trend.

In some cases, agents failed to fully advise detainees of their rights and did not let them review documents they were forced to sign. The commission also found that some agents disregarded immigrants’ political asylum claims.

In one case, a man from El Salvador showed an immigration agent a letter from a police officer in his hometown saying he had been threatened by gang members. But the report found that the agent simply kept the letter, which was not used to determine if he should be allowed to seek asylum.

That’s why Sandweg and Wood both said it’s important for ICE to provide updated training to provide clear guidance on the kinds of documents agents can use to establish how long a person has been in the country. In a statement, ICE said all new deportation officers already undergo a 20-week training course that includes training on expedited removals.

It’s unclear how many people could be deported immediately under Trump’s plan. The Pew Research Center estimates that 1.5 million undocumented immigrants have been in the U.S. for fewer than five years, but it does not have data on those in the country fewer than two years.

Homeland Security has not yet formally expanded the expedited removal process. It must frirst publish its new plan in the Federal Register.