Your 2021 Marketing Plan | National Association of Diet Advisors

Now that we have closed the books on 2020, we can welcome a fresh start. To help you on your marketing journey, let’s do some business planning, so your business is ready for success in 2021.

goal throw

As you look back in 2021, we want you to be proud of your accomplishments. That’s why we start by identifying your goals. Take your time and think about your ambitions for the coming year. Do you want to develop your practice? Increase profitability? Hire a new partner? There are no wrong answers – write them below.

My three main business goals for 2021 are:

1._____________________________

2._____________________________

3._____________________________

Your goals in action

I’m taking a wild guess, but was one of your goals to grow your business? If so, great! Let’s look at a useful tool that will help you grow your business: the pipeline funnel. We want to help you identify specifically where you can improve your pipeline management process to nurture cold leads to new retirement plan clients.

Before each pipeline activity listed below, there is an open space; if you do this marketing activity, check it.

​AWARENESS: Top of the funnel. This step focuses on generating buzz. What activities are you implementing to increase awareness of the funnel?

These activities keep you top of mind with your clients and centers of influence so that when the opportunity arises, they can rave about you and your professional pension plan services.

_ Sharing social media updates

_ LinkedIn Ads

_ Send e-mails

_ Webinar hosting

_ Video recording

_ Digital Ads

INTEREST: First level of commitment. This phase means the prospect realizes they have a problem and are looking for a knowledgeable and experienced pension plan advisor to help solve it. This is where you can demonstrate your authority.

_ Blog posts

_ Guides for plan sponsors

_ Newsletters

_ Secure content

_ Case studies

_ Financial wellness programs

_ Other content marketing materials

RULING: The iron is getting hot. Like it or not, the events of 2020 have changed our world and with that, we all have to adapt. This includes reviewing your core marketing materials (websites, brochures, presentations, documents, etc.) and reassessing your digital content.

Assess him like an outsider; if you need help, ask your wholesale partners for advice. The purpose of this exercise is to ensure that your visual presentation reflects your professional services.

_ Have a great website

_ Professional profile on social networks

_ Updated pitch deck

_ Digital brochures

_ Examples of reports

_ Schedule of services

_ Answers to calls for tenders

_ Feed marketing campaigns

Read more comments from Rebecca Hourihan here.

STOCK: Sign on the dotted line. At this point, the plan sponsor will do a binary action: hire you or not. Ideally, they have selected you as their new pension advisor. Congratulations!

Although this is a win, don’t stop there. It’s important to nurture this valuable relationship because they’re now back in the “outreach” part of the funnel, not as a prospect but as a potential referral source. This is a great opportunity to assess your post-finalist and onboarding process. How do you strengthen the relationship? Small touchpoints and gratitude go a long way.

_ Case studies

_ Customer Appreciation Events/Gifts

_ Newsletters

_ Email campaigns

_ Social media connections

_ Educational webinars

_ Good practice guides

_ Thank you notes

Identify weak points

Now that you’ve checked all the activities you’re currently implementing, do you see any blank sections? Is something missing in your pipeline process? If so, circle three new activities you would like to focus on in the new year.

Also strive to have a minimum of three activities in each layer of the pipeline. By having a pipeline management process, you can track how leads progress through each section as they turn into hot leads. This will help you effectively move your leads from cold leads to new 401(k) customers.

Repair leaks

2021 is your year! If you are missing sections, no worries, you have 365 days to fix it. Use this plan sponsor pipeline funnel to identify all opportunities for improvement so you can make 2021 your best year yet!

Thanks for reading and happy marketing!

Rebecca Hourihan, AIF, PPC, is the founder and CMO of 401(k) Marketing, which she founded to help qualified experts run a professional business with professional marketing materials and ongoing awareness campaigns. This column originally appeared in the winter issue of NAPA Net Magazine.