Why financial advisers need client case studies

Not enough of Regis Media's clients are asking for client case study videos. We do get some requests for them, but there should be far more.

The reason I say this is because a video case study is probably the most powerful piece of content a financial advice business can publish. Here are three key reasons for this:

1) They are relatable

With a video case study, you can hold a mirror to your potential clients by using a relatable experience. Viewers get to see evidence from a third party on what your services can do, and what the experience of working with you is like.

In his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini described how our human instinct is to look to others to see how to act - we naturally assume because others are doing something, we should be doing it too.

So for example, a queue for a restaurant or theme park ride will actually attract more customers, despite the evident waiting time for the service. When you’re on holiday, exploring an unfamiliar town, how do you decide where to stop for lunch? If you’re anything like me, you avoid the empty ones (the food must be terrible, right?) and try to get a table at one that looks busy.

2) They are not you

Some advisers prefer to get themselves on camera, to talk about their firm’s ‘why’ and ‘how’. They’re not wrong - this kind of content is undoubtedly impactful.

But, if you also have client case studies, these become much more persuasive. A case study is an additional, unconflicted view which can back up the claims you make; a second opinion which is not driven by self interest. You have to imagine, your potential clients may know little about investing strategies, how markets work or the options available to them. They may not know enough to know that what you’re saying makes sense.

And speaking of what people don’t know - if you often hear the same questions or concerns from different clients, a case study is a great chance for this to be addressed by someone who is not you.

Sorry if that smarts. But whilst you’re trying to make a living, and would probably recommend yourself regardless of your track record, customers will only help you out with a case study if you have served them well, and that means a lot.

3) They build trust

People fear the unknown, and at the outset of a new professional relationship, it’s impossible to know how well a service provider will perform and what working with them will be like. This is probably the key reason why in financial services, referrals from friends, family and colleagues make up such a huge chunk of new business enquiries - in the absence of knowledge, consumers rely on the trust they have for someone close to them. But with video, you can actually go a long way towards filling in those details.

A good case study reveals the journey your clients go on, which can include:

• The initial problem or objective

• How they came across your firm

• The solution you proposed

• How that was implemented or delivered

• The change that came about as a result.

Almost regardless of the industry or service, if you can see what the journey looks like before you take the plunge yourself, it’s very reassuring.

So, client case studies - why wouldn’t you?

Well, I can actually think of a couple of things. Firstly, the cost of custom video could be a concern. However, you can lower the cost per video and get great value for money if you can invite more than one client (four is great) to your offices on the same day and film interviews with all of them.

Secondly, having clients who are happy to be interviewed for you. This one, whilst it might not happen overnight, I’m sure you can work on. Also, you can arrange a video interview around a client meeting, so that they’re not visiting solely for the interview.

If you’re an adviser and you’d like to talk about a video project, please get in touch by emailing s.willet@regismedia.com.