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Every financial advisor relationship is built on trust.
While some believe money shouldn’t be something people are nervous to talk about, the reality is that personal finances is a sensitive topic for many people.
Whether you are a wealth advisor, an accountant, or an insurance advisor, your clients trust you with some of the most vulnerable parts of their lives.
So, how do you establish yourself as credible in the day and age of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Jasper AI?
You need your clients to trust what you say, in person and online, but what is the key for you to build that trust?
Honesty and transparency.
At UpContent, we have helped hundreds of financial advisors use credible third-party content to deepen their authenticity with clients and prospects.
We sat down with Jenna Bloomgarden, Director of Marketing and Advisor Development at Summit Financial, to talk about how one can still be a trusted resource for their audience when, now more than ever, many are questioning who actually authored the content they are reading.
Does Generative AI Hurt Financial Advisors’ Credibility?
While some people may be indifferent if an article was used with generative AI, others will be much more cynical.
“There’s an authenticity we are going to lose with AI, which is why you should turn to the use of third-party content,” she says.
Generative AI doesn’t have the capability to give nuanced financial advice based on the current market or personal financial situation of the client, so while it may be good for general advice, it should not be relied on as the sole source of financial advice for someone.
For Jenna, the introduction of generative AI has created another layer of skepticism around the completeness and accuracy of anything that is published online.
“If your advisor is just spewing out what he or she pulls out from ChatGPT, then to me, that lacks authenticity,” she says. “After all, whose thoughts and conclusions are they anymore?”
So does this mean people in financial services should never use generative AI for their content marketing?
“You can’t use anyone else’s work as your own, so why is using generative AI any different? Make sure your content follows compliance procedures and your own ethical standards,” Jenna remarks.
How To Use Curated Content To Build Credibility
Using curated content is a proven way to build credibility, so here are four things to keep in mind from our Content Curation Experts and Jenna to get you started.
1. Identify your audience and their needs
The first step in creating effective curated content is understanding your audience and their needs.
What topics are they interested in? What questions do they have?
By understanding your audience, you can curate content that is relevant and valuable to them that may not be the niche that you would normally create content for.
Jenna says that in today’s digital age, where information is a mere few keystrokes away, clients may be more knowledgeable and discerning than ever before, making it essential for financial advisors to establish credibility and differentiate themselves from competitors.
“Your audience trusts you as the advisor to be an expert in creating and executing their financial plans,” she says.
2. Choose trustworthy sources
Ensure the content you curate comes from sources you value and have a track record of producing high-quality content.
Jenna explains that clients and prospects share sensitive personal information with their financial advisors, everything from money, thoughts, beliefs, family dynamics, goals, aspirations, fears, and more.
“You have to trust that your advisor is well-versed, educated, and equipped to advise you properly,” she says.
Credibility is crucial for financial advisors to do their jobs well because if people don’t believe what you’re saying, then they are less likely to heed your suggestions.
This is where sharing third-party content is crucial, but you want to ensure the information and sourcing is up-to-date and follows compliance standards.
3. Add your own perspective
This tip is key when using curated content to establish credibility.
By adding your own commentary and perspective, you leverage the work of others but still demonstrate your own knowledge and perspective.
In addition, by writing something more personal, or perhaps posing a question to your readers, the post is better positioned for higher engagement.
Whether you agree, disagree, or somewhere in between, taking even just 30 seconds to add your “hot take” to the information you’re sharing will demonstrate your thought leadership on the topic and create a more personal connection to your readers.
But can you (or should you) use AI to create your commentary?
“Perhaps use generative AI to get ideas, but make sure you’re adding your own insights and perspectives.
You can use it to help build outlines, but share your trusted sources, which shows that you’re learning from real authorities in the space. It is simply not worth tarnishing your credibility.” Jenna says.
4. Monitor and update your curated content
“The financial advisor-client relationship is very personal. You, as the advisor, are a trusted partner, a true confidant. So if you are not representing your true self in the content you’re sharing, you are really risking damaging the relationship,” she adds.
Content curation is not a set-it-and-forget-it strategy.
You need to monitor your curated content regularly to ensure that it remains relevant and compliant.
This can involve adding new content, removing outdated content, and making other updates as needed.
Using software like UpContent makes this easy and saves you the time of manually searching and adding curated content, but it also allows you to integrate with software like Proofpoint that ensures any curated content you want to share automatically meets your firm’s specific compliance standards.
Bringing to your clients the best of what you are reading recognizes other thought leaders in the space and highlights your own continued education, while also being transparent about where you are sourcing your information.
Next Steps For Using Curated Content To Build Credibility as a Financial Advisor
If you strategically leverage the power of curated content, you can build credibility and strengthen your relationships with your clients, even when more and more content is being questioned.
In this day and age where inherent trust in what people are writing continues to decline, sharing third-party content will show you are transparent in where you’re gathering information from.
Then, whenever you say or write something of your own, that trust you’ve built reinforces your message - rather than prompting the reader to verify it elsewhere.
Building your credibility is about honesty and transparency.
If you’re interested in learning more about how curated content can help you grow your business as a financial advisor, schedule a call with one of our content curation experts today.
Or, if you’re like to continue reading about content curation and credibility, check out some of these articles!
Become a Better Thought Leader with Curated Content
