When consumers shop around before buying a good or service, many factors can play a role in their final decision, from previous experiences to the recommendations of friends and even to the companies’ branding. And when it comes to how a consumer perceives a brand, there are three critical components that come into play: brand awareness (simply knowing that the brand exists), recognition (recognizing a brand for its unique components and features), and brand equity (the value associated with a specific brand). These factors, especially brand recognition and equity, are often used to help fill in knowledge gaps when contemplating the purchase of a product or service, especially when the consumer isn’t clear about the actual value of what they’re considering.

In the context of financial advisors, surveys have shown that CFP certification serves as an important branding signal for consumers seeking the services of a qualified advisor. For instance, a 2015 study found that consumers had higher brand awareness of the CFP marks, even more than the well-known ChFC, CFA, CLU, and PFS designations. In addition to having better brand awareness, research has also suggested that the CFP marks tend to have better brand recognition, and that consumers were just as likely to associate the CFP marks and CPA designation with professionals who offered financial advice, with an increasing inclination toward using a CFP professional for financial planning.

Further, the benefits of how the CFP marks are perceived as a valuable brand appear to have a meaningful impact not only on how advisors spend their time, but also on their revenue growth as well. According to the 2022 Kitces Research study, “How Financial Planners Actually Market Their Services”, advisors without the CFP marks typically spend more of their time on marketing activities relative to CFP practitioners (allowing them to spend more time on higher-value tasks). Similarly, CFP practitioners were found to have a lower practice-wide Client Acquisition Cost (CAC) and greater revenue growth in 2021!

Accordingly, promoting the brand of the CFP marks to the public can be a good way for advisors to boost their own personal brands in the minds of consumers, and at the same time serve to promote recognition of CFP certification more broadly as a sign of high-quality financial advice (and supporting CFP Board’s own publicity efforts). Some strategies to do so can include simply talking about their own experiences as CFP professionals more intentionally (e.g., in meetings with both prospects and centers of influence, such as accountants and lawyers, who might provide referrals), and promoting the marks in their social media posts and other marketing strategies (e.g., SEO tactics, drip marketing campaigns, and online advertisements).

Ultimately, the key point is that CFP certification not only provides advisors with the technical knowledge they need to provide high-quality service to their clients, but also is a valuable signal that can influence a consumer’s decision on who to look to for financial advice. And by promoting the marks to the public, advisors can further build brand recognition and equity for the marks, elevating all CFP professionals in the process!

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When a prospect is looking for a financial advisor, understanding how much they will need to pay can often be a tricky proposition. In part, this is due to the many commission-based advisors whose compensation depends on the sale of insurance or investment products, where the price that a client pays is baked into the price of the product or is included in (often opaque) fees associated with buying, selling, and/or holding the investment. But even as fee-only financial planning has gained in popularity and advisory firm websites have become ubiquitous, it can still sometimes be hard for prospective clients to determine how much they would pay for advice before actually reaching out to the firm. But by listing fees on the firms' websites in a transparent manner (no matter their fee model) and linking their fees to the value they offer, advisors can provide prospects with a better idea of whether the firm is a good fit, potentially leading to a higher conversion rate of prospects into clients.

Financial advisory firms have a wide range of options when it comes to displaying their fees on their website. For instance, firms charging on an Assets Under Management (AUM) basis can provide a chart (or even a calculator!) that connects a prospect’s assets with the percentage fee they would pay as a client. A firm with a retainer fee model might show what a prospect’s expected fee would be based on their individual circumstances and the criteria the firm uses to determine its fee (e.g., the complexity of the prospect’s financial situation). And firms that charge on an hourly basis can provide their hourly fee(s) and the estimated number of hours it will take to work with a client based on their particular circumstances.

Given that comprehensive financial planning is not a commodity service where consumers might make a choice on price alone, advisors also have the opportunity to use their website to demonstrate the unique value they provide to clients. And by showing prospects in advance of the initial discovery call how their specific financial planning needs will be met, advisors enable them to come to the call with a better understanding of the firm and what it offers, allowing them to prepare more specific and relevant questions about the planning process. This can be accomplished in a variety of graphical means, from a table comparing the firm’s service offerings with those of other types of advisors to a client service calendar that shows prospects the work the firm will be doing on their behalf once they become clients.

Ultimately, the key point is that because an advisor’s website often serves as the first touchpoint for prospective clients, it is an important tool to help explain the types of clients with whom the firm works and the value the firm provides. And by using the website to clearly communicate the information needed to help visitors understand the value the advisor provides as well as the fees charged, advisors can attract prospects who would be ideal clients for their firm!

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