5 Eye-Opening Stats Every Financial Advisor Needs to Know About Marketing in 2024

If you’re a financial advisor, you’re an entrepreneur. And being an entrepreneur? It’s hard.

You’re running client meetings all day, managing investments, handling compliance, and still trying to squeeze in time to actually grow your business. Meanwhile, you’re seeing other advisors everywhere—on LinkedIn, in newsletters, on podcasts—making you wonder:

How do they have the time?

The truth? Most don’t.

What you’re seeing is just a small percentage of advisors who’ve figured out how to work smarter, not harder, when it comes to marketing. And the good news? You don’t need a full marketing team or a massive budget to make it work for you too.

The latest Broadridge Financial Advisor Marketing Trends Report confirms what we already knew—most advisors struggle with marketing. 

But it also highlights a huge opportunity: The ones who put in even a little effort see massive success.

Here are five key stats you need to know—plus practical steps to make marketing work for you.

1. Marketing Works—And Even a Basic Strategy Pays Off

Advisors with a marketing strategy aren’t just a little better off; they’re light-years ahead:

✅ 168% more leads per month
✅ 50% more new clients onboarded per year
✅ 42% more likely to convert social media leads into actual clients
✅ 34% more confident in their business growth

But here’s the kicker: Less than 30% of advisors actually have a defined strategy.

Create a strategy today, and you’ll be better off than most.

No marketing budget? No problem.

This is the simple, free process that the best advisors use to attract and engage clients:

1️⃣ Post consistently on social media with value-packed posts (2-3x per week). 

Social media is the digital version of bumping into someone at a networking event. The more you show up, the more you stay top-of-mind when they need an advisor.

2️⃣ Send a recurring newsletter. 

Social media posts get attention, but not everyone is ready to book a call right away. A newsletter gives them an easy, low-commitment way to stay connected until they are.

⚠️ Most advisors slap a "Schedule an Appointment" button on their website or LinkedIn and call it a day. But let’s be real—no one schedules an appointment after one post. You need a way to nurture leads, and that’s exactly what a newsletter + regular content does.

2. Most People Are Doing It Alone

✅ 80% of advisors handle their own marketing.
✅ Less than 30% have any real marketing strategy.

That means the bar to stand out is incredibly low.

With the right approach, you can build a strong presence with minimal effort.

Dig deeper: The Secret to Getting More Engagement on Your Posts

3. No One Has Time—But You Can Work Smarter

✅ 85% of advisors say finding time for marketing is their biggest challenge.
✅ Two-thirds spend less than 2 hours a week on marketing.

I get it. Marketing feels like another full-time job.

But the key isn’t spending more time—it’s using time better.

Here’s how to make marketing way less painful:

🔹 Automate social posting & newsletters. Tools like Buffer or LinkedIn’s built-in scheduler let you queue up content in advance.
🔹 Reuse your best-performing posts. If something worked once, tweak it slightly and post it again.
🔹 Turn client questions into content. Every time a client asks something, write it down—that’s your next post.

You don’t need to spend 10 hours a week on marketing. One or two well-planned hours can get you further than you think.

Dig deeper: 5 Tips to Cut Your Content Creation Time in Half Without Sacrificing Quality

4. Clients Need More Attention

✅ Nearly half of advisors’ marketing budgets now go to retention, not just acquisition.
✅ 53% of investors want more financial education from their advisors.
✅ 74% of advisors aren’t communicating with clients often enough.

It’s easier than ever for clients to leave their advisor and switch to someone else. Regular communication keeps them engaged.

⚠️ Clients would most like to hear from their advisors weekly, but only 26% of advisors are meeting those expectations.

You need a simple, recurring communication like a weekly newsletter.

The best advisors aren’t just managing portfolios—they’re educating clients and building trust. A simple weekly newsletter covering economic updates, financial tips, or FAQs keeps clients engaged and thinking about you.

Make sure you’re top-of-mind. The most successful advisors don’t just reach out when the market drops—they’re consistently delivering value.

A weekly email might not seem like much, but it builds trust over time—so when a client or prospect needs financial advice, they come to you first.

Dig Deeper: How to Write a Financial Newsletter That People Always Open and Read

5. Websites Aren’t the Best ROI (Time or Money)

✅ 98% of advisors plan to spend more on their websites this year.
Even though:
✅ 62% say their website is ineffective at generating leads
✅ 38% say their website generates absolutely no leads at all.

Here’s the hard truth: You can’t rely on keyword-filled blogs to attract search traffic any more.

Two-thirds of Google searches never leave Google. AI-generated answers are replacing search traffic. Organic website clicks are declining fast.

You need to meet them where they are and nurture a mailing list.

🔹 Post more on social and convert them to your newsletter.
🔹 Focus on engagement over site traffic. The goal isn’t to drive people to your website—it’s to keep them connected to you.
🔹 Use your website as a credibility tool, not your main lead generator.

Get out there and meet people online.

Dig Deeper: If SEO is dead, how do you attract clients online?

Content is an Opportunity, Not an Obstacle

I doubt many of these stats surprised you because the trends are pretty encompassing.

You already know what you should be doing, that you need to find the time, but still…

Who has the time???

Maybe this weekend, I’ll catch up on everything.

This will be the weekend, I’m sure.

The good news? The bar is still so low in finance that even small, consistent marketing efforts can set you apart.

🔹 A couple of social posts a week.
🔹 A simple, valuable newsletter.
🔹 A content strategy that doesn’t burn you out.

That’s all it takes to start seeing real growth.

Dig Deeper: Shifting Tides: The Trend That Will Separate Advisors From the Crowd in 2025

If you’re ready to make content marketing faster, easier, and more effective, but you need a little help—that’s exactly what we built Share Scoops for.

Want to see how it works? Book a demo, and let’s get your content working for you.