Digital Marketing for Financial Advisors: How to Generate Leads Online in 2026

Referrals remain financial advisors’ leading source of new clients. However, online search doesn’t trail far behind. Half of surveyed clients start their search for a financial advisor online, while a whopping 96% research potential advisors online after receiving a recommendation.

With these statistics in mind, it’s clear that advisors who invest in digital marketing have a distinct advantage when it comes to attracting and converting new clients. Even so, many are slow to embrace the right strategies.

In this article, we outline seven proven tactics to generate more leads online, provided by our Chief Marketing Officer, Laura DeGraff, who has played a pivotal role in transforming Alden Investment Group’s marketing approach.

#1 Use Your Online Presence as a Sales Tool

Financial advisors who excel in face-to-face interactions often underestimate the power of a strong digital presence. However, based on the data above, clients frequently use your website and social media profiles to:

• Inform their first impression of your practice.
• Influence whether they contact you based on a referral or continue searching for another advisor.

Recognizing this reality is essential if you want to generate more leads in 2026. Just take it from DeGraff, whose first initiatives after joining Alden Investment Group were to boost the firm’s social media engagement, optimize its web design, and update its branding. To her surprise, her biggest challenge wasn’t technical—it was cultural.

“Even advisors who are ten years younger than I am are often hesitant to embrace social media as a marketing tool,” DeGraff explained. “Social media marketing is new territory, and we’ve had to work to help our advisors become more comfortable with sharing on LinkedIn and putting themselves out there.”

How to Overcome Digital Marketing Resistance

If building a strong online presence sounds overwhelming, intimidating, or unnecessary, a simple mindset shift is in order. Rather than treating digital marketing as an optional afterthought, start to see it as one of your most powerful conversion tools.

“After you meet with a client for the first time, the first thing they’ll do when you’re gone is Google you,” stated DeGraff. Thus, you want to ensure that what they find online reinforces your credibility instead of sending them to your competition. You can do that by:

• Creating a professional website – Your website should clearly communicate what types of clients you serve, your approach to financial management, and how prospects can get in touch or book a consultation with you. It should also load quickly, look professional, and present a cohesive brand identity.
• Cultivating an active social media presence – Posting on LinkedIn and other social media platforms helps keep you top of mind with prospects, gives you a dedicated space to showcase your expertise, and reminds existing clients of the value you provide.
• Getting your name featured on other sites and news articles – When reputable industry websites and local publications mention you online, it creates powerful social proof, signaling your credibility to prospective clients. You can secure these mentions by contributing expert commentary, publishing thought leadership articles, and collaborating with other industry professionals.

Learn More: Your Financial Advisor Marketing Plan: 10 Steps to Success

#2 Create “Snackable Content”

Establishing a polished digital presence is essential, but the work doesn’t stop there. “Just getting people to follow you online is a big step,” DeGraff says. “Once you have that, you need to give them a reason to continue engaging with you.”

DeGraff’s top engagement tactic for 2026? Focus on “snackable content,” which she defines as short, concise, shareable posts that your audience will eagerly pass along to their friends and co-workers. As your followers absorb and interact with this content, it can quickly expand your digital reach.

Snackable Content Ideas

Alden Investment Group’s preferred form of “snackable content” is educational digital publications. “We consistently send out digital publications and educational newsletters that give readers updates on the stocks they follow,” DeGraff shared. “We’ve also started sharing press releases when new members join the team or when other exciting news occurs.”

Along with these content ideas, you can also experiment with:

• Bite-sized market insights that offer quick updates on market trends or economic news.
• Infographics that help followers visualize complicated financial topics.
• Graphs or charts that clearly illustrate stock performance or market trends.
• Short-form videos that summarize market trends in under a minute.
• Carousel posts that break complex financial topics into digestible takeaways,
• Educational articles that answer client FAQs or explain key financial strategies.
• Company highlights that humanize your practice, such as new hire announcements or exciting team achievements.

No matter which ideas you choose, posting regularly can remind clients about your services and make it easier for prospects to reach out when they’re ready to act.

Learn More: Short-Form Content Marketing for Financial Advisors

#3 Leverage LinkedIn Marketing for Financial Advisors

According to Putnam’s 2023 Advisor Social Media Survey, 94% of advisors use popular social platforms to promote their practices. The majority of surveyed advisors report that LinkedIn is their preferred platform. Just take a look at these statistics:

• 91% of advisors used LinkedIn in 2022, a steady increase from 80% in 2018.
• 38% of advisors used Facebook in 2022, a notable drop from 59% in 2018.
• 23% of advisors promoted themselves on X in 2022, a sharp decline from 59% in 2018.
• 21% of advisors posted on YouTube in 2022, down from 49% in 2018.

Advisors gravitate toward LinkedIn for a variety of reasons. Many claim that this platform provides access to higher-quality leads, while others say it’s simply more convenient. However, in recent years, compliance has become LinkedIn’s leading advantage over other social networks—nearly half of advisors say LinkedIn is the only social network their firm allows them to post on professionally.

Learn More: Why Financial Advisors Are Leaving Their Wirehouses to be RIAs

How to Leverage LinkedIn Marketing for Financial Advisors in 2026

While most advisors are active on LinkedIn, many fail to use this platform to its full potential. Here are some of DeGraff’s top tips for finding success on this social network:

• Put your best foot forward – Your LinkedIn profile should feature a professional headshot and a clear, relevant header image. You should also use your headline to succinctly communicate your role, expertise, and unique value proposition.
• Tell your story – Too often, advisors’ professional profiles read like digital résumés. While showcasing your work experience is important, you want to go one step further and share your professional story. LinkedIn’s “About” section is an excellent space to explain your motivations for joining the financial services industry.
• Engage strategically – Posting consistently is important, but don’t let LinkedIn become a one-way conversation. You can boost your visibility and bolster rapport by commenting on industry peers’ posts, congratulating connections on professional wins, and interacting with prospective clients.

These three steps will position you as a reputable resource for prospective clients seeking financial advice. Every time they see you sharing valuable insights and engaging with industry conversations, you become less of a stranger and more of a trusted voice in their financial lives.

#4 Establish Trust with Brand Consistency

As you engage with clients in person and online, you should strive to be consistent across all channels. This consistency strengthens familiarity, and that familiarity builds trust with leads over time.

When DeGraff first joined Alden Investment Group, she discovered that the company’s two divisions (Alden Securities and Alden Capital Management) operated under entirely separate identities. “They were essentially two entirely different brands,” she explained. “We needed to come up with a new name that summed up everything we offered.”

The result was Alden Investment Group, a unified brand with a consistent message and visual identity across all channels. “We try to be consistent with everything we do,” DeGraff said. “The naming convention, the colors that we use, the simplicity, and the flexibility that we give our advisors—that runs throughout the brand at Alden.”

To follow DeGraff’s suit, start by ensuring everything—from your social media banners to your business cards—showcases cohesive visuals. After that, align your voice, tone, and messaging across all touch points. Whether a client visits your website, reads an email newsletter, follows you on LinkedIn, or books a consultation, they should experience the same professionalism, credibility, and care.

Learn More: Financial Advisor Branding: From Logo to LinkedIn in a Digital-First World

#5 Draw Inspiration from Unexpected Sources

Many marketing principles are universal, but standing out in a competitive advisory landscape requires you to embrace your own unique creativity. DeGraff did that by looking beyond the finance industry for inspiration.

“We draw inspiration from a lot of different sources, not just financial companies,” she explained. “We look at established financial institutions, like Charles Schwab, but we also add creative touches that don’t exist anywhere else in the financial world. We want to look distinctive—not just like another stuffy financial services company.”

One of DeGraff’s favorite examples is Alden Investment Group’s “Our People” web page, which features illustrated portraits of all of its team members. “The caricature imagery isn’t financially related, but we liked that it looks young and modern,” she said. After all, blending professionalism and approachability is what differentiates Alden Investment Group from other firms.

By following DeGraff’s lead and seeking inspiration from unexpected sources, you can build a professional brand in 2026 that feels both authentic and memorable.

#6 Embrace AI Solutions

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping how advisors attract, communicate with, and retain clients. Many tasks that used to take hours of manual effort can now be executed in minutes with the right AI tools.

Here are just a few ways advisors are leveraging AI in 2026:

• AI-powered chatbots – Chatbots can answer routine client questions on your website, providing instant support while freeing up your time for higher-value interactions.
• Automated email segmentation – AI can analyze clients’ online behaviors and preferences to segment your email lists, ensuring each client receives timely, targeted messages.
• Predictive analytics – By evaluating client engagement patterns, portfolio activity, and demographic data, AI platforms can pinpoint which prospects are most likely to convert, helping you prioritize your outreach efficiently.
• Smart content creation – AI-powered writing assistants can draft social posts, emails, and video scripts that match your brand voice. Meanwhile, AI design tools like Canva’s Magic Studio can produce custom graphics in a few clicks.

While embracing AI can supercharge your efficiency, DeGraff stresses that these tools should enhance—not replace—human connection. After all, your clients still want to feel seen, heard, and understood by a real person. AI can help you scale your efforts, but it shouldn’t replace the personal touch that builds lasting trust.

Read More: Leveraging AI in Financial Services

#7 Use the Right Tech Tools

Implementing the six strategies above is much easier when you have the right tools at your disposal, and AI solutions are just one type you can choose from. Here are five more essential tools that can help you optimize your marketing efforts and enhance client engagement in 2026:

1. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems – Platforms like Salesforce, Redtail, and Wealthbox can centralize your client data, track your interactions, and automate reminders so you never let an opportunity slip through the cracks.
2. Email marketing software – From Constant Contact to Mailchimp, email marketing software can simplify your client outreach and supercharge its personalization.
3. Scheduling and video conferencing tools – Tools like Calendly and Microsoft Teams make it easy to book, confirm, and conduct meetings seamlessly and reduce tedious back-and-forth communication.
4. Content creation platforms – Canva and Lumen5 help you craft polished, professional images and videos without the need for graphic design or editing expertise.
5. Turnkey asset management platforms (TAMPs) – Alden COVE and similar solutions can automate your portfolio management, billing, and client reporting so you can allocate more time to your client relationships.

Read More: 10 Must-Have Financial Advisor Tools in 2025

Generate More Leads Online With Alden Investment Group

In 2026, digital marketing isn’t just about boosting your online visibility. It’s also about establishing credibility, meaningful connections, and sustained growth. When done right, your online presence can generate a steady stream of qualified leads and cultivate lasting client relationships.

At Alden Investment Group, we understand that many advisors struggle to find the time to focus on digital marketing. That’s why we offer comprehensive marketing support to advisors who join our Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm, including:

• Strategic campaigns tailored to seasonal and niche-specific leads.
• Brand development that clearly communicates who you are and who you serve.
• Compliant advertising across Google, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
• Content creation that reflects your authentic brand voice.
• Lead magnets and automated lead nurturing campaigns.
• Website upgrades to improve user experience and increase conversion rates.

Ready to transform your digital presence into a powerful growth engine? Learn more about Alden Investment Group’s RIA partnership and marketing support today!

Sources:

ThinkAdvisor. Prospects Want More Than Referrals When Picking an Advisor: Survey.
https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2025/08/14/how-affluent-prospets-search-for-and-hire-advisors-study/