2013 is coming to a close! Here at Advisor Websites, we'd thought we'd take a look back at the amazing year it has been, starting with a topic close to my heart, the blog! Many times this year we've wrote about the benefits of blogging, ideas to write about, and tips to running a successful financial blog. Researching this article was difficult because many of you have embraced the financial blog. So like a proud mama, I give you my five of my favorite financial blogs of 2013!
1. Johanson Financial Advisors
Johanson Financial Advisors regularly blog on topics ranging from asset allocation to student loans. What I love about their blog is the ability to write in an interesting way. Particularly with their most recent post the author used a pop culture reference to provide great advice for advisors and clients alike. Another great feature is the inclusion of an image in every post and a great title. We know humans are more engaged with visual content, and having an interesting title drives the audience to want to click on the link to read more information!
This blog is great for improving client experience. Many of the articles provide great information on investment, advisors, and what clients should know about the industry! I also particularly love the inclusion of short videos on their blog. By answering frequently asked questions, financial blogs are a great way of establishing yourself as a knowledgeable source of information in the financial industry.
3. Lighthouse Financial Planning
The content in this blog is great. From storing your healthcare directives in the refrigerator to the financial markets in review, this blog covers it all! I don't know where the author finds their inspiration for their blog topics, but they are fabulous and truly make you think! It also goes to show with some work and some time financial blogging can be inspired by a variety of topics. I mean really who would think of writing about healthcare directives in the fridge? A good read for sure!
It seems catchy content is the theme of this years roundup! Brown Wealth Management wrote articles on exceptional investment performance by comparing it to not eating spinach, to focusing on their niche clients the retirement community. By targeting this audience, Brown's financial blog is producing content that a greater number of more specific readers will read, providing a greater engagement, and a lower bounce rate.
Bond and Devick have taken the traditional idea of financial blogging, and ran with it. Not only do they have an active blog in the conventional sense, but they have economic news, market news, articles and market commentary. Having the variety of sources for news and updates is a great idea if you don't have time to constantly blog. Great links to recent news events or even a twitter feed with financial handles on your site can keep clients and prospective clients interested and wanting to come back to your site to receive relevant updates!
