Becoming a black belt requires years of hard work and determination. Over that time, you learn new techniques and progress through a series of belts. Each belt represents the development that’s been made.

As one of Yardstick’s client success executives, I can talk you through our belts (the services we offer) and what goes into them, to help you achieve your black belt in marketing.

White belt – Website

Your website is your starting point. It’s where your potential clients first meet you and your business, which means it’s your time to shine.

An effective website is crucial in your marketing strategy and is the key to increasing the number of referrals you receive from existing clients.

Whatever size your business is, we’re here to help you stand out from the crowd. From start to finish, our brilliant team will handle everything.

Yellow belt – Newsletters and blogs

You may only need to speak to your clients a few times a year. However, providing them with unique newsletters and blogs really adds value to the service you provide.

We appreciate that, as a financial planner or adviser, you may not have the time to write monthly or even quarterly communications.

Our content team can provide newsletters, blogs and guides for your clients, prospects, and professional connections. You stay in touch regularly while having more time to do what you do best.

Red belt – Review platforms and social media

VouchedFor is a website similar to TripAdvisor but for financial advisers and planners. It can be a fantastic source of new business.

Additionally, having a Google My Business page is a crucial part of owning the first page of search results. Many don’t have a listing or don’t fully understand how to get the most out of it.

We find these two platforms go hand in hand. We can help you set the pages up, add all relevant information, and then show you how to request reviews (if you’d like to know more about requesting reviews, keep reading).

Orange belt – Client survey

Client surveys are a great way to find out how you’re doing, from your clients’ perspective. It’s a chance to learn what you’re doing well, what you could improve, and what it really is that clients value.

We can create a unique survey that helps you understand more about your business, how to maintain client happiness, and more.

After the survey, we’ll go through the results with you with a fine toothcomb and help make any appropriate changes to your business.

Green belt – Requesting reviews and social proof

Going back to your review platforms, the more reviews your company has, the more you stand out against your competitors. This helps you to dominate the first page of search results.

Most people read through reviews before clicking on a site or purchasing a product. At the end of the day, people trust people. The more reviews you have as a business means the more likely someone will click on your site.

We can help you gain more reviews; all you need to do is ask a favour from a client.

Blue belt – Client videos

Client videos are the gold standard of social proof.

You know financial planning changes lives. Your existing clients know that too, but prospective clients don’t.

We can arrange high-quality remote client interviews. We ask your clients a handful of questions, broadly around why they needed financial advice, what advice they’ve been given (no specific details) and how it’s helped them or improved their financial situation.

Then we edit the videos down, picking out the best bits. Once that’s done, we can look at uploading them onto your site for prospects to see and relate to.

Purple belt – Marketing meetings and coaching calls

Do you have Google Analytics running but aren’t too sure what all the graphs mean? Or do you want to know more about how your website is doing? We organise monthly meetings to run through what you need to know.

Not only that, but we can help you set targets and develop a bespoke marketing plan. We’ll identify any problems and challenges, explore any goals you may have, and help you reach them and improve your level of service.

Brown belt – Charity referral incentive

There’s nothing better than a word-of-mouth recommendation, so why not mix that with helping a local charity? It results in a low cost of acquisition and high conversion.

Supporting a local charity, or a cause that’s important to you, helps generate a larger impact compared to working with nationwide charities.

We can help you set up a charity referral incentive in several steps. Click here to read my blog about the role charities can play in your business.

Black belt – Quarterly referral communication

Touching base with your clients is important. They invest not only money, but trust in you as a business. So, it’s only right to keep them updated with what’s been going on recently.

We can look after this process for you, to update them about:

• Recent ongoings in the business, for example, large charity events or donations.
• A shout out to clients who’ve recommended you.
• A couple of stories about how you’ve helped clients.
• Who you should be recommended to.
• Why you should be recommended (this relates back to having reviews and solid social proof).
• How clients can recommend someone to you.

These communications add value to your services and allow clients to feel more involved.

Get in touch

In martial arts, you need to earn all belts to become a black belt, in a particular order. When it comes to marketing, it’s great to have as many of the above as possible, but only what’s necessary for you and your business.

If you’d like help becoming a black belt in marketing, get in touch with us at hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300 to see what we can do for you.