It’s autumn, which means I’m rewatching Gilmore Girls again.
It started in 2020. Months into lockdown, my sister recommended an American long-form romantic comedy show, Gilmore Girls, as “easy watching” and I blew through all seven seasons in a matter of weeks. She was right – it was easy watching – but it also invoked a sense of childhood nostalgia, made me laugh, made me cry, and made me want to visit the fictional town, Stars Hollow, in which the main characters live.
Fast forward to 2024, and I still watch all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls from start to finish every single autumn. There are plenty of new shows on Netflix, more than I could ever get through, but each year I’m drawn back to the comforting world of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, absorbing the twists and turns of their story as if it’s the first time.
The point is: sometimes reliable predictability wins over new tricks and fast thrills. In the uncertainty of today’s world, having something to rely on – be it your favourite TV show, a friend, or a service you return to time and time again – might be at the top of your clients’ lists as well as mine.
If you’re a financial planner trying to retain your loyal clientele amid a slew of similar, even cheaper alternatives pulling them away, I’m going to tell you why reliability should be at the centre of your marketing strategy.
Build it, and they will come
Any good film or television show that viewers come back to again and again has one thing in common: a unique, all-encompassing world.
Think of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and yes, Gilmore Girls too: their worlds are lawful, with carefully thought out systems and structures that allow viewers to become truly invested in the stories of the characters that inhabit them.
The same goes for your marketing. There is little point in having a fancy logo or an all-singing, all-dancing website if viewers can barely get past the sporadic pop-ups and illegible font choices. Likewise, your blog posts might be fascinating, but if they’re badly spelt or poorly laid out, readers are likely to click away.
What’s more, regularity matters. If you only send email comms when things are going wrong – the upcoming Autumn Budget is a great example of this – it might send the message that clients should only reach out to you if they’re worried or panicking. In actual fact, the message you likely want to send is that you’re here for your clients always, no matter what is going on with the world. Setting a monthly or quarterly schedule for newsletters and mailers might be a better idea.
So, the first step to building a reliable brand through marketing is to build a solid foundation. Be that having an easily navigable site, regular e-newsletters, a consistent social media presence, or all of the above, your clients need to know you’ve got the basics covered or they’re likely to move on.
The devil’s in the details
One of the aspects of Gilmore Girls that keeps me coming back each year is that, while on the surface it’s a classic American romantic comedy show, the story is incredibly subtle, detailed, and complex. Each plot line is woven carefully into the next, meaning the programme eschews the typical sit-com format, instead taking viewers to a totally unexpected place in each episode.
Visually, the show has huge amounts of detail too: the posters and furniture in a character’s house sometimes tell you more about them than what the character says, and the town of Stars Hollow feels real and lived-in, rather than looking like a sterile Hollywood TV set.
When it comes to your marketing, once you’ve built the strong foundation to uphold your campaign, it’s now time to focus on the details.
For example, here at Yardstick we have a strict Style Guide for all website and article copy, curated in-house and used by all our writers.
It might seem silly to stipulate that, say, numbers under 10 must be written out as words, and numbers over 10 can be numerals. (For example, “five apples” or “10 apples”). But apply this kind of consistency everywhere, and you’ll soon be producing easy-to-read, reliably succinct copy that your clients come to recognise and rely on.
This is just one instance in which an attention to detail is likely to make your brand feel more reliable. Simply put, clients know they’re in a safe, capable pair of hands.
Make your business the epitome of reliability with Yardstick
We understand that your marketing visions might not have come to fruition – and this may simply be because you’re too busy serving your clients to bring your campaign to life.
If that’s the case, we’re here to make your business the epitome of reliability. Much like I return to Gilmore Girls for a comforting annual rewatch, with a consistent and polished marketing campaign, your clients will likely come back to you again and again.
Interested? Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.