Less Hustle, More Focus: 5 Marketing Plays for Busy RIAs

With over 15,000 firms in the U.S., most sound the same—client-first, fiduciary, independent. To prospects, it’s a blur. Without a clear niche or strong reputation, standing out is nearly impossible.

Deep client relationships are key to success—but scaling those relationships without losing the personal touch is no small feat. Excellent service often leaves little time for consistent marketing—yet sporadic efforts rarely build momentum.

That’s the core challenge: how do you grow efficiently in a crowded, high-trust, highly regulated industry? Fortunately, the answer isn’t more activity—it’s smarter strategy paired with focused, consistent execution.

A Two-Sided Growth Dilemma

RIAs aren’t just juggling day-to-day demands—they’re facing two structural challenges that make scalable growth harder than ever: increasingly limited time and an increasingly crowded market. Both sides of the equation need to be addressed to build sustainable momentum.

Challenge #1: Time is Tighter Than Ever

It’s no secret RIAs are under pressure to do more with less. The average advisor reported spending 26+ hours per week on existing client work and 18+ on admin or planning—before touching business development (Kitces, 2019).

Meanwhile, client expectations keep rising. Investors want more value—tax strategies, estate planning, tech-enabled reporting—without higher fees to support a growing team. Add increasingly complex regulations and underinvestment in automation, and many advisors are buried in manual work, compliance, and one-off business development efforts.

The result? A widening gap between ambition and capacity.

Challenge #2: Differentiation is Harder Than Ever

Most firms market the same message: holistic planning, fiduciary duty, long-term relationships. According to a recent survey, 63% of prospective clients can’t clearly distinguish one advisory firm from another (BNY Mellon Pershing, 2018).

Because referrals remain the top source of growth, few firms invest in building a brand that reaches beyond their existing network. Add to that a fear of narrowing the market through targeting—and the compliance complexities that make niching feel risky—and many default to broad, generic messaging that blends into the background. Clear positioning isn’t a luxury—it’s a prerequisite for scalable growth.

Smarter Strategy, More Focused Execution

So what’s the alternative? Instead of doing more, time-strapped RIAs need to do less—better. That means making a few smart strategic decisions and sticking to them with consistency.

Here are five ways to maximize your marketing impact, even with limited time:

1. Pick a Lane (Then Own It)

Generalists are everywhere. Specialists stand out. In 2023, specialized firms saw 50% faster revenue growth in their first year than those who didn’t have a niche (XY Planning Network, 2023). A clear niche—by profession, life stage, or investment philosophy—sharpens your message and streamlines your efforts.

If your message sounds like everyone else’s, even great tactics fall flat. Strong positioning makes every channel—from your website to outreach—work harder for you.

What to do:

• Identify the unique pain points you solve and the niche you serve best.

• Make your value clear in one sentence

2. Automate the Low-Stakes Touchpoints

You don’t need to post daily or publish whitepapers to stay visible. Low-stakes touchpoints—like a monthly blog or a weekly LinkedIn post—can keep you top of mind without consuming your week. The key is automation: systematize your marketing so it runs in the background while you focus on clients.

What to do:

• Choose one or two content formats you can sustain publishing on a regular basis.

• Use templates and automation tools to streamline creation and scheduling.

3. Repurpose, Don’t Reinvent

Most visitors won’t commit on their first visit. That’s why a structured follow-up strategy matters. Advisors with a formal lead nurture process are twice as likely to be high-growth firms, while 20% of slower-growing firms have no process at all (Janus Henderson Investors & the Financial Planning Association, 2023).

Extend the value of your insights by repurposing them: turn a webinar into a blog, a blog into a LinkedIn post, and a client Q&A into an email. This builds trust over time—without reinventing the wheel every week.

What to do:

• Repurpose core insights across multiple channels.

• Follow up with a short, automated email series that delivers value—not just sales pitches.

• Stay in touch with monthly updates or insights that build trust over time.

4. Prioritize Marketing That Gives You Data

Time is too scarce to waste on guesswork. Focus on channels that deliver clear data—so you can double down on what works and cut what doesn’t. An integrated analytics approach can free up 15–20% of marketing spend (McKinsey, 2014). And RIAs that track their marketing achieved a median lead conversion rate of 50% in 2023 (Schwab Benchmarking Study, 2024), underscoring the value of monitoring and refining your outreach.

With tools like LinkedIn, email, and your website, it’s easier than ever to see what’s driving engagement—and what’s not.

What to do:

• Focus on digital-first channels where performance is measurable.

• Set up a simple dashboard using tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or Mailchimp.

• Track just three key metrics—like lead conversions, email opens, and site traffic.

5. Delegate Without Losing Your Voice

You don’t have to do everything yourself—but your brand still needs to feel authentic and consistent. The answer may be outsourcing. Of RIAs outsourcing 2–3 key functions—including marketing—81% grew clients and 95% grew AUM (Fidelity, 2019).

What to do:

• Document your tone, values, and client personas in a short brand guide.

• Identify partners who understand the financial space.

• Review for alignment—not perfection. Done well is better than never launched.

Final Thought: You don’t need more hustle—you need more focus.

Most RIAs aren’t short on effort—they’re short on focus. Growth doesn’t come from more blog posts or more networking. It comes from clarity, consistency, and connection.

In a high-trust business like wealth management, the firms that win aren’t the loudest—they’re the most intentional.

Ready to grow without burning out? Schedule a call and let’s build a focused, sustainable strategy that fits your time—and delivers real results.

Sources:

• Michael Kitces. (2019). How do financial advisors actually spend their time and the limitations of productivity?

• BNY Mellon Pershing. (2018). Advisor value propositions: How advisors showcase their value—and what investors secretly think.

• XY Planning Network. (2023). 5 top growth takeaways from XYPN's 2023 annual benchmarking study.

• Janus Henderson Investors and the Financial Planning Association. (2023). Six keys to growth for today’s advisor.

• McKinsey. (2014). Using marketing analytics to drive superior growth.

• Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (2024). An intentional approach to growth: Results from the 2024 RIA benchmarking study from Charles Schwab.

• Fidelity. (2019). The 2018 Fidelity Financial Advisor Community: Outsourcing Trends Study.