HD VEST

MARKETING BRANDING &

G U I D E

INTRODUCTION Branding is your company’s identity. Marketing promotes your brand identity in an effort to acquire clientele. This guide will show you a step–by–step procedure of establishing a marketing strategy. We will take you through the following process:

1 3 5

Establishing a Brand Identity

Determining Your Target Market

Selecting Marketing Channels

Creating a Marketing Budget

Using HD Vest Marketing Resources

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

2 4

1

ESTABLISHING A BRAND IDENTITY When building the brand of your business, you may not know where to start. The brand of your business should reflect you and your personality. If you believe in your brand, it becomes easier to sell. All of the brands we know and love are founded on these 5 elements:

5 ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE BRAND When building the brand of your business you may not know where to start. The brand of your business should reflect you and your personality. If you believe in your brand it becomes easier to sell. All of the brands we know and love are founded on these 5 elements:

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

Name

Logo

Color Palette

Font

Image Style

Choose the main typeface you will use for your practice and 1-2 accent typefaces for visual interest.

Select an image style that is consistent throughout all messaging and branding that represents your personality and your location.

x

Represent your business with a name that fits the style and personality of your practice.

YOUR LOGO Y O U R C O M PA N Y

Create one logo to use on Establish your main 2-3 colors every digital and print and use only these colors representation of your business. when representing your You should have a color practice. These should be the version of your logo and an same colors used in your logo. all-white version of your logo to use on darker surfaces.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY HD Vest Financial Services® is the holding company for the group of companies providing financial services under the HD Vest name. Securities offered through HD Vest Investment ServicesSM, Member SIPC, Advisory services offered through HD Vest Advisory ServicesSM 6333 N. State Highway 161, Fourth Floor, Irving, TX 75038 972-870-6000

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

BRAND IDENTITY CHECKLIST This checklist can help you visualize the 5 elements of your brand: Name, Logo, Color Palette, Font, and Image Style.

VISION STATEMENT What are your most important products and services? What products and services will you never offer? What is unique about doing business with your brand? How would your customers describe your brand? Where do you want your company to be in five years?

MISSION STATEMENT What are the specific market needs your company exists to address? What does your company do to address these needs? What are the guiding principles that define your company’s approach? Why do customers buy from you and not your competition?

ESSENCE When your customers experience your product or service, what emotions does the encounter elicit? If your brand was a person, how would you describe the personality?

PERSONALITY Are you lighthearted and fun? Are you serious and all-business? Are you down-to-earth? Are you playful?

POSITION/VALUE PROPOSITION To whom are you speaking? (Target Market Demographics, Persona) Which market segment does your product or service serve? What is your brand promise? (both Rational and Emotional) Why is your product or service different from the competition, and why should your customers care? hubspot 2015

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

BRAND ELEMENTS Whether you are working with an outside company to establish your brand elements or you are taking a DIY (do-it-yourself) approach, we have included a brief summary of each element below.

NAME TIP: It should be clear and concise, and it should encompass all of the services you offer. For instance, if you have the word “tax” in the name of your business, consumers may not know you have services beyond taxes. The name of your practice can be the most

IMA Advisor Financial

difficult to establish. Whether you are using your own name or the location of your practice to provide inspiration, you need to commit to using this name for the foreseeable future. Don’t forget to research the name you select before finalizing to avoid using a similar name as another nearby business. As an example, we will use our new business, IMA Advisor Financial.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

LOGO TIP: If you are looking for an inexpensive logo design, you can research “design a logo” in any search engine. You will find various levels of logo designers, including websites where you can build one yourself. Make sure you have a full–color version of your logo in addition to an all–white version to use on darker backgrounds. The logo of your practice may seem

ADVISOR FINANCIAL

daunting if you do not know where to start. Using the Brand Identity Checklist, you may have a vague idea of what you are looking for in a logo. A logo should represent the essence of your business and take into account the personality of your business. Make sure your logo fits with the color

ADVISOR FINANCIAL

palette you have selected to represent your brand or choose your color palette based on the logo you created.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

COLOR PALETTE TIP: Think about the color palette of your favorite brands and how you feel about the brand. Color can say a lot about your brand. Advertising agencies study how color affects purchasing decisions in order to evoke the right emotions and establish the right target

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

CREATIVE

DEPENDABLE

STRENGTH

TRUST

GROWTH

PEACEFUL

OPTIMISM

FRIENDLY

EXCITEMENT

market.

FONT TIP: Select 3 fonts that work well together as a title font, sub–title font, and a body font. For example, see below. Communications from your brand should always have the same look and feel. Using the same fonts to represent your business over time can help establish your brand. Conduct research to find out what famous companies use for font.

Title

Bodini MT Bold ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdef ghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890.,“!?

Sub–Title

Bodini MT Italic ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdef ghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890.,“!?

Body

Myriad Pro Light ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 . ,“ ! ? FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

IMAGE STYLE TIP: Use imagery that you can relate to on a personal level. Consider where your practice is based, your personal culture, and hobbies or activities that represent who you are. The use of imagery to convey a message is an extremely popular marketing trend. Your

ADVISOR FINANCIAL

use of imagery should reflect the brand identity of your business. For example, if your brand’s identity consists of natural or earth–toned colors, consider using photography of nature. The second example would be a good use of imagery if your practice was located in San Francisco.

ADVISOR FINANCIAL

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

2

DETERMINING YOUR TARGET MARKET TIP: Your preferred target market might not be the market where your business is most effective. Determining your business’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats by conducting a SWOT analysis might help you determine your target market. Start by answering these simple questions: what is your primary objective? Are you looking for new clientele, or are you looking to further the revenue stream your current clients provide? Your clients and prospects fall into different groups or segments. It’s important to select your target market based on the segments that you feel hold the most promising prospects. Here are some of the segments found in the Financial Services industry: •

• • •

Demographic: ◊ Professional Occupation: Doctors, Business Owners, Executives, Teachers, etc. ◊ Age: Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials ◊ Marital Status: Single, Married, Divorced, Widowed/Widower Behavioral: Graduation, Marriage, Children, Purchasing a House, Divorce, Retirement, Job Change, Loss of Spouse, Empty Nesters Geographic: Neighborhoods, Counties, Cities, States Psychographic: Personality, Values, Opinions, Attitudes, Interests, Lifestyle, etc.

NOTES:

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

3

SELECTING MARKETING CHANNELS TIP: You may have to experiment with different channels in order to find one that works for your desired target audience. The success of a marketing channel depends on several different factors. There is not a one-size-fits-all guide to marketing your business. A Marketing Channel is a medium through which your business communicates a message and reaches prospects. In order to reach your target market, your business needs to choose a marketing channel that reaches each segment of your target market. These are the most common marketing channels in the industry:

NOTES:

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

4

CREATING A MARKETING BUDGET

Your marketing budget should take into consideration your desired target audience. There are seemingly endless ways to market yourself, but most marketing tools come at a price. The old adage about having to spend money to make money is true. The following marketing ideas can help you shape a budget that fits your business’s needs: • • • • •

Build a Website Post on Social Media Create a Logo Develop a Brochure Send an e–Newsletter

• • •

Update your Business Cards Host a Client Seminar Sponsor a Charity/ Community Event

• • •

Use the blank budget below to get started on making a budget:

MARKETING BUDGET

AMOUNT

Branding Logo Design Graphic Design FMG Suite Website Creation Stock Photography Brochure Design Communication Hearsay Social MarketingPro FMG Suite Marketing Direct Mail Print Advertising Digital Advertising Misc Gifts Event Sponsorship Referral Offer

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

Conduct a Direct Mail Campaign Send a Press Release Have a Client Appreciation Event

5

USING HD VEST MARKETING RESOURCES

Consult our HD Vest Marketing Partner Checklist to make sure you are using the HD Vest Marketing Resources to your best advantage:

1

BUILD YOUR BRAND WITH

Establish your basic brand elements: Logo, color palette, typeface, and imagery. Read the Guide to Marketing and Branding. Allow your brand to reflect who you are! Use your brand to make a Client Welcome Kit, find a template on MARKETplace. Visit the Online Catalog and order folders for your Client Welcome Kit and Business Cards.

2

CREATE YOUR COMPANY WEBSITE WITH

Introduce your company in an “About Us” section. Allow prospective customers to contact you through a “Contact Us” section. Put your web address on your business cards, social media websites, and all advertising. Use the built–in compliance review feature to update content easily! Establish a digital presence to improve customer perception.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

3

BECOME A SOCIAL MEDIA SUPERHERO WITH

Visit our Social Media Website hdvest.com/social (password: hdvsocial) and learn how to get started. Complete the required social media training located on HDVLink® > Marketing > Social Media > Launch VestU Create a LinkedIn profile and Register with Hearsay Social Connect your personal LinkedIn, Business Facebook Page, and Business or Personal Twitter Accounts Create a social media strategy. Enhance your digital presence with Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

4

KEEP CONSTANT CONTACT WITH CLIENTS USING

Send your client letters, prewritten financial articles, economic updates, invitations and more. Use the built–in compliance review feature to get new content approved. Use the automated mailing services and a built–in simple CRM system as a one–stop shop. Hire a MarketingPro virtual marketing assistant to help you market your practice.

5

VISIT HD VEST’S AND LOG IN WITH YOUR ADVISOR NUMBER! Find FREE client–approved marketing materials available for ordering in the Online Catalog. Use the Mine, Market and Manage buckets to mine your prospects, market your practice, and manage your relationships. Use the Is Today the Day Engagement Lab to find client–approved materials for your clients. Get familiar with out Strategic Marketing Partners and what they can offer you by clicking the logos on the bottom of the homepage.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

For Internal Use Only HD Vest Financial Services® is the holding company for the group of companies providing financial services under the HD Vest name. Securities offered through HD Vest Investment ServicesSM, Member SIPC, Advisory services offered through HD Vest Advisory ServicesSM, 6333 N. State Highway 161, Fourth Floor, Irving, TX 75038, 972-870-6000. 1492617 08/2016