Ready. Fire. Aim?

If your financial communications projects are missing their mark, use creative briefs to start off—and stay—on track.

Occasionally, I’ll answer a phone call from a prospective new client, and the conversation goes something like this:

Potential Client: We’re looking to create a new [fill in the blank: brochure, newsletter, website, article, etc.]

Me: That’s great. What are you looking to accomplish with this new brochure, newsletter, website, article, etc?

Potential Client: Well, you know, just let people know what we’re all about and that we’re here to help.

Me: Have you identified your ideal target audience and the one message you want them to walk away with after reading your communications (assuming they will read it)?

Potential Client: We really haven’t thought about that. We just need to get this brochure, newsletter, website, article, etc. done as soon as possible.

While I’m always happy to take on a new client, I’m happier when I can actually help them grow their business or communicate better with their clients. Sadly, it seems many financial services firms have trimmed their marketing departments so deeply that they longer have the luxury of thinking strategically about their communications objectives. Many are simply looking to check things off their to-do list without considering their goals.

Before I start a new project, I always make sure to collect some key facts by asking my clients to complete a creative brief. I realize that nobody likes to fill out forms, so my creative brief is, well, brief. The goal is to encourage clients to consider their own objectives before we start writing or design anything.

This document also helps prevent “scope-creep,” or the tendency for projects to sometimes veer off into unintended directions. Here’s a sampling of the questions you should ask yourself before you kick off any financial communications project:

• What is my primary goal? Am I aiming to educate prospects, deepen client relationships, generate leads, or increase sales?
• Who is my target audience? Are they existing customers or prospects? Knowledgeable or neophyte?
• What action would I like my audience to take as a result of this communication?
• How do I want my audience to feel after interacting with my communications? Informed? Inspired? Excited? Curious? Reassured?
• Which celebrity voice do I envision speaking to my customers? For example, is it Jimmy Stewart, James Earl Jones, or Burgess Meredith?

The answers to these questions help me and my clients gain a complete understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish. And while it may seem like a no-brainer, you might be surprised to know how many financial marketing professionals take the ready, fire, aim approach to their marketing and client communications. If you would like a copy of my creative brief,  contact me and I’ll send it to you.

How about you? Do you have any best practices you recommend?

About Neil Rhein

Neil Rhein runs Bull’s-eye Financial Communications, where he creates financial writing that resonates with your readers. He specializes in creating customized communications for financial services clients, including mutual fund companies and asset managers, investment advisers, wealth managers, broker-dealers, clearing firms, and retirement plan sponsors and administrators. For more information, visit www.bullseyecommunications.net.