2025 Outlook - Where Adviser Marketing Is Headed

FCA oversight of financial services marketing will increase substantially in 2025. Expect more enforcement actions against misleading advertising, particularly on social media. Clearer guidance on influencer marketing arrangements and paid partnerships. Stricter requirements for substantiating performance claims and client testimonials.

Greater emphasis on target market evidence in marketing approval processes. And potentially new rules addressing AI-generated marketing content. This creates challenges but also opportunities. Firms with robust compliance infrastructure will maintain confident marketing activity while less prepared competitors reduce visibility due to regulatory uncertainty.

The trend is clear: compliance capability becomes competitive differentiator. Invest in systems, processes, and training that enable effective compliant marketing. Firms that solve compliance as operational problem rather than avoiding marketing entirely will dominate their markets. Expect your network or compliance function to require more documentation and justification for marketing activities.

Build processes that provide this without creating bottlenecks preventing campaign execution.

Video transitions from "nice to have" to mandatory in 2025. Prospects increasingly expect to see advisers on video before booking meetings, using video to assess communication style, personality, and trustworthiness. Platform algorithms heavily favour video content-LinkedIn and YouTube in particular provide dramatically better organic reach for video than text or images.

The advisers investing in consistent video content in 2024-2025 will build substantial advantages in visibility and trust. Start simply if you are not currently using video: record short videos answering common client questions (2-3 minutes each), share brief reactions to financial news or market developments, explain complex concepts visually with screen sharing or simple graphics, and show your personality through authentic, conversational communication. Production quality matters less than consistency and authenticity-prospects respond better to advisers speaking naturally than to polished corporate videos.

Plan to publish video content at least weekly on LinkedIn, with longer-form educational content on YouTube monthly. Firms uncomfortable with video will find increasingly difficult to compete with those embracing it effectively.

AI marketing tools will become more sophisticated in 2025 but fundamental limitations remain. Expect better content generation requiring less human editing, more accurate personalisation and segmentation capabilities, improved image generation producing professional-quality results, and enhanced ad optimisation with minimal manual intervention. However, AI will not replace strategic thinking, genuine expertise, compliance judgment, or relationship building.

Use AI for efficiency in content production, email optimisation, image creation, and ad testing. Do not expect AI to design strategy, ensure compliance, or build client relationships. The advisers succeeding with AI in 2025 will be those using it as productivity tool within human-led strategy, not those attempting to automate marketing entirely.

Budget time for AI tool evaluation and implementation-many new tools will launch claiming revolutionary capabilities, but most will be incremental improvements on existing functionality. Focus on proven applications rather than experimental features.

Third-party cookies continue decline, platform tracking becomes more restricted, and privacy regulations tighten. First-party data-information prospects and clients provide directly to you-becomes most valuable marketing asset. Building financial adviser leads through first-party data creates sustainable, compliant growth.

In 2025, prioritise building owned audiences: email subscribers, LinkedIn followers, community members, and webinar attendees. These audiences can be marketed to repeatedly without depending on platform data or third-party tracking. Create valuable lead magnets that build your email list rapidly. Invest in content that attracts LinkedIn followers organically.

Consider building private communities for specific client segments. The advisers with substantial first-party data assets in 2025-2026 will have significant advantages over those dependent on paid advertising and platform algorithms. This represents strategic shift from immediate conversion focus to audience building, recognising that financial services buying decisions require extended consideration periods.

Budget for content creation and lead magnet development that supports this audience building rather than expecting immediate ROI from every marketing investment.

LinkedIn algorithm changes will continue favouring personal profiles over company pages and video over text. This means individual advisers building personal brands will achieve better organic reach than corporate accounts. Encourage key team members to build active LinkedIn presences sharing insights within their expertise.

Google search results increasingly prioritise helpful, experience-based content over generic SEO-optimised articles. This favours advisers who publish genuine insights from client experience rather than generic financial planning content. YouTube becomes more important as Google favours video results for many queries.

Facebook and Instagram will remain challenging for financial services given compliance complications and low-intent audiences. TikTok remains experimental for financial services-success requires specific content style and audience that may not align with most adviser positioning. Strategic implication: focus on LinkedIn for professional audiences, Google/YouTube for search-driven visibility, and email for owned audience nurture.

Reduce or eliminate Facebook/Instagram unless you have specific evidence they work for your audience.

Economic volatility in 2025 will drive increased demand for financial advice as people seek guidance navigating uncertain conditions. However, it will also increase price sensitivity and extend decision cycles as prospects become more cautious about commitments. Advisers must balance these dynamics through messaging that acknowledges uncertainty while demonstrating value, offers that reduce initial commitment (free consultations, limited engagement options), and transparent pricing that allows prospects to evaluate value proposition clearly.

Content addressing specific economic concerns-inflation, market volatility, recession planning-will attract significant engagement. Advisers demonstrating calm expertise during volatile periods build trust that converts into long-term client relationships. Prepare content addressing likely economic scenarios, adjust service offerings to accommodate increased price sensitivity, and position your value in context of economic uncertainty.

Opportunity exists for firms that market confidently during periods competitors retreat due to caution.

Strategic priorities for 2025: Strengthen compliance infrastructure to enable confident marketing execution. Invest in video content production capability and consistency. Implement or optimise AI tools for proven use cases like content drafting and email optimisation. Build first-party data assets through lead magnets and audience building.

Focus LinkedIn strategy on individual adviser thought leadership. Create content addressing economic uncertainty and client concerns. Review and optimise existing campaigns before launching new initiatives-doubling conversion rates on current activity provides better return than adding new channels. Plan budget allowing adequate investment in fewer channels rather than spreading resources across many.

And measure systematically to understand what actually drives results versus what feels productive. The advisers who execute disciplined strategy focused on proven approaches will dramatically outperform those chasing every new trend. Start planning now-effective implementation requires preparation, not reactive scrambling when trends emerge.

2025 presents significant opportunity for advisers willing to adapt strategy while competitors remain fixed in outdated approaches.