Future Proof Festival: Advisors can apply elements of the PR toolkit to build authority, grow brand and demand

Key takeaways: 

• Conferences like Future Proof can help advisors looking to build visibility and employ core public relations practices. 
• This year’s festival offers plenty of opportunities for advisors to be “of the moment” and take advantage of timely and cutting-edge content. 
• Attendees can use the conference to advance their PR practice and engage with media and influencers. 

Building your PR practice requires a consistent investment, and conferences like the Future Proof Festival starting Sunday can help advisors and other investment professionals employ core PR tactics to build visibility.

PR is more than just media exposure, it is a system that can support both brand and demand by shaping the narrative, building authority and aligning every touchpoint including media coverage, website and social. The message needs to be fresh and up to date and speak to the topics clients and potential clients most want to hear about now.

That’s why so many advisors find conferences like Future Proof worthy of their time. Future Proof’s founders have built a conference where advisors don’t just sit and listen to speakers, but instead cultivate knowledge, proactively select networking meetings, and grow connections with media and influencers. And the conference offers multiple opportunities to get in front of the technology and trends shaping client demand and driving industry news.

5 basic PR practices

Let’s back up a bit and review what we mean by the core PR practices every advisor should employ— practices that should be familiar to readers of this blog. To break away from a sea of sameness, we recommend five basic PR practices:

1. Start with a focused point of view. Define who you serve and how you serve them. What makes you different? Who is your ideal client? The answers to these questions should shape your message. Create a message triangle that encapsulates the salient and unique points about your firm.
2. Build a steady stream of informational and educational content that positions you as an authority on topics important to clients and potential clients.
3. Schedule a regular cadence of interviews, broadcast/podcast appearances and on-stage opportunities. Build relationships with media by being a go-to resource willing to explain complex topics. Place articles or op-eds on timely topics important to clients and potential clients.
4. Align your website with the appropriate proof points, press clips and resources—the owned and earned media that tell your story.
5. Amplify your brand through social media to showcase your point of view, share media clips and offer practical takes on news and events.

What to do at Future Proof

Those who are best at PR are of the moment—they are connected to what is going on in the world and able to offer insights on timely topics. And there is no better place than Future Proof to be of the moment. This year’s conference can help you to:

• Stay in front of cutting-edge industry trends. Numerous panels and exhibitors will be there to help you learn about emerging products and technologies. This year’s agenda has multiple sessions on topics like custom indexing, active ETF strategies, private credit, digital assets and cryptocurrency. You’ll not only learn how to use these products to clients’ advantage, you can also size up the asset managers making them happen.
• Better understand the world and its impact on your clients. Take in the “big picture” by immersing yourself in talks by leading economists and strategists. You can also learn from leading behavioral economists about the behavioral influences driving client decisions.
• Streamline and optimize your operations. You can develop connections with technology providers and back-office service platforms or examine compliance and regulatory systems.  Multiple sessions will focus on how AI can revolutionize your practice.
• Grow your business or sell your firm. Numerous sessions will focus on deals, the M&A landscape and where your firm may fit in either as an acquirer or for a future exit.

As for the PR practices we started with, Future Proof can help you in a few key ways:

• Want to get in front of media? Many reporters from leading news organizations attend Future Proof. Connecting and building relationships with the media who attend this conference can lead to future media opportunities. Be prepared to share impressions on the timely topics addressed at the conference and how they may affect your clients or your practice.
• Want to be an authority on topics important to your clients? Conferences like Future Proof provide lots of fodder to fill your blog. You should walk away with multiple content ideas.
• Want to grow connections and amplify your voice? Summarize key sessions and offer your own take on LinkedIn. Post a video or photo of mainstage sessions led by key thought leaders and share your three takeaways using conference hashtags and tagging any speakers (and see this related post).

Are you planning to attend Future Proof Festival? Let us know. We’d love to connect with you there.