Craft on Tap, Growth Marketing for RIAs – Details, episodes & analysis

Is your firm's Google profile helping or ruining your first impression?

Stephen Beach and Faustin Weber give real examples of why & how Google Reviews remain a make-or-break marketing asset for financial advisory firms. Plus, they share practical ways to build yours up without running into compliance issues.

We cover:

• Why Google is still the gateway for prospects checking out your firm (even in the age of AI)

• How star ratings influence both Google Search and LLMs like ChatGPT

• Compliance-friendly approaches to soliciting reviews from your clients

• Simple systems to bake review requests into your existing client meetings

• What to do if you have negative reviews dragging down your profile

⏱️ Timestamps:

(0:00) Welcome & why Google Reviews matter

(2:15) How prospects use Google to validate referrals

(3:45) The impact of reviews on search rankings and AI results

(5:30) Real examples: negative reviews and first impressions

(8:00) How ChatGPT and other LLMs use Google Review data

(12:00) Compliance-friendly strategies to request reviews

(16:00) Building review requests into your client service process

(19:30) Multi-email follow-up campaigns that work

(22:00) Repurposing Google Reviews on your website

(25:00) Managing multiple office locations and Google Profiles

(28:00) Optimizing your Google Business Profile beyond reviews

Whether you're starting from zero reviews or trying to offset a few old blemishes on your profile, this episode gives you a practical playbook for turning Google Reviews into a marketing asset that works for your firm.

Craft Impact is a growth marketing agency that helps financial advisors reach their AUM goals through strategic marketing.

Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Craft on Tap on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and learn more about our growth marketing services at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠craftimpact.com

Is your LinkedIn strategy falling behind the platform's latest changes?

In this latest Craft on Tap Podcast episode, Stephen Beach and Faustin Weber discuss what's working (and what's not) on LinkedIn heading into 2026, including practical tips that independent financial advisors can implement right away.

We cover:

• Why LinkedIn reduced organic reach and what you can do about it

• The commenting strategy that beats posting (yes, really)

• How to use the "Waffle House/Walmart" approach to grow your following

• Profile optimization fundamentals that most advisors miss

• The marketing waiting room vs. sales waiting room framework for content

• Current LinkedIn algorithm insights from November 2025

• Best practices for posting frequency, timing, and format

• How to determine if LinkedIn should even be a priority channel for your target audience

⏱️ Timestamps:

(03:25) Why LinkedIn is still the best platform for certain audiences

(08:05) Using Spark Toro to identify where your audience actually lives online

(12:00) Profile optimization fundamentals (follow first, headline, banner)

(17:15) The "15-minute Friday" strategy for growing your network

(26:40) The power of commenting over posting

(27:45) The "Waffle House/Walmart" commenting strategy explained

(37:05) What to post on personal vs company accounts

(39:10) Marketing waiting room vs sales waiting room content

(46:40) Post timing, frequency, and format best practices

(50:40) Latest algorithm updates from November 2025

Whether you're a social media rookie or looking to up your LinkedIn strategy game for 2026, this episode offers actionable social media marketing and branding tips for building your professional brand and attracting the right prospects (dad jokes included).

Craft Impact is a growth marketing agency that helps financial advisors reach their AUM goals through strategic marketing. Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Craft on Tap on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and learn more about our services at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠craftimpact.com

Should financial advisors focus on personal branding or firm branding? 

The answer depends on your firm's size, goals, and growth stage.

In this episode of the Craft On Tap Podcast, Stephen Beach and Faustin Weber discuss this common marketing dilemma.

They cover:

• Which accounts get better engagement, personal vs company
• What smaller advisors should focus on
• How to blend firm & personal branding
• Specific “what to post” ideas for LinkedIn company vs personal accounts 

Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction: The LinkedIn posting dilemma 

(2:14) What gets the most engagement?

(8:40) - Smaller advisors should focus on personal brand

(10:35) Survey data on the importance of personal branding

(13:00) Scaling practices need to weave in building the firm's brand

(18:25) Real client case study: Personal Substack creating leads for firm

(24:00) How to integrate personal & firm branding on a practical level

(28:40) Scaling strategy for larger firms 

(34:43) SEO considerations for personal branding & bio pages

We help financial advisors reach their AUM goals through strategic marketing. Subscribe to Craft on Tap on YouTube and learn more about our services at craftimpact.com

Should you panic about AI search optimization? Are your prospects really finding financial advisors through ChatGPT?

Stephen Beach and Faustin Weber discuss the rapidly evolving world of AI search and its implications for financial advisory firms.

We cover:

• Why Google's AI overview "alligator effect" is crushing traditional website traffic.

• The 6-step GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) framework that works.

• Why Reddit gets cited 25% of the time in ChatGPT responses.

⏱️ Timestamps:

(0:00) Welcome & the AI search overview

(2:10) The "alligator effect" destroying traditional search traffic

(4:45) Real client data: AI search leads are increasing (but should you panic?)

(8:15) The two types of people using AI search and why it matters

(11:45) Why only 1% of people click AI search citations

(15:20) The 6-step framework for showing up in AI search results

(23:00) E-E-A-T methodology: Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust

(31:00) Why content distribution across multiple channels is critical

(37:10) Reddit and YouTube: The secret weapons for AI citations

(41:50) Practical steps you can take today (without abandoning what works)

Before you restructure your entire marketing strategy around AI search, listen to this reality check on what's working for financial advisory firms right now.

#FinancialAdvisors #AISearch #SEO #ChatGPT #RIAMarketing #GEO

Find out more about what we do: https://www.craftimpact.com/

Stephen Beach and Faustin Weber discuss a real listener question: "We have a wealth management firm that services individuals and families. We need a marketing plan to scale from $85 million AUM to $150 million AUM in five years."

In this episode:

• How to segment your existing client base to identify your ideal niche
• The spectrum of positioning strategies (from adding a niche page to going all-in)
• Why you need to research where your target audience lives online
• Growth hacking strategies to break into new communities and audiences
• How to provide value to influencers and community moderators to gain access
• Real examples of what works (and what doesn't) when targeting specific niches

⏱️ Timestamps:

(0:00) Welcome & The $75M to $150M Challenge

(1:41) Step One: Segment Your Current Client Base by Personas

(4:09) Marketing to Your Clients Before Marketing to Strangers

(4:41) Choosing Your Primary Avatar and Testing Multiple Niches

(10:15) The Positioning Spectrum: From Niche Pages to Full Commitment

(15:12) Social Media Strategy Without Alienating Current Clients

(17:10) Finding Your Audience: Where Do They Actually Consume Content?

(19:40) Using AI Tools to Research Community Questions and Challenges

(21:00) Thinking From the Buyer's Perspective: Standing Out from Competition

(23:00) Growth Hacking Your Way to Awareness

(25:45) Real Case Study: The Dentist Niche That Struggled

(29:00) COI Marketing Beyond Traditional Referral Partners

(30:00) How to Approach Influencers and Community Leaders

(31:35) Conclusion: The Path to $150M AUM

We've worked with RIAs at every stage of growth. This episode provides a systematic approach to scaling your practice through strategic positioning and smart growth tactics.

Stephen Beach and Faustin Weber answer the question"How can you write compelling copy about complex financial topics when you're not financial experts yourselves?"

And how do you capture my firm’s brand voice in terms of style and tone?

In this episode, we break down:

• The interview-based copywriting approach that extracts your expertise efficiently

• Why hiring good writers who can write simply and persuasively is step one

• How messaging guides and brand workshops capture your firm's unique voice

• The role of AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT in our copywriting process

• Brand voice worksheets that help position your firm on the spectrum from serious to playful

• Real examples of how we've gotten better at financial copywriting over 5+ years

⏱️ Timestamps:

(0:00) Welcome & The Copywriting Challenge for Non-Experts

(1:49) Step One: Hiring Good Writers Who Can Write Simply & Persuasively

(6:11) The Interview-Based Copywriting Process

(7:20) How AI Tools Enhance Our Copywriting Workflow

(10:01) The Comprehensive Messaging Guide Development

(11:34) Brand Voice Worksheets: From Traditional to Progressive

(13:23) Determining Your Firm's Tone: Serious vs. Playful

(14:20) When We Need Extra Subject Matter Expertise

(15:07) Conclusion

We've been refining this approach since 2012, working with financial advisors to create copy that's both technically accurate and compelling. Subscribe to Craft on Tap on YouTube and learn more about our services at craftimpact.com

Stephen Beach and Faustin Weber tackle the burning question every financial advisor asks: "Should I run paid ads to generate leads?" Spoiler alert: probably not.

In this episode, we break down:

• The real reason advisors want to run paid ads (and what to focus on instead)

• Why clients with $1M+ assets usually don't Google "financial advisor near me"

• The case study of Pure Financial spending $10 million with Smart Asset

• When paid ads actually make sense (hint: it's very specific)

• How to avoid getting scammed by marketing agencies promising guaranteed leads

⏱️ Timestamps: 

(0:00) Welcome & Intro

(0:40) The Real Reason Advisors Want Paid Ads

(2:29) Different Types of Paid Ads & Platforms

(6:05) The Three Types of Ads Explained

(11:00) Why $1M+ Clients Don't Google "Financial Advisor Near Me"

(14:54) Case Study: Pure Financial & Smart Asset

(18:16) High Failure Rate & Infrastructure Needed for Paid Ads

(24:15) Avoiding Marketing Agency Scams

(28:05) When Paid Ads Do Make Sense

(33:43) Paid Ads as One Element of a Holistic Strategy

(40:50) Conclusion

We've spent years and thousands of dollars testing paid ads so you don't have to. This episode will save you time, money, and frustration.

What to do when you see another  "congratulations, you’ve made the list!" email.

Stephen Beach and Faustin Weber tackle one of the most common questions they get from financial advisors: are these industry awards actually worth paying for?

We break down:

• How to evaluate which awards are worth the investment vs. money grabs

• Key questions to ask before paying any licensing fees

• Smart strategies for maximizing awards once you've invested

Timestamps:

(1:31) Why the award business model threw us off at first

(3:04) The key question: will your target audience recognize this brand?

(5:18) Interviewing clients as a way to verify an award’s value

(7:09) Am I actually proud to share this award?

(8:15) Pricing structure

(9:35) Award longevity and timing considerations

(12:54) How to maximize your investment with a solid announcement plan

(17:00) Compliance considerations and SEC audit implications

#FinancialAdvisors #RIAMarketing

Are you sending email "blasts" to your entire contact list and wondering why you're not getting results? 

In this episode, Steven Beach and Faustin Weber discuss email marketing that works, plus tips you can incorporate into your email strategy now.

We cover:

• The critical importance of list segmentation for RIAs

• What content to send to clients vs. prospects vs. old leads

• Email nurturing strategies that actually move prospects through your pipeline

• Common technical mistakes that hurt your deliverability rates

⏱️ Timestamps:

(0:00) Welcome & summer break struggles for working parents

(2:30) Why email marketing still matters in 2025

(4:45) The foundation: How to properly segment your contact lists

(12:15) What to send your current clients (beyond market commentary)

(17:46) Structuring your emails for engagement

(23:20) What to send to your old prospects and cold lists

(27:20) The goal: Staying top of mind for future catalysts

(33:12) Rapid-fire email best practices

(41:25) Lead nurturing for active pipeline prospects

(48:45) Strategies for following up without being pushy

(50:55) Final thoughts on building systematic email workflows

Whether you're just starting with email marketing or looking to improve your current approach, this episode gives you practical frameworks for turning your contact database into a growth engine for your financial advisory practice.

#FinancialAdvisors #EmailMarketing #RIAMarketing #LeadNurturing #CraftImpact

Like this episode or have questions? Please drop a comment!

Are AI video avatars the future of financial advisor marketing? In this special debate episode, Stephen Beach and Faustin Weber dive into the controversial topic of AI-driven avatars for video marketing.

⏱️ Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction to AI avatars in financial marketing

(1:08) Faustin's perspective: Why AI avatars might harm trust

(2:15) Stephen plays devil's advocate: Can clients tell the difference?

(5:02) The importance of internal brand alignment

(7:34) Authenticity vs. polish in video marketing

(11:35) The rise of easy-to-use video marketing tools

#FinancialAdvisors #AIAvatars #VideoMarketing #CraftImpact