How to Incorporate More Diversity in Your Advisor Website and Marketing [+ 10 Tips and Resources]

The events of the past week have been incredibly eye-opening, and as a community, we can all do better. The fight to end racism means differs for everyone, however, as marketing professionals, we can start by incorporating diversity into our marketing efforts and our work environment. The below tips, resources and examples are a great first step in helping you to incorporate more diversity into your marketing efforts, website and business.

Incorporating Diversity Into Your Advisor Website

Incorporating diversity in your advisor website and other marketing channels needs to be a continuous plan and it’s important to realize that these assets should be constantly evolving and changing.

1. Start Using Stock Photos and Diverse Images That Show People of Color

Even when it comes to stock photos, representation matters, so make sure that you are using images that visitors can relate to no matter their race. In fact, according to Deloitte, diverse companies have 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee than companies that are not as diverse.

where to get free diverse stock photos:

• black.illustrations
• Unsplash diversity
• Pexels diversity

Twenty Over Ten client, PathWise is a great example of how to incorporate diversity into your website. They include a fantastic stock photo just below the fold on their homepage, with the phrase, “You’re Not Like Everyone Else. Neither Are Your Finances.”

Based in Raleigh, N.C., Lucid Wealth Planning also uses diverse images showing healthcare professionals in their “Our Clients” section.

2. Consider Collaborating with People of Color for Guest Blog Contributions

Guest contributors and third-party sources are a great way to provide fresh insight for your blog audience and readers. Inviting a diverse group to contribute guest blogs is a great way to add a different voice and perspective to your website. In turn, you may be able to contribute to their page, creating a symbiotic relationship for marketing.

3. When It Comes to Decision-Making in Marketing, Make Sure People of Color are Weighing In

This is a critical practice to remember when creating content for your website or launching a marketing campaign. When it comes to decision-making, this task requires contributions from multiple people and races so that they can best market to and speak for a wider audience.

Something that may sound appropriate to you, may not quite be the right thing to say, even if you have their best interest at heart. So, ask POC for their opinions before putting something on your website or on your marketing channels, as this can greatly shape and impact the message.

Companies with more diverse leaders and managers report a much higher innovation revenue than those with less-diverse leaders. It’s important to keep this in mind when making important decisions and trying to reach a more diverse audience.

Tips for Posting On Social Media:

Before posting on social media, keep these tips in mind, as well.

1. When Writing Your Captions: If You Are About To Write/Say The Phrase ‘People Of Color,’ Stop And Think You Are Really Talking About

According to Robin Thede, as she says on Twitter “If you are about to write/say the phrase “people of color,” stop and think who you are REALLY talking about. If you mean Black, say, Black. With a capital ‘B.’”

2. Be Mindful Of Your Hashtags

Make sure you are supporting #BlackLivesMatter, but make sure you aren’t crowding the hashtag. The BLM hashtag is meant to provide updates, critical information and useful resources, so keep it open and use it appropriately!

3. Share Black Businesses In the Industry and In Your Local Community

Encourage your supporters to follow them, so that they can be heard and their voices can grow in the community.

4. Include Black Voices in Your Posts, Visuals, Partnerships and Community

This goes hand-in-hand with the point above. Do what you can to make sure Black voices are being heard, so that they can teach others and become a stronger voice in the community. At Twenty Over Ten, we began an initiative to showcase 10 amazing examples of advisory businesses owned by people of color and their unique marketing strategies.

5. Ask For Permission Before Reposting an Image to your Feed

Always check with the original author or person who posted before reposting an image to your social media channels. People may have good intentions, but it may come off in the wrong way if you are not a POC, so check with others before posting so that you can be a strong ally for the community.

6. Diversify Your Feed

When you find a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous & People of Color Movement) account that teaches you something, opens your mind, or moves you then make sure you share it with your followers. Hearing diverse voices and seeing things from a different point of view is enlightening and can better everyone involved.

7. Create Authentic And Actionable Steps For a More Inclusive, Long-Term Content Strategy

This is all about sustainability, so create a social media strategy that can be used in the long-term. Double-check what you are posting, thinking about it how it will come off to all races, and if there is a way to reword your post or make it more inclusive, then definitely consider that.

1. Celebrate POC Employees On Social Platforms

If someone at your firm gets promoted, writes an awesome article or you just want to “shout them out,” then post it on your social media platforms!

2. Share Third-Party Posts From People of Color

This will help your company to reach more people and a more diverse audience, so make sure you are checking your industry pages and finding relevant content from people of color with articles and voices in the financial industry.

3. Be Aware of Current Activism Hashtags

There are other hashtags aside from #BlackLivesMatter, so make sure that you are checking out other hashtags in terms of social justice. It shows that you are paying attention to what is going on in the world, working to help underserved communities and expanding the reach of your brand, as well.

4. Pay Attention to the Perspectives of All Followers And Potential Customers

You never know who is reading your posts, so pay attention to what you are saying when it comes to being more diverse on social media. You can gain or lose followers based on what you post on your platforms, so ensure you are using the correct voice and post appropriate content.

5. Get Opinions Before You Post

If you have a question about how something should be worded or if you are getting the correct message across, check with a POC before posting. It’s better to get a second opinion than to post something that you didn’t work well.

Making Your Marketing Strategy More Diverse

We need to continue to work together so that we can be more inclusive, more diverse and combat social injustices against people of color. We all have different platforms to express our voice in this fight against racism, and if you have your own website, then we hope these resources and marketing tips can help you with inclusivity and diversity. If you are looking for additional resources, here is an amazing list of resources that can help you to further educate yourself when it comes to being actively anti-racist and pushing for a strong future for all.