What to Look for in an Advertising Agency for Financial Firms

Most advertising agencies don’t understand financial services. They build flashy campaigns, promise impressions, and flood your inbox with vanity metrics—but miss the nuance of compliance, credibility, and client psychology. That’s why financial firms need more than an ad agency. They need a partner who knows how money moves and how trust is built.

Whether you're a registered investment advisor, a credit union, or a multifamily office, your reputation is your brand. Advertising that works in retail or tech can feel inauthentic—or worse, noncompliant—in a financial setting. You can’t use exaggerated claims, fake testimonials, or generic messaging. But that doesn’t mean your advertising should be boring.

A great financial advertising agency will do three things:

  1. Capture your voice and compliance tone. This means clear disclosures, SEC-friendly language, and avoiding promissory claims.

  2. Craft content that turns expertise into engagement. Your process, values, and results need to come alive in visuals and copy.

  3. Execute campaigns that drive measurable growth. This includes retargeting, funnel design, and content strategy—not just "brand awareness."

At Select Advisors Institute, we go beyond brand ads. We create video campaigns, service landing pages, LinkedIn funnels, and center-of-influence campaigns tailored to your audience and region. You don’t need an ad agency that just understands pixels. You need one that understands people—and why they trust you with their money.