Two-thirds of RIAs are planning to hire advisors in the next 12 months. It's an ambitious growth strategy—and a necessary one in a competitive market. But here's the question most firms aren't asking: Do you have the marketing infrastructure to support those new hires?
Hiring advisors without the right marketing systems is like buying a Ferrari and filling it with regular gas. You've made the investment, but you're not getting the performance you paid for.
According to the 2025 RIA Benchmarking Survey, 67% of RIAs plan to hire advisors in the coming year. The reasons are clear:
But while most firms focus on compensation packages, cultural fit, and technical skills, they overlook a critical success factor: marketing support.
When you hire an advisor without marketing infrastructure, you're essentially asking them to build their book of business from scratch—with no tools, no leads, and no brand support.
Here's what typically happens:
Month 1-3: The new advisor is excited, optimistic, and working their personal network.
Month 4-6: Personal connections dry up. They're cold-calling, attending random networking events, and feeling frustrated.
Month 7-9: Productivity drops. They're spending 60% of their time on business development with minimal results.
Month 10-12: Either they leave for a firm with better support, or they settle into mediocrity, never reaching their potential.
The result? Your six-figure investment in recruiting, onboarding, and training delivers a fraction of the expected ROI.
Marketing infrastructure isn't about having a website and a LinkedIn page. It's about having systems that generate, nurture, and convert leads so your advisors can focus on what they do best: advising clients.
Here's what true marketing infrastructure includes:
Your firm should have multiple channels consistently bringing in qualified prospects:
When a new advisor joins, they should inherit a pipeline of warm leads—not start from zero.
A robust CRM integrated with marketing automation tools ensures:
Firms using Vantage Point for CRM optimization report 40% faster lead-to-client conversion times because their systems work together seamlessly.
New advisors need a strong brand to leverage. That means:
When prospects Google your firm, they should find a professional, authoritative presence—not a generic website that looks like every other RIA.
Your advisors shouldn't have to create everything from scratch. Build a library of:
This isn't just about efficiency—it's about consistency. Every advisor should be delivering the same high-quality experience.
Marketing infrastructure includes people and processes, not just technology:
The firms that excel at advisor growth have dedicated marketing teams supporting their advisors—not expecting advisors to be their own marketing department.
Let's run the numbers.
The difference? Marketing infrastructure turns hiring from a cost center into a growth engine.
If you're planning to hire advisors in the next 12 months, here's your roadmap:
Building marketing infrastructure doesn't have to be overwhelming. Many RIAs partner with specialists who understand both wealth management and marketing technology.
TE+A Marketing works with firms to develop comprehensive marketing strategies tailored to the financial services industry, while Vantage Point provides the CRM and technology infrastructure to execute those strategies at scale.
Together, they offer a Marketing Technology Assessment that identifies gaps in your current infrastructure and a 60-Day Program that gets you operational in 60-90 days—well before your new advisors arrive.
Hiring advisors is one of the best investments you can make in your firm's growth. But without marketing infrastructure, you're setting them up to struggle.
The firms that win in 2025 and beyond won't just hire great advisors—they'll equip them with the systems, tools, and support to succeed from day one.
Before you post that next job opening, ask yourself: Do we have the marketing infrastructure to support this hire?
If the answer is no, it's time to build it.
This blog series is brought to you through the partnership of Vantage Point and TE+A Marketing, combining deep expertise in CRM optimization and strategic marketing for financial services firms.
Vantage Point specializes in CRM implementation, optimization, and integration for wealth management firms and RIAs. With decades of experience in financial services technology, Vantage Point ensures your CRM investment delivers measurable ROI.
TE+A Marketing is a full-service marketing agency focused exclusively on financial services firms with 50-500 employees. TE+A Marketing develops integrated marketing strategies that drive predictable growth and measurable results.
Together, we offer a unique 60-Day Program that bridges the gap between your technology and your marketing—creating a unified growth engine for your firm.
Ready to connect your CRM and marketing for exponential growth? Contact us today for your complimentary Marketing Technology Assessment.
David Cockrum founded Vantage Point after serving as Chief Operating Officer in the financial services industry. His unique blend of operational leadership and technology expertise has enabled Vantage Point's distinctive business-process-first implementation methodology, delivering successful transformations for 150+ financial services firms across 400+ engagements with a 4.71/5.0 client satisfaction rating and 95%+ client retention rate.