A Portland financial services provider had operated for 18 years with very few online leads. Here is how our financial services digital marketing agency team built a lead generation system around marketing automation and social media.
Client
A leading financial services provider in Portland (name not disclosed)
Industry
Financial services
Services
Marketing automation, lead tracking and nurturing, social media management, live chat, LinkedIn
Scope
A lead generation system for a firm 18 years into operation
Headline result
A working lead generation system: automation, nurturing, live chat and LinkedIn
Digital Success integrated a marketing automation platform with a Portland financial services provider's business and jump started its social media profiles. The documented solution added lead tracking and nurturing, live chat and LinkedIn outreach, and the page reports more efficient sales and higher revenue from nurtured leads.
18
years the client had operated before changing its online approach
4
documented workstreams: automation, nurturing, live chat, LinkedIn
The challenge: 18 years in business and very few online leads
The client, a financial services provider based in Portland, was struggling with its online identity. After 18 years of operation it decided to change course, because very few online leads were stunting its growth.
Our approach: marketing automation first, then social media
To build a solid lead generation strategy, Digital Success integrated a marketing automation platform with the client's business and jump started its social media profiles to create new lead opportunities.
| Workstream | What we did (documented outcome) |
|---|---|
| Marketing automation | Integrated a marketing automation platform with the business; the page reports it made sales much more efficient. |
| Lead tracking and nurturing | Tracked and nurtured leads, which the page reports led to higher revenue. |
| Live chat | Added live chat that engaged visitors and created more leads. |
| Used LinkedIn for B2B outreach, which the page reports led to more sales. | |
| Social media | Jump started the client's social media profiles to open new lead opportunities. |
The results
Digital Success reports more efficient sales, higher revenue from lead tracking and nurturing, more leads from live chat and more sales from B2B work on LinkedIn.
Source note. The case study page text does not include outcome figures; any figures are shown in a results graphic that is not reproduced here, so none are quoted. Baselines, time periods and measurement methods are not published in the page text.
How to read the sections that follow. Each section carries a tag. Campaign evidence means activities and results documented in this engagement. Industry context and recommended practice are general guidance from Digital Success; they were not measured in this campaign and are not results. Illustrative examples are labeled as such and are not client data.
Why Digital Marketing Is Different for Financial Services
INDUSTRY CONTEXT + CAMPAIGN EVIDENCE
Financial decisions are trust decisions. Prospects want evidence of expertise before they share personal information, and many take weeks or months and several conversations to choose an advisor or provider. Small and mid-sized firms also compete with large institutions that outspend them, so a plan has to be built around qualified conversations rather than raw reach.
Regulated firms usually have to follow advertising and communication rules, such as those set by the SEC and FINRA for advisers and broker-dealers, so content and messages typically need compliance review before they go live. This is general context, not legal advice.
The documented solution fits that pattern: it built a system for tracking and nurturing leads over time instead of relying on one-off campaigns.
How Prospects Search for Financial Services
INDUSTRY CONTEXT + ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES (NOT THE CLIENT'S REPORTED KEYWORD SET)
| Intent | Illustrative format | What the prospect needs | Channel that fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find an advisor | "financial advisor near me", "financial advisor [city]" | A local professional | Local SEO and a clear profile page |
| Specific need | "retirement planning [city]", "small business insurance" | A specialist | Service pages and content |
| Research | "how to choose a financial advisor" | Education and reassurance | Guides, email nurturing |
| Validation | "[firm] reviews", "[firm] fees" | Proof of credibility | Reviews, testimonials, LinkedIn presence |
| Ready to talk | "financial consultation" | A low-friction first step | Live chat, contact form, call |
Not sure how prospects find you today?
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Financial Services PPC Management: Where Paid Search Fits
RECOMMENDED PRACTICE (NO PPC WORK IS DESCRIBED IN THIS CAMPAIGN)
The documented solution centered on marketing automation, social media, live chat and LinkedIn. No paid search work is described in this case study. For firms evaluating financial services PPC management, paid search is a natural complement to an automation setup:
- Cover high-intent searches such as "financial advisor [city]" while organic visibility builds.
- Send paid traffic into the nurture flow, so leads who are not ready to call still enter automated follow-up.
- Mind the rules. Ad copy for regulated financial products is usually subject to platform policies and compliance review. Check current requirements before launch.
- Track to client, not click. Report cost per qualified consultation, not just cost per lead.
Want paid search that feeds your lead nurturing?
Explore PPC management built around qualified consultations.
BUILD THE PIPELINE
Eighteen years of trust deserve a pipeline to match.
Map how prospects find, vet and contact your firm today, then see where automation and nurturing can close the gaps.
Beyond Followers: Measuring Financial Services Lead Generation
CAMPAIGN EVIDENCE + RECOMMENDED PRACTICE
The page reports efficiency and revenue benefits but does not publish figures. The table lists what a financial firm should look for to judge a marketing automation program.
| Measure | Why it matters | Reported here? |
|---|---|---|
| Sales efficiency | Shows time saved per lead | Described as much more efficient; no figure |
| Leads from live chat | Shows chat value | Described as more leads; no figure |
| Sales from LinkedIn | Shows B2B channel value | Described as more sales; no figure |
| Lead to consultation rate | Connects leads to conversations | No |
| Clients won and revenue by source | The business case | No |
What Other Financial Firms Can Learn From This Campaign
CAMPAIGN EVIDENCE, THEN RECOMMENDED APPLICATION
| Lesson | What happened here (documented) | How to apply it (recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| Build a system, not a campaign | Marketing automation was integrated with the business | Connect forms, chat and email to one lead record |
| Nurture patiently | Lead tracking and nurturing led to higher revenue | Send useful follow-ups that match where each lead is in the decision |
| Engage visitors in the moment | Live chat created more leads | Staff chat during business hours and set clear expectations about response time |
| Use LinkedIn for B2B | LinkedIn work led to more sales | Share expertise consistently and connect with relevant decision makers |
Key takeaways for financial services marketing
- Automation makes follow-up consistent. Tracking and nurturing carried leads forward.
- Several channels, one system. Live chat, social media and LinkedIn fed the same process.
- Measure to clients won. Revenue by source is the proof a financial firm needs.
LINKEDIN OUTREACH
Your next client is already on LinkedIn.
Turn your expertise into steady B2B conversations with a social and outreach plan built for regulated firms.
Frequently Asked Questions
It plans and runs marketing for financial firms across channels such as SEO, paid search, social media, content and marketing automation, with an eye on trust and compliance. For this client it built a lead generation system around automation, nurturing, live chat, LinkedIn and social media.
Digital Success reports more efficient sales, higher revenue from lead nurturing, more leads from live chat and more sales from LinkedIn. Figures are not published in the page text.
No paid search work is described in this case study.
Prospects often decide slowly. Automation tracks each lead and keeps follow-up consistent, as it did in this engagement.
What This Case Study Does and Does Not Establish
This page documents what Digital Success did and the work described above. It is not a controlled experiment, and some questions cannot be answered without data that was not published.
What the documented work supports
- The client integrated marketing automation, lead tracking and nurturing, live chat and LinkedIn outreach.
- Digital Success reports efficiency, lead and sales benefits from those elements.
What it does not establish without additional data
- Any quantified result, baseline or time period.
- Which element contributed most.
- Whether the results would apply to a firm of a different size or in a different market.
- Any paid search, SEO or compliance work. None is described.
Need a financial services digital marketing agency that builds a lead system?
Tell us how you win clients today and we will map where online can help.
Talk to our financial services marketing team Call +1-855-344-4821