Where Advisors Are Shifting Their Marketing

The 2026 Kitces Marketing Study shows where advisors are putting their efforts and where they’re pulling back.

The 2026 Kitces Marketing Study is out, and one chart in particular caught my eye (Figure 4.6, page 53).

Since 2024, advisors have increased their use of third-party review sites (such as Google Reviews), cold-calling, direct postal mail, centers of influence, client appreciation events, SEO, media appearances, paid advertising, custodial referrals, and client referrals. Meanwhile, content and digital marketing tactics other than search saw a decrease in usage: newsletters, blogging, social media, webinars, and podcasts all declined.

Now I want to be clear, this is a usage trend, not a “what works” trend. Just because advisors are choosing to invest more time in them does not mean they produce better results than other tactics with decreasing usage.

While the changes are relatively small (ranging from about -7% to +5% in percentage points), the pattern aligns with what I’ve been seeing in my own work with advisors. There is so much digital noise out there that digital channels are becoming harder to compete in, not just against advisors but against everyone trying to capture the consumer’s attention. The one exception is search (including AEO, SEO, and review sites) where prospects are intentionally seeking out an advisor. Instead, this shift shows that advisors are trying to find ways to get directly in front of prospects that don’t require mastering algorithms or competing for attention with AI-generated content.

I may be extrapolating too much from one chart and the data doesn’t prove an exact trend, but I think it reflects what’s on the minds of advisors right now: the tactics that put you in front of actual people feel more productive than the ones where you’re competing for their attention.

The takeaway: If you’ve been feeling like your content and social media marketing isn’t getting the traction it used to, you’re not alone. The trend is moving toward direct, human-centered marketing. If that’s where your instincts have been pulling you, follow them.