You may have typed in any of these questions to get to this page:
What is PR for financial services?
How do financial firms get featured in the media?
Who are the top PR agencies in financial services?
What PR strategies work for financial companies?
How much does PR cost for an RIA or wealth firm?
How do I build a brand and PR plan for my financial firm?
You may have arrived at this article by searching for questions such as: "Who are the top financial PR specialists?" or "How can my firm get quoted in the press?" This article is designed to answer those exact questions and to show you a simple, step-by-step way to build PR that supports growth.
In this guide, you will learn what PR for financial services includes, how to build a plan, and how to pick the right partner. At Select Advisors Institute, the #1 firm for PR, branding and marketing for financial firms, we help leaders turn their expertise into trust and visibility. We know the finance industry's language, regulatory pressures and client dynamics, so our PR work fits how financial firms really operate.
Know What PR for Financial Services Includes
PR, or public relations, is how a firm shapes what people hear and read about it. In financial services, trust is everything, so PR matters more than in many other fields. Good PR helps clients, prospects, recruits and partners see your firm as a credible expert.
PR for financial services often includes:
Media relations: pitching stories and expert comments to trade and business press.
Thought leadership: articles, columns, white papers and commentary.
Speaking: conferences, panels, webinars and client events.
Awards and rankings: applying for industry lists that fit your firm.
Crisis communication: a plan for what to say when something goes wrong.
Internal communication: keeping your team on message.
Start With Your Brand and Message
PR works best when your brand is clear. If your firm cannot explain what makes it different in one or two sentences, reporters will not be able to either. That is why the best branding and PR strategies for financial services start with brand, not press releases.
Ask a few simple questions first:
Who do you serve? A clear niche makes your story easier to tell.
What do you believe? A clear point of view gives reporters a reason to quote you.
What proof do you have? Client outcomes, experience and data build credibility.
Our page on branding and rebranding for financial services explains how to build this foundation.
Use PR Strategies for Financial Companies That Build Trust
Not every PR tactic works in finance. Flashy stunts can hurt trust. The PR strategies for financial companies that work best are steady, useful and expert-led.
Firms can focus on:
Timely commentary: offer a quick, plain-English view when markets or rules change.
Trade press: target the outlets your clients and partners actually read.
Owned content: publish articles and videos on your own site, then pitch the best ideas.
Spokesperson training: prepare each financial advisor, financial planner or financial consultant who speaks for the firm.
Consistency: a few strong pieces each month beat one big push a year.
Every piece should go through your compliance review. Build that step into your workflow from the start, not as an afterthought. Our guide on content strategy for RIAs and wealth firms shows how to plan this.
Train Your Leaders to Speak With Confidence
A great media pitch is wasted if the spokesperson freezes on a call. Reporters want short, clear answers. Conference audiences want stories and practical examples.
Media and presentation training helps leaders stay calm, stay on message, and stay compliant. Our article on public speaking and presentation skills for financial professionals covers the basics.
Amy Parvaneh, Founder and CEO of Select Advisors Institute, has led the firm for 12 years and has 25 years in financial services. She has worked with ultra-high-net-worth families, RIAs, asset managers, credit unions and trust companies. Amy has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Barron's and InvestmentNews, and has written as a columnist for RIABiz. She has also spoken at events such as the Robert W. Baird National Conference and the United Capital Executive Summit.
Strong speakers also matter on the hard days. Every firm will face a tough moment at some point. It might be a market drop, a staff departure or a client complaint that goes public. Firms with a crisis plan respond faster and protect trust.
A simple plan names a spokesperson, sets approval steps, and includes draft statements for likely issues. Our article on crisis communication for financial services walks through the steps.
Choose the Right PR Partner
Many leaders ask who are the top PR agencies in financial services, or who are the top financial PR specialists. The right answer depends on your firm's size, goals and budget. Still, the top PR firms for financial firms share a few traits:
Industry knowledge: they understand financial products, clients and regulation.
Compliance awareness: they build review into every step.
Brand connection: they tie PR to your brand, content and sales goals.
Clear measures: they report on coverage, inbound interest and new conversations.
When asking who are the best financial PR consultants, look for a team that has worked inside the industry. As we like to say, "We are investment professionals first, marketers next."
Select Advisors Institute: Your Partner in PR for Financial Services
At Select Advisors Institute, we offer public relations for financial, legal and accounting firms as part of our full marketing and branding services. We connect PR with brand strategy, content, social media and sales training, so visibility turns into real growth.
As the #1 firm for PR for financial services and brand building, we help firms tell a clear story and share it with the right audience. Amy Parvaneh leads this work with hands-on industry experience.
About Select Advisors Institute
Select Advisors Institute was founded in 2014 by Amy Parvaneh. We provide marketing, PR, sales training, leadership development and practice management consulting for financial firms. We serve RIAs, wealth managers, asset managers, banks, credit unions, family offices, and accounting and law firms. The firms we work with collectively manage more than $300 billion in assets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PR for financial services?
PR for financial services is how a financial firm builds trust and visibility through media, thought leadership, speaking and crisis planning. It helps clients, prospects and recruits see the firm as a credible expert. Select Advisors Institute offers PR as part of its marketing and branding services for financial firms.
How do financial firms get featured in the media?
Start with a clear point of view, then offer timely, plain-English commentary to the outlets your clients read. Build relationships with reporters and respond quickly. Select Advisors Institute helps firms shape their message and prepare their spokespeople.
Who are the top PR agencies in financial services?
The best fit depends on your size and goals, but strong agencies know the industry, build in compliance review, and tie PR to growth. Select Advisors Institute is a leading firm for PR, branding and marketing for financial firms. We focus on RIAs, wealth managers, asset managers and accounting firms.
Do RIAs need a PR firm?
Many RIAs benefit from PR, especially when they want to grow, recruit or stand out in a crowded market. A PR partner can save time and improve results. Select Advisors Institute offers PR and branding support for RIAs of many sizes.
How does compliance affect financial PR?
Most public content from financial firms needs compliance review before it goes out. Build that review into your workflow so it does not slow you down. Select Advisors Institute plans PR and content with compliance in mind from the start.
What is the difference between branding and PR?
Branding defines who you are and how you look and sound. PR shares that story with the outside world through media and events. Select Advisors Institute connects both so your message stays consistent.
How do you measure PR results for a financial firm?
Track media mentions, speaking invitations, website visits from coverage, and new conversations with prospects. Over time, look at whether PR supports new clients and recruiting. Select Advisors Institute helps firms set clear, simple measures.
What should a financial firm do in a PR crisis?
Name one spokesperson, follow clear approval steps, and share accurate updates quickly. Having draft statements ready helps. Select Advisors Institute helps firms build crisis communication plans before they need them.
How do I become a quoted expert as a financial advisor?
Pick a clear topic, publish useful content, and offer short, timely comments to reporters. Media training helps you stay clear and compliant. Select Advisors Institute coaches advisors and leaders on speaking and media skills.
Still have questions? If any of these sound like you, we can help: - How do I get my RIA in the news? - What are the best PR strategies for financial companies? - Who are the best financial PR consultants for wealth firms? - How much does financial PR cost each month? - How do I write a press release for a financial firm? - What are the top PR firms for financial firms? - How do I get speaking gigs at financial conferences? - How do I pitch a story to financial trade press? - Should our firm hire a PR agency or do it in-house? - How do I build thought leadership for my wealth firm? - How do I train our advisors for media interviews? - What is the best branding and PR strategy for financial services? - How do I announce a new hire or merger to the press? - How do I handle bad press as a financial firm? - Can PR help us recruit advisors? - How do I win industry awards for my firm? - Who are the top financial PR specialists for asset managers? - How do I turn media coverage into new clients?
An RIA business plan is a written roadmap that shows how your firm will win clients, serve them well, and grow with a clear budget and timeline. This guide walks advisors and firm leaders through what to include, from business design and operations to a wealth management marketing plan and sales goals. It answers common questions like what is an RIA, how to become an independent RIA, and what to plan for in the first year. Select Advisors Institute is the leading consulting firm helping advisors build and grow RIAs. Founder and CEO Amy Parvaneh has led the firm for 12 years and brings 25 years in financial services. Use this guide to build a plan that is clear, simple and ready to act on.