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How an Oshawa financial advisor turned a $15,000 ad campaign into six new clients and $3M in assets

A lead generation campaign on Meta and LinkedIn, backed by SEO, that reached people approaching retirement and brought in 86 leads. Here’s what we did and what made it work.

86
leads generated
6
new clients, averaging about $500K in assets each
$3M
in combined new assets under management
240%
first-year return on the $15,000 ad campaign
Client
Financial advisor, Oshawa, Ontario
Audience
People approaching or in retirement
Services
Paid ads on Meta and LinkedIn, SEO
Investment
$15,000 for paid ads, plus $2,850 for SEO

The goal

The advisor wanted a steadier flow of new conversations with people nearing retirement, beyond what referrals alone could bring. Retirement planning is a crowded space in Durham Region, and the people he wanted to reach weren’t actively searching for a new advisor. They needed to come across him, recognize their own situation in what he was offering, and have an easy way to take the next step.

He also wanted to know the marketing was paying for itself: not just leads, but new clients and new assets.

What we did

Paid ads to start conversations now, and SEO so his website would keep working long after.

1
Ads that featured the advisor himself
People choose an advisor they feel they know. Instead of stock photos, the ads put the advisor front and centre, speaking directly to people thinking about retirement.
2
Creative that did the targeting on Meta
Financial services ads on Meta fall under restricted targeting, so we can’t aim them by age or interests. The ads had to find the right people on their own, so every headline, image and line of copy was written to speak plainly to someone nearing retirement. The people it was meant for recognized themselves, and most others scrolled past.
3
LinkedIn for professionals later in their careers
LinkedIn reached a second group: established professionals starting to plan their next stage. Running both platforms meant more of the right people saw the advisor more than once.
4
Two ways to get in touch
Some ads sent people to the advisor’s website, where they could learn about him and his approach before reaching out. Others used Meta and LinkedIn lead forms, so people could request a conversation in a couple of taps without leaving the app. Offering both meant more of the interested people actually got in touch.
5
SEO so the website kept working
We optimized the website for the searches local prospects use, so it would also bring in people searching for an advisor on Google, with or without an ad.

The results

86
leads from people interested in planning for retirement
6
leads became clients
~$500K
average assets per new client
$3M
in combined new assets under management
~$36K
in first-year revenue for the practice, from a $15,000 ad campaign
~$80K
estimated lifetime revenue from each new client

In the first year, the new clients brought in about $36,000 in revenue for the practice, a 240% return on the $15,000 ad campaign, or about 200% on the full $17,850 including SEO. Because each client relationship is expected to be worth about $80,000 over its lifetime, the long-term value of the campaign is far higher than the first-year number suggests.

Revenue figures are the practice’s own estimates. Results vary by market, niche and follow-up.

What made it work

Fast follow-up
The advisor contacted every lead within about six hours, while their interest was fresh. Speed of follow-up is often the biggest difference between a lead and a client.
A real person in the ads
Featuring the advisor built familiarity before the first call. By the time they spoke, prospects already felt they knew him.
Creative written for one audience
With Meta’s targeting limits, the message did the filtering. Speaking clearly to people nearing retirement brought in better leads than a broad message would have.
Paid and organic together
On-platform lead forms made it easy to raise a hand right away, while SEO made the website stronger for everyone who wanted to learn more first, whether they came from an ad or from Google.

Questions about this campaign

Can I get results like this?+

Results depend on your market, your audience, your offer and how quickly you follow up. What we can promise is the same approach: ads written for the people you want to reach, a website that gives them a reason to get in touch, and regular reporting so you can see what’s working.

Do I need both paid ads and SEO?+

Not necessarily. Paid ads start conversations right away. SEO takes longer but keeps bringing in leads without ongoing ad spend. Many advisors start with one and add the other. We’ll recommend what fits your goals and budget.

Why not just target retirees on Meta?+

Meta treats financial services as a restricted category, so ads can’t be aimed by age or interests. The creative has to do the work, which is why we write every ad for one specific audience.

Do you also run seminars?+

Yes, and seminars are now the main way we help advisors meet new prospects. Book four seminars over the next 12 months and save 10%. See seminar marketing.

Want more conversations with the right prospects?

Tell us who you want to reach. We’ll show you what a campaign could look like for your practice.

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