In an industry where results and credibility are non-negotiable, Tiffany Markarian has
long been regarded as a transformative force in financial services marketing. With
over three decades of experience, she hasn’t merely adapted to change; she’s
helped shape it. As the Founder and Managing Director of Advantus Marketing,
Tiffany’s strategic consulting over the past 30 years has empowered thousands of
financial advisors and professionals to not only create profitability and scale for their
businesses but redefine how they engage with clients and niche markets. Her story
is one of deep, tactical execution focused on what truly moves the needle.
Beyond Marketing: Scaling with Precision
Over the past several decades, there has been significant migration from
commission-based to advisory and fee-driven financial planning models. This
necessitates a need for advisors to focus on scaling their business and getting a
better return on effort and ROI for the time spent with each client household. It
further requires advisors to correctly articulate their value. An advisor’s client
experience and going upmarket have become central themes where Tiffany’s impact
is unmatched.
Standing Out and Staying Ahead
Standing out as a marketing strategist in the financial services industry requires
more than just having general marketing skills; it demands deep industry fluency.
The advisors and professionals who work with Tiffany quickly come to realize she
knows their business model and the industry landscape inside and out. She
understands and navigates regulatory compliance, client segmentation, revenue
models, and the nuances of varied business structures, including RIAs, broker-
dealers, and insurance brokerage firms.
Marketing That Improves the Bottom Line
Today’s marketing focus requires more than just branding and digital marketing.
Tiffany helps advisors get real traction with their business development and optimize
their practice for future opportunities. She bridges skill gaps, improves conversions,
boosts client acquisition, and helps each advisor’s staff embrace the direction at
hand. As she states, “We help advisors focus on what their competitors aren’t doing
or won’t do.”
The Branding Missteps Most Advisors Make
Tiffany often sees advisors fall in love with their own process, using buzzwords like
“holistic,” “fiduciary,” or “fee-only” planning in their branding. These phrases are
important, but words alone don’t compel prospects to engage. When advisors lead
with fee-driven planning, prospects often get focused on the fee, and you end up
down a rabbit hole. This causes friction and resistance with prospects and clients.
Tiffany’s insights have helped countless advisors reframe their messaging to reflect
the emotional and tangible benefits clients actually care about.
Landing Opportunities
What truly motivates Tiffany is helping professionals uncover blind spots, streamline
their operations, and grow with intention. The goal? Efficiency, profitability, and
predictable revenue. Tiffany helps advisors and their teams shift from being merely
reactive to becoming intentional with their client outreach and acquisition. “We help
them land the opportunities they were previously unequipped to capture, such as
going upmarket, acquiring another practice, or creating real results in a niche,” she
explains. Her strategies are not only practical; they’re transformative.
Digital Marketing vs. Distraction
In today’s fast-paced world of AI and digital tools, too many advisors get caught up in
the “shiny new thing.” They tend to lose focus and aren’t getting ROI or ROE from
their marketing efforts. Tiffany urges advisors to stay focused on their client
experience and the levels of personalization they need to deliver for their different
client tiers. Her method is simple but profound: use tech to enhance human
relationships, not replace them. From automation in scheduling and onboarding to
never forgetting the impact of handwritten thank-you notes, every tool should serve
the end goal of better, more personalized client experiences.
“In the absence of a strategic plan, tech can become a diversion,” she warns. Her
framework ensures that every tool fits into a larger, intentional strategy, one that
allows the advisor to stay client-facing.
Action Over Accolades
While Tiffany is a recognized thought leader, having received numerous awards,
including “The Leading Marketing Minds in Financial Services” by The Enterprise
World and “Top Marketing Strategist” by Financial Services Review, her focus
remains clear: creating opportunities for advisors and their businesses. She stays in
constant study and precision mode to help advisors acquire and retain clients and
increase the equity value of their business.
The Path Forward: Trends to Watch
Looking ahead, Tiffany is laser-focused on helping advisors align their pricing and
service models with the time spent for each respective client household. Advisors
need to consistently evaluate the health of their practice and how they are spending
their time. “Stable revenue doesn’t equal sustainable growth if time and resources
aren’t optimized,” she cautions. Clients and consumers are looking to be cared for
and cared about by their financial advisory team. As a result, advisors need to
structure their time and workflows to maximize proactive client outreach.
Conclusion
Tiffany Markarian’s legacy is built not just on awards or achievements, but on the
thousands of advisors and financial leaders she has impacted. From messaging and
positioning to operational scale, she continues to transform financial practices. It’s
about staying on top of what matters most and keeping watch on where the industry
is headed next.
