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 demands 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.
