The new rules of organic growth for RIAs

Ask any successful financial advisor about their clients and they light up like a Christmas tree.

But ask them about their marketing?

The energy drops. Eyes shift. Suddenly, everyone’s not so bullish anymore.

I was recently talking to an advisor – let’s call him Noah. Noah’s not some rookie trying to find his niche. This advisor’s a beast: $30 billion in AUM. Multi-office RIA. CFP®. Built the firm from scratch over 40 years ago. He’s got a rockstar team and a brand most firms would kill for.

But here’s what Noah told me – unapologetically – behind closed doors:

“Tina, our marketing just isn’t working. We’ve grown on referrals forever, but that pipeline’s slowing down. We know we haven’t kept up.”

Boom. There it is.

And guess what? Noah’s not alone.

At Intention.ly, I talk to firms like Noah’s every day before they become clients. Do you know what I hear?

Frustration. Disappointment. Panic (the kind they won’t admit out loud). What used to feel like a temporary dip in growth is starting to look like a pattern. 

And the kicker? They all know it.

They’re the first to admit their marketing is outdated, inconsistent, and mostly guesswork. Here's just a sampling of what I’ve heard in the past month alone:

• “Our website’s ancient. It doesn’t reflect who we are now, and it definitely doesn’t bring in the right clients.”
  

• “We should be doing more with content and social, but we’re too busy – and we just don’t know how.”
  

• “There’s no real marketing strategy or plan. We’re just throwing a bunch of things at the wall and hoping something sticks.”
  

• “People visit our site, but then... nothing. Honestly, we don’t have a clear path for them to book a meeting or engage with us.”
  

• “We’re spending money, but I have no idea what we’re getting in return.”

This is happening across the board – even at some of the best firms.

Outdated websites. Scattered content. Messaging is so bland that it’s impossible to tell one firm from another.

What’s the cost to those firms? 

Answer: Their next million-dollar client.

But here’s the part most firms miss…Marketing isn’t some Harry Potter spell. 

It’s not magic. It’s a muscle most advisors aren’t working.

If you want to build a predictable, scalable, referral-amplifying organic growth engine in 2025, then it’s time to get intentional. (Yes, I said the I-word. We built a company on it.)

Here’s the formula. Put it in your phone. Ready?

• Modernize your website so it works as hard as your employees.
  
  
• Publish content that actually says something – and means something to the right people.
  
  
• Train your team to dominate LinkedIn, not just scroll it.
  
  
• And most importantly, turn client experience into your firm’s best sales rep.

Everyone in your firm can be a growth driver – no matter their role. From client service to compliance, when your team is aligned around strategy, voice, and experience, growth becomes a shared mission.

Noah’s story isn’t just a story. It’s a wake-up call. Because the truth is, you already have what it takes – but only if you stop winging it and start engineering your growth.

You’re not behind.

You’re just one sharp, focused, intentional move away from doing it right.

Now let’s get to work.