A Financial Advisor’s Guide To Avoiding Mistakes
Engaging with the media can be a powerful way to build your reputation and share your expertise, but there are all too many ways to get it wrong. A misstep in how you handle an interview or interact with a journalist can damage your credibility and make future opportunities harder to come by. To help you avoid these pitfalls, here’s a practical guide to how not to engage with the media.
Skip The Homework
Preparation is your best friend when it comes to media opportunities. Familiarize yourself with the journalist’s work, their beat, their audience’s interests and what they’re hoping to learn from you. This will help you deliver thoughtful responses that hit the mark and establish you as a trusted expert. A little effort ahead of time can go a long way in creating a lasting impression.
Turn Every Interview Into A Sales Pitch
Reporters want to talk to you because they believe you have valuable insights—not because they want to hear a sales pitch. It’s fine to reference your services when it fits naturally into the conversation or aligns with the story’s focus, but constantly redirecting to your firm’s services is a quick way to lose a reporter’s interest (and future opportunities). Instead, try to focus on providing thoughtful, unbiased expertise that demonstrates your credibility.
Speculate On Topics You May Not Fully Understand
If a journalist asks you to comment on a topic outside your area of expertise, don’t just wing it. Offering uninformed or speculative opinions can backfire, leaving you looking unprepared or, worse, unprofessional. You don’t have to answer every question. If asked about something beyond your scope, it’s perfectly acceptable to say, “I’m not the best person to speak on that, but I can provide information on [insert related topic within your expertise].” This keeps the focus on what you do know.
Disregard Compliance
Compliance should never be considered a mere afterthought—it’s an essential asset when it comes to maintaining your professional reputation. Moreover, it keeps you and your firm, of course, compliant with regulators. Whether discussing hypothetical returns, making performance guarantees, or inadvertently giving financial advice, a slip-up here can have serious consequences. If you’re unsure about what you can say, check with your compliance team and establish guardrails before the interview. But never overcompensate by expecting editors to add elaborate disclaimers to your quotes—that’s a nonstarter.
If you’re unsure about what you can say, check with your compliance team.
Assume Off The Record Means Off The Hook
“Off the record” isn’t a magic phrase that absolves you of responsibility for your words. Unless you and the journalist explicitly agree to off-the-record terms before the conversation, assume everything you say can be quoted. If you need to clarify or provide sensitive context, confirm the rules of engagement beforehand.
Forget Media Etiquette
Respect is key when working with journalists. Avoid interrupting, going off on unrelated tangents for minutes on end, or failing to follow up with additional information you promised. These behaviors can strain your relationship with reporters, who are juggling tight deadlines and multiple sources. Be succinct, respectful and responsive to leave a positive impression.
Ask To Review The Article Before It Runs
One of the fastest ways to frustrate a journalist is to ask to see or approve their article before it’s published. The media isn’t an extension of your marketing team—they’re independent and operate under strict editorial standards. Similarly, avoid asking them to change something just because it doesn’t perfectly align with how you want to be portrayed. If there’s a factual error, it’s fine to politely point it out, but respect their role as the storyteller.
The TL;DR
Engaging with the media is an opportunity to build trust and credibility, and you shouldn’t expect to control their story narrative (that’s what advertising is for). By avoiding these common mistakes, you can position yourself as a reliable, professional source that journalists will want to call on again. Done right, media engagement can elevate your profile and reinforce your reputation as a leader in the financial industry.
Done right, media engagement can elevate your profile and reinforce your reputation.
If you’re unsure about how to navigate potential media landmines, a reputable PR firm can help you prepare, deliver the right messaging and navigate potential challenges to ensure every interaction strengthens your profile.
Emma Smith is Partner at StreetCred PR, a public relations agency focused on the financial services sector.
