Video for RIAs: a short guide

By Sarah Falcon. Updated 2026-10-08.

A short video works for an RIA when a partner answers one question a client has asked, in plain words, and the clip goes where the right people will see it.

What the data says

Video is a content tactic. Content tactics together carried an average RAC of $1.99 in the 2026 Kitces study, which is the cost of each new dollar of client revenue, and results varied widely. Podcasting, an audio format, carried $0.62. The cost of content sits mostly in partner time, so the part to get right is how much of it the partner has to give.

These are associations in self-reported data.

How to make one

1. Pick one question a client has asked. For example, how a Roth conversion fits into a retirement plan, or what equity compensation means for a tax bill.
2. Outline the answer in three to five points, in the words you would use across the table from the client.
3. Record it on a phone or a laptop, facing a window, with the sound clear. Sound matters more than the camera.
4. Send the script and the finished video to your compliance reviewer before it publishes, and into your archiving system after.
5. Publish it on YouTube, where it can be found by search, and on LinkedIn. Embed it on the website page that answers the same question.
6. Reuse it. A longer conversation can give several clips.

What the partner does and what someone else does

The partner chooses the question and records the answer. Someone else edits, adds captions, writes the title and description, uploads, and tracks what follows.

Compliance

A video is marketing. Testimonials, performance references, and third-party content in a video follow the same rules as they do on a page.

Questions

Does an RIA need professional video? A clear recording of a partner who knows the subject does the job. Poor sound is the problem to avoid.

Where should an RIA publish video? On YouTube and LinkedIn, and embedded on the website page that answers the same question.

Sources

• The Kitces Report, Volume 2, 2026: How Financial Planners Actually Market Their Services. The survey drew 506 qualifying responses, 91% from Kitces.com readers. Figures are self-reported and show associations, not guarantees.

Next step

Video clips can feed the social media and website work.

Tell us where you want growth to come from.

Book a call

A 30-minute call with Sarah Falcon. We talk through where your clients come from today and where you want growth to come from.