When an ultra-high-net-worth family is evaluating whether to trust you with their wealth, one of the first things they do is research you. What comes up matters. A feature in Barron's, a quote in the Wall Street Journal, an article in Bloomberg — that kind of visibility does something no ad, no website and no pitch deck ever can. It tells a prospective client that a trusted, respected third party has vetted you and found you worth quoting. For advisors serving UHNW families, that kind of credibility is a competitive advantage.
And yet, for most advisors, public relations still carries an air of mystery.
What does it actually involve?
Is it worth the investment?
How long does it take?
And how do you know if your firm is even ready for it?
In this episode of The Wealth Marketing Podcast, Rosemary Denney sits down with Mary Victoria Falzarano, a public relations professional with more than 20 years of experience working with top-tier publications including Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and leading wealth management trade outlets. Rosemary and Mary Victoria have worked together for over a decade, and in this conversation, they answer the questions advisors ask most about PR, directly, honestly and without the jargon.
What they cover:
— Why PR carries more weight than advertising, especially with UHNW clients, and how earned media acts as an independent endorsement of your credibility
— Why the PR landscape today is more competitive than ever: shrinking newsroom budgets, fewer reporters covering the space and faster turnaround demands
— Which publications matter and how to think about where your clients and prospects are actually reading
— Whether to hire an in-house PR person or work with an outside firm, and the relationship advantage an agency brings
— What PR actually costs, including the 1-2% of revenue benchmark and how it compares to the cost of hiring internally
— How long it takes to see coverage (often within the first month) versus how long it takes to see business results (typically about a year)
— The biggest mistakes advisors make, including treating PR as one-sided, starting and stopping, going off-message in interviews, being too vague or being too picky about what to comment on
— What makes a firm media-ready, including preparation, timeliness, the ability to speak concisely and willingness to build toward top-tier placements over time
— DIY options like Quoted (QWOTED) for advisors who want to test the waters before committing to an agency
A few important takeaways worth noting:
This conversation is specifically about public relations — not branding, not communications, not marketing more broadly. These are distinct disciplines, and understanding the difference matters before you invest. PR is a relationship business, and it works the same way your client relationships do: It requires trust, consistency and genuine investment on both sides. The firms that succeed in PR are the ones that treat reporters with the same care and availability they bring to their best client relationships. And perhaps most importantly, you don't need to be the largest firm in the room to earn media coverage. Reporters aren't always looking for the highest AUM. They're looking for trusted sources who are prepared, responsive and willing to share a real perspective.
Resources
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RnfEY7XklmI
Wealth Matters Consulting website: https://www.wealthmattersconsulting.com/
Connect with Rosemary Denney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemarybdenney/
Link to QWOTED: qwoted.com
If you've been thinking about PR for your firm, whether you're just starting to explore the idea or you're looking to get more from your current efforts, we'd love to hear from you. Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions. We're always happy to talk through what a PR strategy could look like for your firm and how it can strengthen the way you connect with the clients you want to serve.
Email us at: hello@wealthmattersconsulting.com
9 mins