Creating annuity content that earns and holds advisor attention is harder than it should be. Products have improved significantly, but complexity, compliance constraints, and intense competition still make it difficult for content to do its job between wholesaler interactions.
Effective annuity content creation sits at the intersection of clarity, credibility, and relevance. Insurance companies have upped their game when it comes to the annuity products they offer today. But they still struggle to retain advisor attention when their content doesn’t carry the load between wholesaler visits. Sometimes referred to as “the A-word,” annuities may have once been one of the most misunderstood investment products in the market. They have come a long way, and in the past decade alone, issuers have developed products and features that are easier for both advisors and clients to understand.
Why annuity content creation is harder than it looks
Creating worthwhile content to support these newer, better products can be deceptively challenging. Annuities are bound by a rigorous compliance review process that can strip away the very language that makes content compelling. At the same time, advisors are inundated with materials from competing carriers, making it easy for content to disappear in the noise. And because annuities are still inherently complex products, annuity content creation relies on striking the right balance between oversimplification, which runs the risk of leaving knowledge gaps, and diving too deep, which can alienate less sophisticated audiences. Creating annuity content that breaks through requires finding the narrow space between compliant and compelling, differentiated and relevant, sophisticated and easy to understand.
Annuity products and features have changed for the better, but annuity content creation for financial advisors remains an uphill battle. When compared to simple, traditional investment products such as securities or mutual funds, annuities require a bigger effort and a more thoughtful approach to get financial advisors to embrace them.
Our experience in the annuity world has yielded a few best practices that we think are worth sharing.
1. Lead with life events, not product features
Because annuities are inherently complex, annuity content creation should lead with life events rather than product features. Highlighting the moments that matter most to the advisor’s clients, such as sending their child to college, retiring on their own terms, caring for an aging parent, or simply feeling confident about what the future holds, helps advisors see themselves in the story. These are the events that advisors help their clients prepare for.
From there, connect the features of annuities, such as guaranteed interest rates and income, to how they might help people feel more confident when navigating those moments. By putting human needs and experiences first, it makes complex product features more tangible and relevant and helps advisors and their clients see themselves in the story, understand the real-life value an annuity may provide, and better envision how it could help them do the things that matter most.
2. Use plain language as a content standard, not an afterthought
When it comes to annuity content creation, you should always use plain language and avoid industry jargon whenever possible. Annuities, perhaps more than any other financial product, are fraught with terminology and acronyms that can create confusion before the conversation even begins.
Terms like RILA, surrender charges, and annuitant may be familiar within the industry, but they are unlikely to mean much to the average person. Use the clearest, most straightforward words to explain what an annuity is, how it works, and why it matters, using familiar terms, short sentences, and concrete examples wherever possible. The goal is to use language that will help advisors and clients better understand the value of the annuity.
3. Build an educational content series, not one-off pieces
Think beyond product pieces to develop broader education content that helps make a complex landscape easier to navigate. Financial advisors are more likely to recommend an investment product when they have a full understanding of how it works and feel confident explaining it to clients. That level of understanding rarely comes from a single piece of content. Instead, build an educational content series that guides advisors and clients through annuities over time, starting with the fundamentals and gradually exploring the different types, features, and potential roles annuities can play in a financial plan.
By connecting each piece to the next, you can help build knowledge and confidence over time. When advisors and clients have a clear picture of what annuities are and how they work, they can begin to see where they may fit within their own financial lives.
4. Write every piece for two audiences: the advisor and their client
To effectively serve their clients, advisors need more than product information. They need content that enables them to help clients understand what an annuity could mean for their lives. Having client-approved materials can help advisors bring annuities to life by connecting the features to the questions, concerns, and goals their clients actually have. Those materials can also help advisors explain complex concepts more clearly, leading to more productive conversations.
Without client-friendly content, advisors are left to translate technical product information on their own and essentially build the story from scratch. Developing annuity content that’s designed around the client’s perspective can help advisors move from explaining how an annuity works to showing why it may matter.
5. Make fee transparency a content pillar
Annuities have traditionally been perceived as complex and, in some cases, opaque, particularly when it comes to understanding what they cost. Address that concern directly by leaning into fee transparency and creating content that clearly and consistently explains fees. Be upfront about administrative fees, mortality and expense risk charges, rider fees, commissions, and other potential costs. Balance that discussion with what investors receive in return. Use clear language, straightforward examples, and real numbers whenever possible to help advisors and clients understand what they are paying and why.
By making fee education an ongoing part of the content strategy, rather than a sidenote or disclosure added at the end, annuity providers can help advisors have more confident conversations and give clients the clarity they need to make informed decisions.
6. Create a consistent narrative across every content format
Regardless of whether an advisor encounters your story in a white paper, email, presentation, social post, video, or client-approved piece, the message should feel consistent and recognizable. The level of detail may change depending on the audience and channel, but the central value proposition should remain the same. In many cases, annuity content creation involves developing one piece at a time, resulting in different messages competing for attention rather than reinforcing one another.
Start by aligning around a simple, compelling story about what the product offers and why it matters, then adapt that narrative to fit each format. When every piece builds on the same core idea, repetition becomes an advantage. It strengthens recognition, improves understanding, and builds trust over time.
7. Map content formats to advisor preferences
Advisors are not one-size-fits-all, and your content strategy should be flexible enough to include various content formats to accommodate them. Develop content formats around the way advisors prefer to learn, evaluate, and share information. For some, short explainer videos or comparison one-pagers are helpful for quick overviews or to evaluate options. Client-approved materials are preferable to leave with clients after meetings. Content delivered via email series can help build awareness and understanding over time, while webinars create opportunities to explore complex topics in greater depth and ask questions. Consider where each format fits within the advisor journey and what job it needs to do.
By aligning formats with advisor preferences and needs rather than simply repurposing the same message across channels, content becomes easier to engage with and more likely to generate action.
8. Arm wholesalers with ready-to-use content, not raw collateral
Equip wholesalers with content that’s ready to use with their advisors, not a library of collateral they have to sort through and assemble themselves. Advisors already receive an endless stream of emails, presentations, and product materials, and they often rely on wholesalers to cut through the noise and bring them what is most relevant. Make that easier by arming wholesalers with complete, practical content packages they can put to work immediately. For example, that could contain a concise advisor email, a meeting-ready presentation, a client-facing leave-behind, a short explainer video, and follow-up content for the next conversation.
Whenever possible, work with wholesalers to develop the content that addresses the challenges they are hearing from advisors. Be sure wholesalers have a clear understanding of each asset, along with consistent talking points that reinforce the broader narrative. When wholesalers can deliver the right content at the right moment, they become more than a distribution channel, they become a valuable source of clarity for advisors.
Annuity content formats that actually work with advisors
We have found that specific content formats are especially effective at helping advisors understand annuities, explain the products and features to clients, and move conversations forward. These include:
- Client-approved one-pagers: These are effective at translating complex products into clear, concise nuggets of information that advisors can use in meetings.
- Short explainer videos: Kept under 90 seconds (the shorter the better), these videos can serve to quickly articulate a concept, feature, or meeting a client need without overwhelming the viewer.
- Email nurture sequences: These help to build understanding over time, moving advisors from initial awareness to deeper education and action. These can be especially effective in supporting new feature rollouts or product launches.
- Comparison guides: To help advisors evaluate annuities against other products, these are an effective way to quickly see how products measure up in areas such as income, growth potential, liquidity, risk, and guarantees.
- Wholesaler talk tracks and content guides: Rather than leaving wholesalers to interpret collateral on their own, collaborating with wholesalers to develop talking points and content guides can turn marketing materials into powerful sales tools. These resources give them a clear narrative, concise talking points, and visuals they can use to guide advisor conversations and reinforce key messages.
Advisors have an overwhelming number of investment solutions to choose from when making recommendations to their clients. By following a few simple best practices, you can help ensure that your annuity content messaging cuts through the clutter and resonates with advisors and their clients.
Need Help With Annuity Content Creation?
Looking to improve how your annuity content engages advisors and drives real conversations? Browse our site for more insights and ideas on creating more effective financial content, or reach out to learn how Substance helps insurance and financial services firms build content strategies that simplify complexity and support growth.
FAQ
How does annuity content creation pass compliance review?
Compliance shouldn’t be treated as a final gatekeeper. It should shape the content from the start. Begin by writing clearly for the intended audience, using accurate, balanced language, and avoiding exaggerated claims or promises. Build compliance considerations into your content strategy early by identifying required disclosures, substantiating claims, and balancing benefits with relevant risks, costs, and limitations. Plain language and concrete examples are especially important for explaining technical terms without jargon. Bringing compliance into the process early and aligning on agreed-upon language for recurring concepts, can accelerate future reviews. The goal is content that’s compelling because it’s clear and credible, not despite compliance, but because of it.
How is annuity marketing different from other financial services marketing?
Annuity marketing faces an unusually challenging combination of factors: complexity, compliance, competition, and distribution. The products can be difficult to explain, yet oversimplifying them leaves gaps in understanding. Compliance review is rigorous and can slow the process or dilute the message. Advisors are inundated with content from competing carriers, making it difficult for any one message to break through. And unlike most direct-to-consumer financial marketing, insurance companies often rely on wholesalers and advisors to deliver the story to the end client. This means annuity content must work across multiple audiences and stages of distribution, equipping wholesalers, earning advisor attention, and ultimately helping clients understand why the products matter to them.
How do you get wholesalers to actually use the content marketing creates?
Creating content is only half the equation. Adoption is where many annuity marketing strategies fall short. Wholesalers are more likely to use content when it’s easy to find, tailored to specific advisor conversations, and accompanied by clear talking points. Involve wholesalers early in the content development process so materials reflect the objections and questions they’re actually hearing in the field. Provide short onboarding or briefing sessions for new assets, rather than assuming wholesalers will discover and adopt them on their own. When wholesalers understand not just what a piece of content says, but when and how to use it, adoption improves significantly.
What metrics indicate that annuity content is actually working with advisors?
Engagement metrics like open rates or video views offer a starting point, but they don’t tell the full story. Stronger indicators include how often wholesalers request or reuse specific assets, whether advisors ask for follow-up materials after receiving a piece, and whether content shows up organically in advisor conversations or client meetings. Sales team feedback is often more revealing than analytics alone, particularly when wholesalers report that a piece of content helped move a conversation forward. Tracking these signals alongside traditional metrics gives a clearer picture of whether content is truly influencing advisor behavior.
