Social media has made a significant impact on the travel industry. A study found that 36.5% of travelers used social media to find travel inspiration, and that this trend was higher among Generation Z and millennials, with 90% sharing photos while they are on vacation 3 . Therefore, it’s been heartening to see more advisors turning to social media (60%) and digital marketing (40%) as lead generation channels. Word of mouth/referrals and current/past clientele will continue to be important to an industry based on trust and advisor-client relationships. Advisors have also shared that they do see marginal gains from personal networking, church groups and offline advertising. And so, advisors should not neglect those areas. LEAD GENERATION CHANNELS FOR ADVISORS ADVISOR AFFILIATIONS 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% TV/Radio marketing Church group Lead/referrals from partner group Print advertising Private organizations/clubs Consumer events Leads/referrals from host agency/consortia Advisor’s niche or specialization Digital marketing Social media Current/past clientele Word of mouth/referrals 2023 2024 3 https://www.xola.com/articles/how-social-media-has-permanently-changed-the-travel-industry/ 22 | CHART 14