New research by Unbiased, the UK’s leading financial advice platform, reveals that financial advisers are facing an uphill marketing battle.
The study of financial advisers on the Unbiased platform revealed nearly half (44%) named limited budgets as their biggest barrier to growth. These limited budgets hinder their ability to invest in digital channels, test new strategies, or scale their outreach effectively.
This budget squeeze is having a ripple effect: 28% of advisers say they struggle to generate enough leads, while 16% cite poor ROI as a major barrier.
The result is a cycle of low visibility, missed opportunities, and stagnant growth.
Despite AI’s transformative effect on the marketing landscape and its direct impact on how financial advice firms attract new clients, just 5% of advisers named keeping up with the impact of AI on marketing as their biggest challenge.
Below is a full breakdown of the responses when asked: ‘What is your biggest marketing challenge at the moment?’
| Responses | Percentage |
| Limited marketing budget | 44% |
| Generating enough leads | 28% |
| Optimising return on investment (ROI) | 16% |
| Keeping up with the impact of AI on marketing | 5% |
In addition to their marketing challenges, the study also examined the marketing channels advisers are currently using to win leads.
Alongside Unbiased, almost a third (31%) rely on client referrals to attract new business.
While the use of digital marketing is on the rise, over one in 10 (12%) advisers still rely on old-fashioned marketing techniques, including direct mail (8%) and newspaper ads (4%) to produce leads; this is in addition to using Unbiased’s platform.
Matt Cockayne, Chief Revenue Officer at Unbiased, said:
Financial advice firms face growing pressure to scale while keeping costs down. Traditional methods like referrals can help, but they often lack the consistency and reach needed today.
Many firms are stuck in a cycle of tight budgets, low lead volume, and missed opportunities. With AI reshaping how people search for financial advice, those who don’t adapt risk falling behind.
At Unbiased, we’re breaking that cycle by providing high-quality, high-intent leads. Unbiased is the only scalable, repeatable top of funnel solution to help you grow sustainably and predictably. With the right tools and support, every advice firm can thrive.
