Analysis of data from more than 9,000 advisors reveals AI-assisted discovery is elevating the importance of websites, CRM connectivity and consistent marketing execution
ORMOND BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Snappy Kraken, the martech innovator dedicated to powering smarter, more efficient financial advisor marketing initiatives, today released its State of Digital & AI 2026 report, an analysis of how digital marketing, advisor behavior and investor engagement are changing across the wealth management industry.
Based on aggregate, anonymized platform data from more than 9,000 advisors, the report found that website form submissions increased 110% between 2024 and 2025, even as overall website traffic increased 10.3%. The findings point to a changing investor journey in which prospects are doing more research before they engage, making advisor websites, CRM connectivity, lifecycle follow-up and consistent execution more important to growth.
“The most important finding is not simply that websites are converting more visitors—it’s that the investor journey is changing,” said Robert Sofia, CEO of Snappy Kraken. “AI is changing where discovery begins, but trust, validation, conversion and follow-through are evolving alongside it. Advisors can no longer rely on a linear funnel or disconnected tactics. Growth will come from connecting each of those moments into a single, cohesive client experience.”
Drawing on advisor marketing activity, website engagement, CRM adoption and campaign performance data from Snappy Kraken's Campaigns App, Websites product and Freedom 360 managed marketing program, the report examines how advisor growth is evolving in the age of AI. Together, the findings show four connected shifts: AI is changing discovery, connected tools outperform disconnected tactics, many advisors still miss the follow-up layer, and consistent execution turns strategy into growth.
Key findings from the State of Digital & AI Report:
- Website visitors increased 10.3% between 2024 and 2025.
- Website form submissions increased 110%, while Q4 website conversion rates rose 106%.
- Advisors with connected CRM systems generated roughly three to four times higher engagement across key marketing metrics than advisors without CRM connectivity.
- Campaign email volume increased 7.3%, while opens increased 4.9% and clicks increased 10.4%.
- Awareness content remained the most widely adopted campaign type, but only 23% of awareness content users added nurture sequences that help turn visibility into conversations.
- Referral campaigns generated the highest email-to-form submission rate by content type, but only 14.2% of advisors used them.
The report concludes that advisor growth increasingly depends on connected marketing systems rather than standalone campaigns. As investors use AI, search, social media, referrals and websites to evaluate advisors, firms need a coordinated approach that turns visibility into engagement and engagement into relationships. For many advisors, the greatest opportunity is not generating more attention, but creating the follow-up and nurture processes that help convert interest into meaningful conversations.
To learn more about the findings, register for Snappy Kraken's State of Digital & AI 2026 webinar on Tuesday, July 28, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Attendees will receive a copy of the full report. To register, visit snappykraken.com.
About Snappy Kraken
Snappy Kraken is an award-winning marketing technology (martech) firm that provides original content, marketing automation, personalized website design and bold, unique marketing campaigns for the financial services industry. Each of these marketing campaigns is informed by rich data.
Snappy Kraken’s innovative approach has earned the company widespread recognition. In 2024, Snappy Kraken received the Wealth Management Industry Award (Wealthie) for Digital Campaign of the Year and the ThinkAdvisor Luminaries award for Excellence in Marketing. The company was also awarded Financial Planning’s 2024 Innovation Award for its AI-Powered Email Builder and, for four consecutive years, was named Best Overall Content Marketing Software by MarTech Breakthrough (2019-2023). In recent years, Snappy Kraken also ranked #8 and #3 on Financial Planning’s Best Fintechs to Work For lists.
To learn more about Snappy Kraken's solutions for financial advisors, including white-labeled enterprise solutions and to use the new and enhanced tools recently announced, visit SnappyKraken.com.
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