Content Marketing for the Financial Industry: How You Can Win Big

The financial industry may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of content marketing, but the financial sector can actually benefit a great deal from a robust content marketing strategy. In the midst of global economic uncertainty, financial brands can build a strong brand, stand above the crowd, educate consumers, and ease anxiety be creating content that inspires confidence and trust. Let's take a closer look at what makes content media so ideally suited for financial services brands. 

Make it real

People tend to avoid what they have trouble understanding, and that’s especially true for complex, abstract financial services and products that carry a degree of risk. That's why so much financial advertising uses an emotional hook, like images of happy couples enjoying luxurious retirements. The problem is that the ads never tell people how to actually achieve that dream. It makes it easy for people to think, “That sounds great, but what does it have to do with me?” 

Content marketing, on the other hand, opens up an entirely new arena of real-world engagement. Empty suits become real people, abstract products and services take on real-world meaning, and the world of finance feels less intimidating. In other words, your brand becomes relevant.

Create your own customer base

Today’s consumers tend to do a lot of research before they ever enter the sales funnel. They read articles, peruse blogs, download e-books, check out white papers, and investigate what people are saying on social media. 

If your content becomes their trusted go-to source for answers, that increases the chance that they’ll stick with you when they’re ready to make a decision. Capitalize on that opportunity by presenting the material your customers most need and want in a way that’s valuable, relevant, compelling, influential, and easy to understand. 

Here are just a few of the ways you can create great content:

• Write articles or blog posts addressing customers’ top concerns (social media is a great place to find out what those are).
• Share legitimate news with original stories, informative visuals, infographics, or carefully curated third-party content. 
• Host a blog that shares insights about family, money, and well-being. 
• Publish timely whitepapers with tips and tools for effective financial planning. 
• Write up interviews with your experts commenting on trending financial topics.
• Publish compelling articles that educate, inform, or simplify. Focus on a big issue like the challenges facing aging baby boomers, for example, and include updates on the policies trickling down from Capitol Hill. 
• Deepen customer relationships via social media, answering questions and joining discussions.

In a nutshell, the potential topics are practically limitless. Your content just has to be relevant to your target audience and showcase what you know and do best. If you can do that and do it well, you can build brand awareness, strengthen customer relationships, establish thought leadership, nurture leads, and, ultimately, increase sales. 

Financial players are uniquely positioned to take full advantage of content marketing. Not only can they establish thought leadership and demonstrate their expertise, they can also grow their customer base by educating consumers who might not otherwise have considered their services. But accurate information isn’t enough; the writing has to be engaging, inspiring, and easy to understand. That’s why so many businesses outsource their content development to professionals like those at Prose Media. We’d love to help you become the benchmark for content marketing in the financial services industry. Give us a call today to learn more.