Smart Investments in Content Marketing Earn High Returns

As a provider of investing or wealth management advice, you have plenty of valuable information to convey to your clients and prospects.

By using content marketing to share your expertise with your target audience — writing engaging blog posts, white papers, e-books, and social media posts about the critical investing and wealth management topics they care about — you can earn their trust and loyalty.

Here are several basic factors to keep in mind when planning your content marketing strategy, along with six tips that can help you produce strong, effective content.

Planning your strategy

Your clients and leads are no pushovers. Because money is involved — their money — they’re more likely to scrutinize investment and wealth management professionals more closely than almost any of the other service providers they use. And they’re almost certain to hold you to a higher standard of service. A sound content-marketing plan can help you exceed your customers’ expectations and to persuade prospective clients that your firm is the best fit for their investment and wealth management needs.

Top-notch online content will help your clients and prospects better understand and use the services you provide; show the breadth and depth of your firm’s expertise and its uncompromising commitment to clients; and demonstrate that your forward-thinking firm remains ahead of the curve and better equipped to fulfill their needs than your competitors. Once you have a content marketing strategy in place, these tips will help you implement it.

1. Identify thought leaders

Aside from the company veterans who are known for their sage advice and know-how, you can find potential thought leaders in a range of departments — you’ll just have to seek them out. Specialized knowledge from staffers at any level can be useful for creating online content.

Whether it’s bylined articles, blog posts, or Q&As, your content can cover such themes as current trends, product offerings, industry challenges, and market conditions. Is there someone at an earlier career stage whose reports are especially distinctive or insightful? Find out if they are willing to be interviewed or write a regular column of blog posts that builds a steady readership.

These pieces can integrate short case studies to help clients understand how your firm has assisted clients in overcoming obstacles, building wealth, meeting goals, and achieving success. By featuring content from professionals at different stages of their careers, you’ll showcase a variety of perspectives that will strengthen your firm’s reputation.

2. Establish your brand as an industry leader

If you want to know who your prospects are, nothing beats white papers and e-books for capturing leads. White papers and e-books, appealingly formatted as PDFs, are in-depth reports about a topic relevant to prospective clients. Longer than a blog post, these digital publications offer solid information and advice, ultimately making the case for why your products or solutions are the best. Establish the right voice, keep readers engaged, and present them with both problems and solutions (with evidence for effectiveness), and you’ll make a compelling case for the value of your brand.

3. Harness the power of social media

Most brands today recognize that a social media presence is as essential as a website. That means producing well-crafted updates that are continually relevant, engaging, and fresh. Start by creating a schedule for posts using a tool like HootSuite. Be sure to respond to comments, ask questions, and share links to news or announcements that influencers in your field will find interesting. You’ll also want to post other content, such as links to your blogs and bylined articles. Identify relevant #hashtags and use them to loop into larger conversations about industry trends and stories that your audience is following. Effectively used, social media is a great way to exponentially grow your audience.  

4. Follow the 80/20 rule

No one wants to follow a social media account that reads like an advertisement. If your presence is “all about me,” the most loyal followers will vanish. Follow the simple 80/20 rule: 80 percent of your content should add value to your audience, and only 20 percent should be self-promotional. 

5. Create an editorial calendar

Consistency is critical to a successful content marketing strategy, so develop an editorial calendar that maps out regular publication cycles for the different content types.

Your calendar should include events at which your thought leaders will be presenters, as well as sponsored events where your company will have a strong presence. Add market trends to your calendar in real time, and plan ahead for seasonal stories.

Ask yourself: How many times a day do you want to post to social media? How often should your website visitors be treated to a new blog post? How often should you pitch an article to the media? What about case studies, white papers, or e-books?

Because online users demand fresh content on a regular basis, we recommend that you update social media posts daily or even several times a day. Posting new blog posts once a week will keep visitors coming back to your site. Better yet, the influx of fresh content prompts Google to keep your page high in the search rankings. 

6. Experiment with images and the spoken word 

A relevant, compelling, and well-written story is the most important part of any post, but don’t forget the power of visuals. Enhance the presentation of data and trends in your blog posts by including a relevant image or by creating infographics with tools, such as Piktochart. 

Educational podcasts and videos can give your audience the information they want in an appealing format. Consider adding audio and video content to your website, but keep these pieces short — just two minutes or less. The success of a video or podcast depends on the power of its carefully crafted script. Be sure the writing is informative yet succinct.

If you’d like help getting started with any or all of the content marketing methods outlined above, just let us know. At Prose Media, we offer writing and editing expertise to enhance your brand — a wise investment in the future of your company. Sign up for free, no-obligation access to our platform. We look forward to seeing what you have in mind.