Content marketing is becoming more and more accepted and used by financial services organizations. In fact, , 77% of B2B marketers surveyed in 2021 say their organization has a content marketing strategy with the top goals being to establish brand awareness, build credibility/trust, and educate audience(s).
One of the biggest challenges our financial clients face is the ongoing need to create relevant and interesting content for their websites and articles.
But when the result of content marketing is credibility and trust, financial marketers can’t afford not to give it a try. Credibility and trust are the keys to successful advisor relationships. Great content has the power to reinforce those attributes.
Therefore, providing thought leadership shouldn’t be a “nice to have” it should be seen as a “must have.” People are actively searching for financial information and expecting to find experts’ knowledge on those topics. If they don’t find your voice out in the industry then you aren’t part of the conversation. And finding that you don’t have a seat at the table is a dangerous place to be.
Patience and perseverance are key
In truth, content marketing takes time and focus. Most individuals won’t run out and start investing with your firm immediately after they read one of your articles. Nor will one article magically deliver qualified leads to your website or inbox.
What great content will do is drive engagement and interest with your brand and financial expertise. Over time, they continue to engage with you and your content which results in a positive impression.
It can take 12-18 months to properly build and optimize a digital marketing channel around your content.
Fintel Connect, 2021
One size does not fit all
Content marketing is one of the most powerful channels in any financial institution’s toolkit.
Smart Insights, 2021
Not all content is created equally. We mean this in the most literal sense. Financial content doesn’t have to be long, dry and sound like an excerpt from a college accounting book.
It doesn’t even need to be created only as long-form articles. Often an infographic explaining investment strategies or retirement options is more effective.
As you consider which content types you’ll use to communicate with audiences, you have dozens of options. B2B marketers say the content assets that produced the best results over the last 12 months were virtual events/webinars/online courses, research reports, and short articles/posts.
To reach your audiences when and where they spend time, make sure your content is distributed through more than just your organization’s website. Share helpful advice and thought leadership on social media, through retargeting campaigns, or email.
Client success stories build trust
Due to a recent Securities and Exchange Commission change, financial institutions and banks alike can now share real-life customer stories of how their company helped solve a challenge with an effective solution.
In a time when most customer research is conducted online, having these client stories—whether in the form of testimonials or reviews—provides an additional level of trust and validity to your solutions.
A benchmark report on the Impact of Review on Buyers and Sellers concluded that B2B buyers were 92% more likely to purchase a product or service if they were able to read a trusted review. The report further noted that only one out of five B2B companies are currently using reviews as part of their marketing strategy.
This is a missed opportunity that companies can easily remedy. Reviews and testimonials aren’t going away and being part of the conversation is an important element to consider as part of your marketing strategy.
Document your content strategy
How do you know which content assets to try, when to try them, and how to determine if they worked? That’s where a documented content strategy and editorial calendar comes in handy.
The content strategy outlines your overarching goals, audience(s), channels, and metrics. The editorial calendar communicates when content will be published, where it’s published, and associated copy.
Through research—and trial and error—you’ll learn what topics interest your current and prospective customers. From there, you can create content that aligns with those topics. Many financial advisors and clients are researching things like:
- ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance
- Cryptocurrency
- Inflation
- Fintech companies
- Tapering
Let’s look at how we can apply a content strategy to ESG investing, for example. The first step is to develop a content calendar. Start with a month-long timeframe and consider these elements:
- Identify 3 key messages about ESG that you want to communicate to your target audiences
- Choose specific dates to distribute your content
- List which distribution channels you will use
- Plan email marketing outreach to coordinate with other digital efforts
- Track content interactions like clicks, engagement, downloads, etc.
Documenting your content strategy provides clarity, transparency, and accountability to teams and stakeholders. Everyone is in alignment and understands the plan.
As you track clicks, engagements, and downloads, you’ll learn what your audiences responds to—and what they don’t respond to. Use that information to double-down on what’s working and optimize what’s not.
Initiate your content strategy
Over time, if you continually produce content your audience finds value in, you’ll foster trust and credibility. They’ll see your organization as a leader in your industry and are more likely to reach out. And that’s the ultimate goal.