In a previous post, we talked about the importance of content to financial Marketing. The prevailing consensus in the marketing world is that personalised, innovative content is a key means of attracting clients by providing compelling value, thought leadership and a distinctive voice.
Joe Pulizzi summarises the overall ideas very well. Those who pursue financial marketing through content must first find their “Sweet Spot” – an intersection of both personal passion and professional expertise – and then provide a “Content Tilt”, which is a compelling and unique way of engaging with the subject matter.
These are just the first two steps. To really build your brand through content, you must take three more after your Sweet Spot and Content Tilt are established:
#3 Build Your Foundation
You know what your content will be talking about, and you know what slant you will be taking on it. Now you need a way to get the message out to the world. Essentially, this means picking a platform. However, that is the key thing. Only one platform. This might be a YouTube channel, or a podcast, or a written blog.
Whichever one you choose, your financial marketing must concentrate on delivering content on that particular channel, consistently over a significant period of time. One year is usually a good benchmark. Don’t spread yourself thin by throwing yourself onto every social platform you can find.
#4 Gather the Crowd
As your readership, listeners or viewers begin to increase, your next step is to focus on converting these visitors into subscribed members of your audience. If you are running an email marketing function, then we strongly recommend you focus your marketing on building your subscribers here.
How do you turn people into subscribers? You need to present them will a value offer which they cannot reasonably say no to.
Examples? Offer a free, downloadable report on your blog outlining your expert insights into some upcoming changes about UK pensions. In exchange, the user hands over their email in order to become a subscriber. It isn’t a trick, provided what you’re offering is really good. Indeed, if it holds real value, they will be coming back for more.
#5 Diversify
Financial firms are well aware of the concept of diversification! The principle is transferable across many spheres of life, it would seem. Certainly it is the vital next step in this process of marketing. At this stage, you should have built a robust, dedicated subscriber base on your primary platform.
Now, however, it’s time to move onto higher ground. This is the moment to begin pushing your content out more seriously through other marketing channels.
What does this look like? Well, it doesn’t have to mean that you focus on Twitter now that you’ve mastered Facebook. It might actually mean starting a separate Facebook group specifically for a dedicated sub-audience of your broader, overall audience.
Alternatively, it might well mean starting a podcast in addition to your blog. Or perhaps it’s time to write a book, or start an event. What’s important is that decision is well thought out, and that you have the capacity to deliver it either in-house or outsourced to a marketing partner such as ourselves, MarketingAdviser.
