Momentum is a marketer’s best friend. But it’s not easy to keep publishing a steady stream of well-written, interesting content that actually says something different. And with an estimated three million articles going live every single day (not to mention whitepapers, reports and social media content), it can feel impossible to stand out.
For businesses that are trying to have a voice in a more serious space like financial services, content can be even trickier to master. How can you make complicated (and potentially dull) topics like tax, mortgages, insurance and accounting feel accessible AND interesting? And what do your customers actually WANT to read about?
Here are three of our favourite ways to maintain content momentum without sending your readers to sleep.
1. Keep your finger on the pain point pulse
Understanding what’s concerning your customers is a great way to drive content that’s primed for strong engagement. Many pain points are universal – and sometimes eternal – in financial services, like worrying about what happens if you miss payments or wanting a better deal on your insurance premiums. Others slide in and out of focus, like the impact of higher interest rates and inflation. And some, like the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine conflict, come out of the blue and cause sudden distress.
Pain points can help steer your content and strategy. Let’s say you’ve received a high number of calls to your contact centre about the latest interest rate increase, and what that means for tracker mortgages. Publishing a timely blog or social media update will help to put customers’ minds at rest and show you’re an authority they can trust. Plus, it can ease pressure on your team so they can deal with queries that are less content-friendly.
2. Capitalise on topical events
Coming up with fresh, engaging ideas every day or week can be exhausting. Topical events are a brilliant way to jump-start the content ideation process. If you’re creating a content calendar, plot out annual events that are particularly relevant to your business. For financial services firms, that could include:
– The end of the financial year
– Each financial quarter
– Tax filing deadlines
– Government budgets
– Industry conferences or events
You can also use generic events that are widely celebrated across the world or in your target region, like Christmas, Eid, Diwali, Mother’s and Father’s Day, and find a content angle that makes them relevant to your business. Valentine’s Day? Time for a blog about financing your wedding or engagement rings. International Women’s Day? Share your tips on how women can negotiate better salaries.
If you’re creating a content calendar, it’s wise to be flexible. Being able to publish responsive content following unexpected or one-off events will help you capture even more interest from potential clients. But a word of warning; unless you’re actively and intentionally looking to take a stand, approach any emotionally charged topics from a neutral standpoint. Analysing the impact of a politician’s proposed tax cuts or increases is valuable, but it’s best to leave how you feel about the individual out of it.
3. Gather broad industry perspectives
Positioning yourself as an informed, knowledgeable business is important. But it’s difficult if you aren’t dedicating at least some time to reading around your sector and understanding what respected peers are saying. Try and read from sources like:
– Finance-focused news sources, like the Financial Times and The Economist
– Industry publications
– Respected peers
– Pioneering brands, like fintechs
A bank may share an interesting perspective on recent events, like the Silicon Valley bank collapse, that gets you thinking in a completely different way. Or an insurance business could publish statistics on an issue that’s important to your customers, inspiring you to share your own insights.
Sometimes inspiration comes from other sectors too. Broaden your reading to brands outside the financial services sector and you may discover a new format for your content, or new markets to target.
Great content isn’t always about saying something nobody has ever said before. A fresh take on a well-trodden topic, infused with your business’s unique voice and insights, can be incredibly interesting.
If you’re struggling to get started, or have lost that all-important content momentum, get in touch. Our team of expert content strategists and writers can help.
