Content marketing remains a cornerstone for businesses across all verticals. In a digital-first world, how you communicate to your target audience has become more sophisticated that ever. But, not all content is created equal. The financial services industry has unique needs and challenges. Agencies that specialise in content marketing for finance must simplify complex concepts, comply with regulations and engage audiences. Let’s look at how a financial content agency differs from your standard marketing agency. After all, their expertise is what will help you succeed in this highly competitive industry.
What Is A Financial Content Agency?
A financial content agency specialises in creating, distributing and managing content for the finance industry. This includes forex brokers, prop trading firms, hedge funds, wealth management companies, traditional banks and neobanks, fintechs and startups.
Marketing services provided by these agencies include:
- Content marketing strategies
- Copywriting for websites, blogs, ad campaigns, newsletters etc
- Crafting thought leadership pieces for senior management
- PR and reputation management
- Market analysis and white papers
- Social media strategies and execution
- Video production and marketing.
They need to create compelling narratives, while ensuring accuracy, credibility and legal compliance. They cater to both B2C and B2B audiences, shaping their communications and messaging accordingly.
Unique Challenges in Creating Financial Content
The financial industry can be complex and difficult for the general public. Creating content to target specific audiences has it’s own set of unique hurdles.
- Regulations – First out of the box is compliance. A finance marketing agency needs to understand a wide number of regulatory requirements across the globe. This includes licensing bodies like FCA, FSA, CySEC, ASIC, the SEC, as well as additional frameworks like GDPR, MiCA and much more. And regulations don’t stay the same. They evolve. This means a financial content agency must proactively follow changes.
- Complex Topics – Financial content can be weighed down by a lot of technical jargon, bewildering concepts and detailed data. The ability to explain these topics simply is a key job for agencies. For example you might need to explain BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) terms to a retail banking client. Or you might need to showcase the business value of blockchain to a CEO. The content created needs to be digestible, and pitched correctly without dumbing it down or diluting meaning.
- Industry Terms – Ask a regular marketing agency to explain your low pips or competitive spreads and you may find yourself spending time explaining what that means. A financial content agency consists of ex traders, financial writers and industry leaders so will be able to write about financial terms with confidence.
- Legal consequences – Incorrect or misleading content can see financial firms slapped with heavy fines from regulators. Financial content agencies need to be extremely cautious with the accuracy and timeliness of the content they create.
- Agile – Finance agencies need to be able to move fast to keep up with market trends and updates. Money markets are awake 24/7 so a global content team is needed to service your clients or traders wherever they are in the world.
What to Expect from Your Financial Agency
We’ve discussed the challenges a financial content agency needs to overcome, but there are some key skills they need to also bring to the table.
The agency needs to employ strategists, writers and editors with backgrounds in economics or finance. They need specialised knowledge and an understanding of the industry. The team needs to stay abreast of latest technology, regulations, investment strategies and market trends from around the world. This intimate knowledge means they can craft content that resonates with both retail traders and industry professionals.
Unlike other agencies, financial ones understand the unique needs of the firms they work for. Effective communication should generate the action or desired result. For example, if a fintech neo bank is targeting Gen Z, they will understand where they are in their time of life and talk about those topics. E.g. saving for a holiday rather than for retirement.
One of the most important aspects you would expect from your financial content agency is a thorough understanding of the regulatory landscape. You do not want to waste time with multiple versions of a piece of content going between you, your compliance officer and your agency. The markets move quickly so you need content delivered that get a quick nod of approval. Your agency should have passed the content internally for editing, checking on accuracy and relevance before it even comes to you. A compliance-first approach expedites content and can help avoid costly mistakes.
Contentworks Is A Financial Agency That Gets It
Our directors have 20+ years of financial content marketing experience. Charlotte and Niki set up the firm 8 years ago with the vision that financial content doesn’t have to be boring. Yes, it needs to comply with regulations and not make unwarranted promises, but it also needs to be engaging and relevant.
Here’s how we deliver the best financial content:
- Understanding compliance and staying updated on global regulatory changes.
- Attending and media partnering with the key global marketing events.
- Delivering keynotes and speaking on panels at financial events on marketing.
We understand the complexities of the financial markets and financial technologies like blockchain. The content we create for our clients is impactful and helps build their credibility. We also know that financial audiences can be skeptical and even fickle. This means striking a balance between being informative and persuasive. A delicate balance we’ve perfected over the years.
As a financial content agency, we deliver a variety of content. Brand videos, market analysis, training guides and social media posts. Our content requires a level of precision and authority that more generic agencies may struggle to provide. At Contentworks we help our clients build a trusted reputation, increase conversions, enhance engagement, and achieve objectives, all while staying compliant. If you’re ready to switch to a financial content agency, reach out to our team here.