STRATEGIC FOUNDATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE FINANCIAL CONTENT
Lay the groundwork for a successful content marketing strategy
Content marketing isn't just for consumer brands - it's a powerful tool for financial institutions. While Red Bull might be creating videos of space jumps and KFC sharing recipes, financial firms can leverage content marketing just as effectively, albeit with a more sophisticated approach.
When executed properly, it can be more cost-effective than traditional advertising and deliver sustained value for your investment firm.
Finding Your Content Sweet Spot in Financial Services
The financial sector presents unique opportunities for content marketing. While many firms believe they need to stick to dry market commentary and technical analysis, there's tremendous scope for creating engaging, valuable content that resonates with institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals.
Consider Goldman Sachs' "Markets Update" podcast. They recognised that their institutional investors wanted in-depth market insights but struggled to find time to read lengthy reports.
By transforming their existing market analysis into an easily digestible audio format, they created a valuable content channel that busy professionals could consume during their commute or between meetings.
You're Already Sitting on a Gold Mine of Content
If you're like most financial firms, you're already creating valuable content without realising it. Those morning market briefings, quarterly investment outlooks, and risk assessment reports? They're all potential content marketing gold. The key is knowing how to mine these resources effectively.
Think about your last investment committee meeting. The discussions about market trends, asset allocation strategies, and risk factors could easily be transformed into multiple pieces of content. That passionate debate about emerging market opportunities?
It could become an engaging thought leadership article. The analysis of recent market volatility? Perfect for a video presentation or infographic.
Finding Content Ideas Your Investors Actually Want
Research Tools for Financial Content Ideas
Here's where many financial firms go wrong: they create content they think their audience wants, rather than discovering what their audience is actually searching for. The good news?
Finding these golden content opportunities is easier than you might think. Here are several powerful tools that can help uncover what your financial audience is really interested in:
Google Auto-Complete: Your First Stop
Google's auto-complete function is a surprisingly powerful starting point. Try typing phrases like "institutional investing in" or "private equity trends" and let Google reveal what other professionals in your space are searching for.
Take it a step further by using wildcards (adding an asterisk *) to discover even more suggestions. For example, "hedge fund * strategies" might reveal searches for "hedge fund trading strategies," "hedge fund risk management strategies," and more.
AnswerThePublic: Mining Question-Based Content
AnswerThePublic is another invaluable tool for content ideation. Input terms like "ESG investing" or "portfolio diversification" and you'll get a comprehensive view of the questions people are asking about these topics.
It's particularly useful for identifying the "how," "why," and "what" questions that your institutional investors might hesitate to ask directly.
Google Trends: Spotting Rising Topics
Google Trends can help you spot rising interest in specific financial topics. For example, you might notice increasing searches for "inflation hedging strategies" or "cryptocurrency institutional investment," giving you a head start on creating timely, relevant content. The tool also shows related queries, which can spark ideas for complementary content.
SEMrush: Competitive Content Analysis
SEMrush's Topic Research tool is particularly valuable for financial services. It analyses your chosen topics and suggests related subjects that are currently generating engagement in your sector. It's especially useful for identifying angles that your competitors might have missed.
LinkedIn Insights: Professional Audience Research
LinkedIn's content engagement metrics can provide insights into what topics resonate with your professional audience. Pay attention to which posts and articles get the most engagement from your target demographic.
Are thought leadership pieces about market analysis getting more traction than technical content? This data can guide your content strategy.
Mining Conference Insights for Content Gold
Industry conferences and events are treasure troves for content ideas. Pay attention to the questions asked during Q&A sessions - these often reveal what's really on investors' minds.
One asset management firm we worked with created an entire content series based on questions raised at a single investment conference. They turned each major discussion point into detailed analysis pieces, which resonated strongly with their audience because they addressed real, current concerns.
Leveraging Data-Driven Content Ideas
Financial professionals love data, so why not use it to generate content ideas? Monitor trending topics in financial databases like Bloomberg or Reuters. Track which research papers are getting the most downloads on SSRN.
Look for patterns in the most-cited academic finance journals. These sources can help you identify emerging topics before they become mainstream.
Macro Trends as Content Catalysts
Global events and macro trends offer rich opportunities for content creation. Brexit, trade wars, or shifts in monetary policy all present chances to demonstrate your firm's expertise.
The key is to move beyond reporting the news and offer genuine insights about the implications for your specific audience's investment strategies.
Client Meeting Gold Mines
Some of the best content ideas come from one-on-one client meetings. Start keeping a content idea log after each significant client interaction. What concerns did they raise? What made them pause?
What analogies or explanations resonated with them? These real-world interactions often provide the seeds for the most engaging content.
Economic Calendar Content Planning
Create a content idea calendar based on scheduled economic events and data releases. For instance, plan content around GDP releases, central bank meetings, and earnings seasons.
But don't just plan to report the numbers - prepare to share your unique perspective on their implications for different investment strategies.
Moving Beyond Basic Market Commentary
While market updates and economic analysis have their place, the most compelling financial content often comes from unexpected angles. For instance, a wealth management firm we work with created a fascinating series exploring the psychology of institutional investment decisions.
It became their most-shared content because it offered a fresh perspective on a topic their audience dealt with daily.
Types of Financial Content That Engage
Once you've identified your topics, consider these different content formats to reach your audience effectively:
Market Commentary with a Twist
Transform standard market analysis into engaging content by focusing on specific implications for different types of investors. For example, how do interest rate changes specifically impact pension fund strategies?
Educational Deep Dives
Create comprehensive guides that explain complex financial concepts. Think "The Complete Guide to ESG Integration for Institutional Investors" or "Understanding Alternative Investment Correlation in Modern Portfolios."
Data Visualisation Stories
Turn complex financial data into compelling visual narratives. Investment flows, market correlations, and risk metrics often resonate better when presented visually.
Case Studies and Practical Applications
Develop detailed, real-world examples of investment strategies in action. While maintaining client confidentiality, share concrete examples of how theoretical concepts play out in actual market conditions.
Regulatory Impact Analysis
Break down complex regulatory changes into practical implications for different types of investors. This could include implementation guides, compliance checklists, and impact assessments.
Thought Leadership Pieces
Share unique perspectives on market trends, investment philosophies, or industry developments. These pieces should challenge conventional wisdom and offer fresh insights.
The Art of Content Transformation
One piece of financial insight can spawn multiple pieces of content. Let's say you've just completed an analysis of ESG investment trends.
From this single piece of research, you could create a comprehensive written report, transform key points into a video presentation, and develop supporting infographics. The same content could fuel a month's worth of social media posts and a webinar for interested investors.
Making Your Content Work Harder
The beauty of financial content marketing lies in its longevity. Unlike traditional advertising that stops working when you stop paying, quality content continues to attract and engage potential investors long after publication.
However, this doesn't mean you should simply publish and hope for the best. Creating brilliant content is only half the battle - you need to get it in front of the right people.
LinkedIn remains a powerhouse for financial content distribution, but don't overlook other professional networks and industry forums where your target audience gathers.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Financial Content
The financial content marketing landscape continues to evolve. Video content is becoming increasingly important, even in the traditionally text-heavy financial sector. Interactive content, from portfolio simulators to risk assessment tools, is gaining traction. We're seeing increased demand for:
- Real-time market commentary through social channels
- Augmented reality presentations of complex financial data
- AI-powered personalised investment insights
- Short-form video explanations of complex financial concepts
Remember to follow compliance guidelines and include necessary disclaimers in all your financial content marketing materials. The goal is to demonstrate expertise and build trust while staying within regulatory boundaries.
The key to successful financial content marketing isn't just about producing more content - it's about producing the right content that answers your audience's most pressing questions and demonstrates your firm's expertise.
Shane McEvoy is a seasoned SEO and inbound marketing expert with nearly 30 years of experience in advertising. He established Flycast Media, a specialist B2B digital agency, and is a published author of two well-received guides while contributing to several industry publications - read his complete profile here.
