Last Updated on August 3, 2023 by admin
I was recently talking with a friend who heads up sales for a B2B company and she was lamenting the fact that her organization is not producing content.
“I’d love to do more email marketing. I know it can be highly effective. But we don’t have content and we just don’t add value in that way right now.”
She knew it. I knew it. You probably know it. Adding value is important in the world where immediate gratification rules and the digital noise is deafening.
So why aren’t more organizations doing it?
It usually boils down to two reasons: 1) cost — they don’t have the budget, or 2) they don’t know how to do it. The solution to both of those excuses (and that’s what they are…bad excuses) is the same: start small. In fact, it’s probably the best path forward for any organization that’s getting started with content marketing.
Fintechs are not exempt from this call to action. The more crowded the space, the more important the content. Fintech has now reached standing room only levels. The total transaction volume of digital payments was $4.1 trillion in 2019 — a number that is expected to hit $4.8 trillion by the end of this year. As more fintech companies flood the space, the ability to add value — and build trust — is essential.
Why Fintech Thought Leadership Matters
Thought leadership is a specific type of content marketing that can be especially valuable for fintechs and their audiences. Fintech thought leadership combines the experience, passion, and creativity from within your organization to address your audience’s most pressing questions. Thought leadership digs deep into a topic and exudes not only considerable insights but an interesting presentation of the matter at hand.
Here’s where many get caught up: organizations think that if they cannot consistently produce fintech thought leadership that wins the internet, they shouldn’t even bother.
This is simply not true.
Thought leadership — or content of any kind — does not have to be completely unique to make an impact. One of the best fintech marketing tips I can offers is this: provide the best answers to your audience’s most important questions. That’s it.
In some cases, that may inherently include a unique perspective. In other cases, it’s aggregating information in a coherent, interesting way and publishing it where your audience already spends time. The most important thing is to be consistent in helping your audience find the answers they need. This allows you to add value while establishing your brand as an authority in the space.
Building a repository of fintech thought leadership can aid in brand affinity and make your company a prominent entity in industry conversations. In short, it enables your audience to get to know you.
Fintech Marketing Tips for Adding Value
According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, Financial Services is the least trusted sector globally. Even with a 12 point increase in its trust factor over the past eight years, the financial services space is straggling behind other sectors when it comes to trust levels. Of the 15 sectors included, financial services was the only one to be regarded as “neutral” rather than an industry people tend to trust.
I raise this point to illustrate an important fact: adding value has nothing to do with price. Buyers purchase from people and businesses the like and trust. It is nearly impossible to measure how much one “likes” or “trusts” a person or organization; however, it’s very clear when one does not.
So how does an organization present itself as trustworthy and likable? By clearly presenting what’s great about your offering? It can be tempting to focus all of your content around how your solution:
- Meets changing customer needs with new offerings
- Enhances digital transactions and interactions
- Enhances business with sophisticated operational offerings
Skip that. (For now.)
With content that aims to build trust, your best bet is to focus on serving your customer’s needs and asking for little in return. You’re a for-profit company and your audience knows this. They are aware that you have an agenda. They are also expecting to get inundated with sales pitches and thin marketing materials that are nothing more than self-serving handouts.
Defy expectations. Reset your agenda to focus more on sharing the expertise and insights of thought leaders within your organization. Give this information freely. Educate your audience on the topics most important to them. Embrace the “Tell, don’t sell” mentality and show people that they can trust you. This is how you earn the trust of decision-makers and the companies they represent.
Providing a constant flow of “no-strings-attached” content adds value and builds trust while presenting your company as an authority in the industry and a reliable source of information. Be engaging. Discover what your audience likes and cater to those preferences. Educate while entertaining. Be relatable. Be funny. Be real.
Interested in more fintech marketing tips? Check out our Fintech Marketing Playbook to get your end-to-end guide.
