While others are contracting marketing budgets due to the economy, it’s a better time than ever to take advantage of the quiet down and kick your own marketing into high gear. It’s likely that you’ll need some help with this. Fintech startups are often hard-pressed for time and resources, and partnering with a content marketing agency can be a cost-effective way to keep inbound leads coming in without distracting internal teams from core business objectives.
If you’re trying to find fintech content marketing help, there are a few things to consider. Working with a content marketing agency requires true partnership and collaboration. It’s not a set-it-and-forget-it engagement. The better the collaboration and communication between client and strategist, the better the results, and the more likely it is that the partnership will last for the long haul.
We’ve mapped out a few tips to help you engage with a marketing agency if you’re a fintech.
Build Trust
Trust goes both ways and is a foundational element of any successful relationship. Communication is a crucial element of trust and should be open, honest, and frequent. A good content marketing agency will remind you that your success is their success. This is the basis of a true partnership.
There is a good chance that miscommunications and issues will arise along the way. It’s important to nip those things in the bud rather than to let them fester. If a client feels that something is “off.” that should be communicated to the agency as soon as possible, so they have a chance to fix the issue. It’s crucial that you have a strong enough relationship with your agency contact that you feel comfortable communicating your needs and concerns freely.
A good starting point for fintechs working with an agency is to make sure the agency is:
- Included in marketing strategy meetings
- Up-to-speed on sponsorships and events in the pipeline
- Invited to any relevant marketing activities (webinars, events, etc.)
- Aware of upcoming projects and initiatives
When trying to find fintech content marketing help, building trust will be critical. Finding the right fit is essential, but communication skills can make or break the relationship. The agency will need to earn your trust by delivering on expectations. Still, you will also need to build trust by showing up, providing information, and making sure the agency has everything they need to succeed.
Communicate Goals
The whole reason you’re trying to find fintech content marketing help or engage a marketing agency is to achieve marketing goals. It’s important to keep that in mind when engaging with an agency. Often, tactics, activities, and ideas can overwhelm marketing teams and throw everyone off the beaten path. It’s great to keep things fresh and welcome new ideas, but it’s important to review marketing goals regularly to ensure that strategies and tactics are still aligned. This keeps both you and your agency accountable to the desired outcomes.
To that end, you and your agency must be working from a strong foundation that includes personas, data, and analytics. Rather than throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, you should work with your content marketing agency to make sure that tactics are data-driven and oriented towards your goals.
Remember that you hired fintech content marketing help because you can’t be the expert in everything. Trust the agency’s guidance and experience and understand that they will do what’s best for you.
Be Patient
Depending on the size of your program and your unique goals, seeing results will probably take some time. Building an effective strategy, planning and implementing that strategy, and testing and analyzing results all take time. This is especially true for inbound and content marketing efforts that take some time to get ramped up. Of course, things should be analyzed regularly to benchmark and gauge effectiveness, but don’t wig out if results take some time.
If you’re trying to find fintech content marketing help to generate more leads, you’ll need to take time into account. Building a capable lead generation machine (including the lead nurture component) is a big project. It requires a ton of research, a touch of creativity, and some technical prowess — on top of the actual content production and distribution itself. Clients who are interested in this approach are best served to be patient because great things take time. If you’re getting antsy, talk to your content marketing agency about other campaigns to add to the marketing mix that can have a more immediate effect.
Keep in mind that a new agency partner will also need time to acclimate to your business and industry. They’ll need to do competitive analysis and possibly even talk to your customer to paint a comprehensive picture of who you are and what you do. If your agency does this early and often, that’s a great sign. Your content marketing agency should be heavily invested in learning everything there is to know about your business. In return, you should take adequate time to onboard the agency, provide access to key players, and share necessary information and documentation. The effectiveness of your agency’s strategy depends mainly on the effort you’re willing to put in to get them up-to-speed on your business.
Working with a new marketing agency partner can be daunting. The initial months will be a steeper uphill climb than subsequent ones, but when both parties put in the necessary effort, it’s more than worth it in the end. You’ll find that you have a reliable, knowledgeable partner invested in seeing you grow, and your agency will have found a fruitful, long-lasting relationship.
