Written by Margaret Payne The tech invasion of finance has accelerated the pace of change in how financial services are consumed, how investments are constructed and how the financial industry markets itself. As firms assimilate this accelerating change, there are some ready-made lessons from the world of tech that can be applied to the content the industry uses to connect with its audiences.Financial marketers can look to their tech industry counterparts to make sure their marketing, communications and content keeps up. In order to boost the scale of their marketing efforts, we see opportunities for financial firms to improve their utilization of the below three trends that tech firms are already beginning to master.
To tap into an influencer’s followers, interact with them. Start by ensuring you’re on the right social media platforms. Influencers experiment with new ways to connect with their audience, so if you want to exchange ideas with them, you need to be using the same platforms.Producing compelling content will also open the door for you to communicate with influencers. Get their attention with fresh ideas and opinions.
Using eye-catching imagery that simply and clearly depicts your message is key. Carl Richards, also known as “The Sketch Guy,” has adeptly mastered this balancing act. He uses straightforward drawings (sometimes on napkins) to communicate complex personal finance topics in relatable and intuitive ways.
Click to viewNew trend alert: Go live! Apps like Periscope and Facebook Live allow you to interact with users via live broadcasting, so take advantage of the real-time, immediate feedback and ease of use. Live streaming presents an opportunity for the financial services professional, especially those of you who are media trained and have appeared on major TV networks like CNBC and Fox Business, to connect with your audience right from your desk.It’s as easy as propping your phone up, hitting the record button, and discussing recent market news. Holding webinars? Imagine being able to skip the slides and deliver something interesting to the people tuning into your broadcast. Take your followers to conferences or the New York Stock Exchange ─ let them go where you go. The reach and accessibility afforded by video and live broadcasting can’t be ignored.It takes some work to fully master these trends and reap the benefits. But it’s worth it. A more engaged audience means better dissemination of your content. The game continues to change and it’s not a choice as to whether you accept it – evolve or be left behind. Have an open mind and don’t be afraid to experiment to see what works best for you and your firm.
Influencers exist in every industry vertical or topic
These established thought leaders guide their followers to new ideas and ways of thinking. Influencers can shape opinions or enact change, and come in many different varieties.Celebrities, academics and the media can all be considered influencers as long as they are commonly respected in their given industry and have a built-in following. Take Josh Brown, “The Reformed Broker.” His blog is widely-read and serves as a platform to share his insights on market news, as well as other material he is reading. Most importantly, people care about what he has to say. He has appeared on and contributed to many top-tier outlets and has a huge following on social media with more than 138,000 Twitter followers.To tap into an influencer’s followers, interact with them. Start by ensuring you’re on the right social media platforms. Influencers experiment with new ways to connect with their audience, so if you want to exchange ideas with them, you need to be using the same platforms.Producing compelling content will also open the door for you to communicate with influencers. Get their attention with fresh ideas and opinions.Go beyond the chart with visuals
According to Buffer, a social media management company, 90 percent of information sent to the brain is visual, so it’s no surprise that visual content receives 94 percent more views. Visuals allow you to communicate in ways our brain already understands.But not just any image will effectively get your message across. Charts and graphs are commonly used in financial services, but they can be overly complex. If it takes viewers more than a few minutes to extrapolate a takeaway, the visual likely isn’t resonating with its intended audience.Using eye-catching imagery that simply and clearly depicts your message is key. Carl Richards, also known as “The Sketch Guy,” has adeptly mastered this balancing act. He uses straightforward drawings (sometimes on napkins) to communicate complex personal finance topics in relatable and intuitive ways.Video sucks in your audience
Video has the ability to capture your audience’s attention unlike any other medium. Watch Gregory FCA client Joe Duran, CEO of United Capital, discuss the bionic adviser with Matt Ackerman of InvestmentNews over a game of ping pong. By going beyond text, Joe is able to communicate his message while transporting viewers to TD Ameritrade Institutional’s National LINC 2016 Conference.Click to viewNew trend alert: Go live! Apps like Periscope and Facebook Live allow you to interact with users via live broadcasting, so take advantage of the real-time, immediate feedback and ease of use. Live streaming presents an opportunity for the financial services professional, especially those of you who are media trained and have appeared on major TV networks like CNBC and Fox Business, to connect with your audience right from your desk.It’s as easy as propping your phone up, hitting the record button, and discussing recent market news. Holding webinars? Imagine being able to skip the slides and deliver something interesting to the people tuning into your broadcast. Take your followers to conferences or the New York Stock Exchange ─ let them go where you go. The reach and accessibility afforded by video and live broadcasting can’t be ignored.It takes some work to fully master these trends and reap the benefits. But it’s worth it. A more engaged audience means better dissemination of your content. The game continues to change and it’s not a choice as to whether you accept it – evolve or be left behind. Have an open mind and don’t be afraid to experiment to see what works best for you and your firm.