Content is king.
Bill Gates immortalised the saying back in 1996, but the old saying's never been more relevant than in our current information age.
With the veritable flood of high quality content and the growth of channels through which said content can be promoted, businesses are now able to reach a vast range of demographics. Industries big and small spend their time working on how their online presence can translate to sales, while the rest wrestle for attention.
Then there's the financial services industry.
Let's not call them reluctant to employ content marketing schemes - let's call them cautious. We reckon that's fair. Content marketing's dynamics, and the regulations and channels it exists within are constantly changing. The latter condition, in particular, means that certain companies are frightened to publish certain pieces, even if these might be considered great content.
Ignore these restrictions. There are still many other ways financial services firms can attract and engage their target audience through their site's content, and we guarantee it's stress-free.
Here are some ways financial services firms can get started on content marketing while still adhering to the regulations:
Social Media
Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are three of the best social media services on which financial services firms can promote their content. It's easy and your audience chooses whether or not they want to opt in to your promotions. A large percentage of internet savvy potential clients are on social media - particularly LinkedIn - making it a great way to both find them, and make them aware of your firm. It's also a great tool to respond to quick questions from the audience on, regardless of whether it's a direct answer they want, or a link to the appropriate webpage on your site.
Premium Content
By this, we mean content that's more than your average blog post. This means white papers, and instructional guides. As with every business, we can guarantee that your potential clients have a lot of questions about what you can offer them. Why not create a F.A.Q? The long and short of it is, in creating premium content, you can address multiple different concerns in one fell swoop and potentially attract even more readers.
Subscriptions
Whether it's via newsletter or RSS feed, subscriptions update your readers about new content on your site. An opt-in form on your business' landing page or blog reminds readers that they can subscribe anytime. Make sure you send out reminders at reasonable intervals. Note that flooding your subscribers inboxes with messages is definitely frowned upon.
Case studies
Showcase your expertise through the use of case studies. This content could be in a separate area on your website, or placed alongside the premium content. A thorough dissection of each case also gives your prospective clients a clue of how you handle certain cases, and will back up your claim of proficiency while you're at it.
Webinars
Like case studies, webinars also exhibit the expertise you possess in your field. The difference is that a webinar's a hell of a lot more interesting than reading text and charts on the screen. It lends a face and a voice to your company. As content marketing seeks to establish a relationship with prospective clients, webinars are a personable way of showing how well your firm can handle the needs of different clients. These webinars don't need to be very long, and they can be created right in your firm's headquarters with a good quality video camera, a microphone and some basic video editing skills.
Blog Posts
Blog posts are shorter and more specific than premium content, but they tend to be more frequent. As an added bonus, most of the content on your business' site can be repurposed into a blog. They're also great for leading readers to your premium content, because one topic can lead them to another, to another - and then they'll find themselves midway through purchasing something or booking a service, with your words as reassurance of the product's quality. A word to the wise on creating blog posts: make sure you use SEO and trim each post down to about 500-1000 words. Popping in graphics when it's relevant will do your text a favour, too: Only a select few like listening to sermons, and fewer still like reading them.
Great content's been the key to cultivating an online presence for many a business. Financial services firms should be no different!
"But the topic's as dry as ninety percent of Australia!" we hear you say.
Not necessarily. Create and promote content that you know your potential clients will find interesting - and find new ways to say it, or spin it. Done right, you'll be able to bridge any distance and conquer any attention span.
The post 6 Types of Content Financial Services Firms Can Use appeared first on Social Garden.