The financial services world is evolving and its CMOs are faced with the challenge of attracting and retaining customers effectively. Their obstacles range from increasing competition from global peers, negative online reviews through to the awakening of clients to lead generating techniques. Add a dash of compliance and Regulation
Regulation
Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (
Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (
Read this Term into the mix and you’ve got yourself a tough lead generating conundrum.
At Contentworks, our team has experienced these challenges first hand, so we have put 20 lead generating tips that all financial services CMOs should follow.
Content and Offers
Users love free things or discounts, even if you as a company know that it is not actually costing you anything! An online ad that incorporates an offer will generate more Leads
Leads
Leads or lead generation are an essential component of marketing and powerful tool by brokers. In its simplest form, leads can be defined as the outreach of customer interest or enquiry into products or services, most often associated with brokerages.These can be created for purposes such as list building, e-newsletter list acquisition, or for sales leads. Amongst marketers, such lists are one of their most important assets and instrumental to sales.There are a variety of methods for generating
Leads or lead generation are an essential component of marketing and powerful tool by brokers. In its simplest form, leads can be defined as the outreach of customer interest or enquiry into products or services, most often associated with brokerages.These can be created for purposes such as list building, e-newsletter list acquisition, or for sales leads. Amongst marketers, such lists are one of their most important assets and instrumental to sales.There are a variety of methods for generating
Read this Term than a plain signup. Here are some essential tips for creating useful offers.
1. Use elements of scarcity
People want to be part of a movement and FOMO (fear of missing out) is a powerful thing. So, your marketing should create a sense of scarcity. By creating a time limit or a limited number of free items, you will prompt greater actions.
2. Show Value
All websites these days have a subscription feature and most users hate subscribing. A clever way to do it, is to show visitors the value of what they are subscribing to. For example, by subscribing now they will get free daily analysis, breaking news and invitations to VIP webinars.
3. Social Proof
As mentioned, people don’t want to feel left out. In fact, leveraging social proof, a kind of online peer pressure is far more effective than your promotions. You’ve only got to look at the power of positive (or negative) reviews to understand how much it matters. You can display positive reviews on your site close to CTA buttons, to encourage signups.
4. Simple and Effective Titles
As a financial services CMO, you are potentially targeting busy professionals. These investors or traders don’t have the time to read long pieces of text. Capture their attention with simple and effective titles, sub headings and bullet points. In addition, when creating marketing blogs, you should strive to create simple titles that rank higher in Google.
We recommend using the Coschedule headline analyser to test headlines.
Ensure that the titles of your headlines:
- Are short and concise
- Have power words like Free, New, Popular or Skill. You can find more power words here.
- Show why the reader should care about what you’re saying
- Provoke curiosity by providing just enough information to get the first click
- Are not misleading or non compliant
5. Use News Jacking
Online platforms like Twitter and Google have tools that show you what is trending. As a CMO, you should use Google Trends and Twitter hashtags as a marketing tool. For example, when a hashtag is trending, you should aim to create content that’s relevant to what everyone is talking about.
Ensure that:
- Your content resonates with people following the hashtag.
- The hashtag is relevant and you’re not newsjacking something inappropriate
- You respond promptly to any discussions
- You include a link to your own web or landing page content
- You continue to monitor the hashtag
6. Avoid Corporate Jargon
Your content should be simple and easy to understand. Unless you’re funneling your content, say for advanced or beginner users, avoid using complicated terminology. Beginners will feel intimidated and will distance themselves from your brand.
The Call TO Action (CTA)
The CTA is so important, yet many marketers fail when implementing it. Here are some content marketing tips for that all-important CTA:
7. Place it Where the Eye Can See
Hovering CTAs that follow the eye level are great because they prompt users to take the next action. Never bury your CTA button at the foot of a long page of text.
8. Make it Clear
Financial services pros know they must be transparent when it comes to risks but CMOs should aim to ensure transparency in all areas of content marketing. If you plan to add people to an email list or database, then you need to tell them before they sign up. If your sales team will call them after an eBook download, then you need to tell them that too!
9. Link to a Dedicated Landing Page
A mistake we often see in financial services content, is when a CTA leads to a products & services page. The reader is dumped loose on a page with no relevance or call to action and simply wanders off or clicks out. Instead, marketers should link the CTA to a dedicated landing page. In this page, you should describe the offer, event or solution you are promoting. If you are linking to a landing page from social media, then you should also ensure that the imaging and messaging matches to prevent a high bounce rate.
10. Thank You CTA
Visitors like to be appreciated. When they sign up for your offer, you can lead them to another short CTA where you thank them. Doing this will help to create a personal relationship with them. You can also drive them to another page, such as your blog, where they can learn more while they wait for your offer to arrive.
The landing page
A landing page that is implemented poorly can make or break a marketing strategy. Let’s look at how to create a good one:
11. Remove the Main Navigator
A mistake we see often is when marketers include the main navigator in their landing pages. In this page, you simply want the visitors to focus on the services you offer and to take the next action. You want a signup or a deposit, not a visitor who will wander on to look at other pages and then leave.
12. Less is More
In the landing page, less is usually more. Visitors don’t have the time to read oceans of content. Yet we regularly hear CMOs talking about adding EVERYTHING into the landing page. Landing page text should be punchy, impactful and relevant to this one promotion. Yes, you offer lots more, but you don’t need to go into detail here. If you can add a short, relevant video below the fold then this will also increase your success rate.
13. Prove You are Credible
CMOs need to know that many people are afraid of giving their details to companies they just discovered, especially in the cryptocurrency space! Your landing page footer (below the fold text) should offer plenty of credibility including; awards you have won, client testimonials and sponsorships. Another way to build trust is to show security features or regulators on your landing page.
14. Encourage Social Sharing
Social media is very important to CMOs, or at least it should be! While very few visitors will share landing pages, those who do will potentially help you to generate more leads. If you can connect your social sharing with your education centre, promotions and news feeds then it will certainly benefit your lead generating funnel.
Social Media
And speaking of social media, you all know you’re supposed to be doing it, but are you generating high quality leads? Here’s a few tips to follow:
15. Target your messaging
If you’re trying to reach French speaking clients, then simply translating your landing page isn’t enough. You also need to localize your image and ideally provide other materials in French. You will also need to target your social posts and adverts to the exact demographic you want, otherwise you’re simply wasting ad dollars.
16. Social Media Split Testing
If you’re serious about advertising on social media, then you need to be split testing your campaigns. For example, take your $1000 ad spend and split it into 5 x $200. Then run 5 adverts with different messaging, images and CTAs. This way, you can compare your results to truly understand which works best.
17. Utilise Influencer Marketing
Getting an influencer onboard to promote you will work wonders for your lead generation. That’s because he or she will have a high following on social media and will probably appear more credible in promoting you.
18. Engage Fans
With Facebooks new algorithm changes shaking up business pages, it’s likely that your financial services page will have seen a drop in fan engagement. It’s now more essential than ever to engage fans with interactive posts, live video, infographics and sharable content.
19. Respond Promptly
Social media users now expect quick responses across all the networks and a failure to do so will cost you big. CMOs should assign a social media manager, customer service team member or agency to monitor and respond quickly to questions.
20. Rock Video Marketing
Video marketing is rocketing up the ranks for its ability to generate leads for financial services companies. Your videos can explain, entertain and educate potential clients, building trust and enabling them to take the next step. If your videos aren’t generating leads then you need to consider the script, animation, advertising budget and promotion. If in doubt plan to create a new set that tick all the boxes.
We understand the challenges faced by today’s CMOs in the financial services sector. Getting it right takes years of skill and expertise and of course a dedicated team of marketers. If you’re ready to take your financial services brand to the next level, speak to the Contentworks team today.
The financial services world is evolving and its CMOs are faced with the challenge of attracting and retaining customers effectively. Their obstacles range from increasing competition from global peers, negative online reviews through to the awakening of clients to lead generating techniques. Add a dash of compliance and Regulation
Regulation
Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (
Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (
Read this Term into the mix and you’ve got yourself a tough lead generating conundrum.
At Contentworks, our team has experienced these challenges first hand, so we have put 20 lead generating tips that all financial services CMOs should follow.
Content and Offers
Users love free things or discounts, even if you as a company know that it is not actually costing you anything! An online ad that incorporates an offer will generate more Leads
Leads
Leads or lead generation are an essential component of marketing and powerful tool by brokers. In its simplest form, leads can be defined as the outreach of customer interest or enquiry into products or services, most often associated with brokerages.These can be created for purposes such as list building, e-newsletter list acquisition, or for sales leads. Amongst marketers, such lists are one of their most important assets and instrumental to sales.There are a variety of methods for generating
Leads or lead generation are an essential component of marketing and powerful tool by brokers. In its simplest form, leads can be defined as the outreach of customer interest or enquiry into products or services, most often associated with brokerages.These can be created for purposes such as list building, e-newsletter list acquisition, or for sales leads. Amongst marketers, such lists are one of their most important assets and instrumental to sales.There are a variety of methods for generating
Read this Term than a plain signup. Here are some essential tips for creating useful offers.
1. Use elements of scarcity
People want to be part of a movement and FOMO (fear of missing out) is a powerful thing. So, your marketing should create a sense of scarcity. By creating a time limit or a limited number of free items, you will prompt greater actions.
2. Show Value
All websites these days have a subscription feature and most users hate subscribing. A clever way to do it, is to show visitors the value of what they are subscribing to. For example, by subscribing now they will get free daily analysis, breaking news and invitations to VIP webinars.
3. Social Proof
As mentioned, people don’t want to feel left out. In fact, leveraging social proof, a kind of online peer pressure is far more effective than your promotions. You’ve only got to look at the power of positive (or negative) reviews to understand how much it matters. You can display positive reviews on your site close to CTA buttons, to encourage signups.
4. Simple and Effective Titles
As a financial services CMO, you are potentially targeting busy professionals. These investors or traders don’t have the time to read long pieces of text. Capture their attention with simple and effective titles, sub headings and bullet points. In addition, when creating marketing blogs, you should strive to create simple titles that rank higher in Google.
We recommend using the Coschedule headline analyser to test headlines.
Ensure that the titles of your headlines:
- Are short and concise
- Have power words like Free, New, Popular or Skill. You can find more power words here.
- Show why the reader should care about what you’re saying
- Provoke curiosity by providing just enough information to get the first click
- Are not misleading or non compliant
5. Use News Jacking
Online platforms like Twitter and Google have tools that show you what is trending. As a CMO, you should use Google Trends and Twitter hashtags as a marketing tool. For example, when a hashtag is trending, you should aim to create content that’s relevant to what everyone is talking about.
Ensure that:
- Your content resonates with people following the hashtag.
- The hashtag is relevant and you’re not newsjacking something inappropriate
- You respond promptly to any discussions
- You include a link to your own web or landing page content
- You continue to monitor the hashtag
6. Avoid Corporate Jargon
Your content should be simple and easy to understand. Unless you’re funneling your content, say for advanced or beginner users, avoid using complicated terminology. Beginners will feel intimidated and will distance themselves from your brand.
The Call TO Action (CTA)
The CTA is so important, yet many marketers fail when implementing it. Here are some content marketing tips for that all-important CTA:
7. Place it Where the Eye Can See
Hovering CTAs that follow the eye level are great because they prompt users to take the next action. Never bury your CTA button at the foot of a long page of text.
8. Make it Clear
Financial services pros know they must be transparent when it comes to risks but CMOs should aim to ensure transparency in all areas of content marketing. If you plan to add people to an email list or database, then you need to tell them before they sign up. If your sales team will call them after an eBook download, then you need to tell them that too!
9. Link to a Dedicated Landing Page
A mistake we often see in financial services content, is when a CTA leads to a products & services page. The reader is dumped loose on a page with no relevance or call to action and simply wanders off or clicks out. Instead, marketers should link the CTA to a dedicated landing page. In this page, you should describe the offer, event or solution you are promoting. If you are linking to a landing page from social media, then you should also ensure that the imaging and messaging matches to prevent a high bounce rate.
10. Thank You CTA
Visitors like to be appreciated. When they sign up for your offer, you can lead them to another short CTA where you thank them. Doing this will help to create a personal relationship with them. You can also drive them to another page, such as your blog, where they can learn more while they wait for your offer to arrive.
The landing page
A landing page that is implemented poorly can make or break a marketing strategy. Let’s look at how to create a good one:
11. Remove the Main Navigator
A mistake we see often is when marketers include the main navigator in their landing pages. In this page, you simply want the visitors to focus on the services you offer and to take the next action. You want a signup or a deposit, not a visitor who will wander on to look at other pages and then leave.
12. Less is More
In the landing page, less is usually more. Visitors don’t have the time to read oceans of content. Yet we regularly hear CMOs talking about adding EVERYTHING into the landing page. Landing page text should be punchy, impactful and relevant to this one promotion. Yes, you offer lots more, but you don’t need to go into detail here. If you can add a short, relevant video below the fold then this will also increase your success rate.
13. Prove You are Credible
CMOs need to know that many people are afraid of giving their details to companies they just discovered, especially in the cryptocurrency space! Your landing page footer (below the fold text) should offer plenty of credibility including; awards you have won, client testimonials and sponsorships. Another way to build trust is to show security features or regulators on your landing page.
14. Encourage Social Sharing
Social media is very important to CMOs, or at least it should be! While very few visitors will share landing pages, those who do will potentially help you to generate more leads. If you can connect your social sharing with your education centre, promotions and news feeds then it will certainly benefit your lead generating funnel.
Social Media
And speaking of social media, you all know you’re supposed to be doing it, but are you generating high quality leads? Here’s a few tips to follow:
15. Target your messaging
If you’re trying to reach French speaking clients, then simply translating your landing page isn’t enough. You also need to localize your image and ideally provide other materials in French. You will also need to target your social posts and adverts to the exact demographic you want, otherwise you’re simply wasting ad dollars.
16. Social Media Split Testing
If you’re serious about advertising on social media, then you need to be split testing your campaigns. For example, take your $1000 ad spend and split it into 5 x $200. Then run 5 adverts with different messaging, images and CTAs. This way, you can compare your results to truly understand which works best.
17. Utilise Influencer Marketing
Getting an influencer onboard to promote you will work wonders for your lead generation. That’s because he or she will have a high following on social media and will probably appear more credible in promoting you.
18. Engage Fans
With Facebooks new algorithm changes shaking up business pages, it’s likely that your financial services page will have seen a drop in fan engagement. It’s now more essential than ever to engage fans with interactive posts, live video, infographics and sharable content.
19. Respond Promptly
Social media users now expect quick responses across all the networks and a failure to do so will cost you big. CMOs should assign a social media manager, customer service team member or agency to monitor and respond quickly to questions.
20. Rock Video Marketing
Video marketing is rocketing up the ranks for its ability to generate leads for financial services companies. Your videos can explain, entertain and educate potential clients, building trust and enabling them to take the next step. If your videos aren’t generating leads then you need to consider the script, animation, advertising budget and promotion. If in doubt plan to create a new set that tick all the boxes.
We understand the challenges faced by today’s CMOs in the financial services sector. Getting it right takes years of skill and expertise and of course a dedicated team of marketers. If you’re ready to take your financial services brand to the next level, speak to the Contentworks team today.
