Financial services has the reputation of being a dry industry. Even for consumer-facing financial businesses, it can be challenging to communicate such in-depth and complicated concepts as financial health and wealth management, budgeting, retirement investment plans and so much more. For B2B fintech companies, the complexity intensifies. They’re dealing with executives who are in the financial trenches and understand the market — including all of its regulations. So it’s easy for fintech brands to pack in the jargon and generate the same uber-professional content they always have.
But the fintech world is changing in exciting new ways. With global investment in financial technology increasing 75% in 2015, fintech brands have the opportunity to differentiate their brand and their marketing by embracing new content trends, formats and tactics. To spark some inspiration, we wanted to spotlight some B2B and B2C financial brands that have fearlessly broken new content marketing ground:
1. Content Discoverability and Bingeing: American Express
American Express has always eagerly experimented with different messaging tactics and content marketing approaches — for both its B2B and B2C divisions. We recently showcased how the brand’s commercials featuring Tina Fey were great examples of buyer-focused messaging in action, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t spotlight some of its B2B content, as well.
Using results from an in-depth survey of business travelers, American Express and its Global Corporate Payments division developed an immersive content hub spotlighting business traveler behaviors, experiences and even their pain points. The hub features a variety of supplementary assets, such as blog articles, listicles, infographics and presentation. All visual and tactical in nature, these pieces helped put a fun spin on meaty survey data. Additionally, the research, which was developed in partnership with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), helped position the Global Corporate Payments division as a thought leader in the industry, while also providing knowledge and insight to business leaders.
2. Video and Mobile Optimization: Rocket Mortgage
Searching for a house can be tiring. You have your list of must-haves and deal-breakers; you need to consider the location, school district, taxes and so many other factors. Once you find the house of your dreams, though, you need to get pre-approved for a mortgage. This swallows up even more time and a lot of paperwork. Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans is striving to solve this headache. And the brand’s turnkey website, how-to video and streamlined mobile UX all contribute to this goal. (If you need proof, just sift through the site. It’s really so easy to navigate.) Quicken Loans allows buyers to choose their own journey based on whether they want to get a mortgage or refinance their home. Then, they walk through the process, showing how visitors can build their account, share financial information and get approval. If visitors have any questions, they can instantly connect with an expert through chat.
The Quicken Loans site, companion mobile app and supporting content are all integrated, helping to make the experience as easy as possible for user. That, at the end of the day, should be the central goal of your content marketing efforts.
3. Pain Point-Driven Blogs and Newsletters: Square
Over the past decade, there have been significant shake-ups in the point-of-sale market. New mobile apps and solutions helped level the playing field — allowing consumers to exchange money and helping smaller businesses better track their sales and streamline operations.
Square was undoubtedly one of the contributors to this market disruption. Over the years, Square has had to develop a content arsenal that speak to both consumers and businesses. How can both parties use Square? What are the features and capabilities? What are the benefits? Because Square targets small businesses, high-tech jargon simply won’t do. This is why Square’s content strategy really shines. An introductory video illustrates how Square works and lays out the short- and long-term benefits. The brand also shows its vision for helping businesses grow via additional services like Square Dashboard, Square Instant Deposit and Square Capital, as well as its suite of software products.
Finally, the Town Square Business Resource Center serves as the small business owner’s guide to success. Touching on everything from marketing and operations to employee hiring and retention, Square shows that beyond being a solution provider, it has a lot of small business savvy that can help business owners in the long term. People can even subscribe to the blog so the latest business insights and best practices are delivered right to their email inboxes.
4. Data Visualization, Personalization and More: Mint
At its core, Mint was designed to make people’s financial lives easier. Through a single platform and mobile app, you can develop and track budgets, pay credit card bills, get your credit score, and so much more. The solution itself is streamlined; users can track their progress by tapping into visual dashboards and looking at vibrant charts. The information is easy-to-digest and is always bolstered with follow-up advice and support based on users’ unique behaviors, affinities and goals.
The Mint blog, called MintLife, takes a similar approach. Targeting young professionals who want to be more “money smart,” MintLife features quick-hitting articles on budgeting, holiday planning, building credit and more. Its diverse coverage shows that MintLife has successfully become an integral resource for maintaining financial health.
As you can see, there are truly no limits for financial brands that want to educate and empower their buyers. Even B2B brands are breaking the mold of 30-page briefs and daunting research reports — and are using storytelling, blogging, video and other methods to convey their unique value proposition and add value to buyers’ lives.
If you want to learn more about some of the other trends shaking up the financial industry, visit our new microsite, which features a library of information and helpful resources.
