Financial Services Marketing: A Guide for 2024

Financial Services Marketing Strategies, Trends and Examples for 2024

Navigating the rough waters of financial services marketing can feel like walking a tightrope. On one hand, you’re contending with competitors for the same clientele. Conversely, you’re grappling with strict regulations that are constantly changing. Add to that the high cost of acquiring new customers – an average of $160 per lead.

On top of this, finance and banking firms dedicate about 14% of their budget to digital marketing. This highlights the importance of converting these costly leads into loyal customers.

But winning them over is only half the challenge of marketing for financial services. The obstacle involves actively preventing tech-savvy customers from succumbing to the allure of banks and fintech companies.

Don’t worry, as with the right marketing strategies, you can reach your goals more smoothly, no matter what your services or objectives may be.

What is Financial Services Marketing?

Marketing within the financial services industry involves the use of specialised strategies. Companies in this sector use these strategies to advertise and sell their products to potential clients. These methods are distinct and specifically tailored to suit the unique needs of the finance and banking sectors. This makes them different from traditional marketing approaches.

The main goal of these strategies is to enhance visibility. They also aim to attract potential customers. Ultimately, they seek to increase the adoption of their financial products.

When creating a financial services marketing strategy, pay close attention to these main points:

• • Determine who your potential customers are and what their needs are
  • Look at what similar businesses are doing and find ways to set your brand apart
  • Show what makes your services unique and what value they hold for customers
  • Decide where you’ll promote your services, like on social media, email or blogging
  • Develop content that helps your customers with their pain points while building trust in your brand
  • Monitor your strategies with data metrics to see what works and make necessary changes

Marketing is more than just selling; it’s a potent tool. It aids in expanding your brand and connecting with your targeted markets. But that’s not all; it also gives you the power to outshine your competitors.

Now, here’s the catch: understanding the benefits of marketing is crucial whether your business is large or small. The next step is harnessing its strategies effectively. And the ultimate goal is to attract a more extensive customer base.

1. Define your Target Audience

Before you start your marketing journey, getting to know your target audience in the financial services industry is vital. Your firm must identify groups based on motivations, behaviours, and essential characteristics.

The process can begin with broad categories such as gender or education level and those holding mortgages. Then, could you refine these categories to achieve a more detailed understanding of your target audience?

For instance, young tech-savvy adults might seek a separate bank account from their parent’s choice. Or, maybe they’re interested in dipping their toes into the investment world. Above all, precision is crucial when determining your target audience.

Moreover, young adults in their 20s or 30s might seek financial services to help navigate major life milestones. For example, young adults are likelier to buy their first home or start a family. As for older customers, they’ll be counting on your expertise as they approach retirement.

In short, understanding who your ideal customer is is pivotal for any business’s future growth. It also assists in avoiding making ambiguous decisions within your marketing efforts. If not careful, these vague statements could drive away customers, steering them towards your competitors.

All in all, by defining your target audience, you will boost business growth and customer loyalty.

2. Personalisation

Personalised marketing utilises data to create brand messages that resonate with each customer’s interests and habits. So, brands that actively tailor customer messages are making a positive first impression.

Moreover, 90% of marketers believe tailoring services to individual customers can significantly boost profits. Hence, it’s not just about numbers; it’s about making people feel seen and valued.

Customers who like receiving a unique, catered experience will likely engage with your business. Simply put, it’s about treating them as individuals, not just another customer. Moreover, nearly 7 in 10 customers favour services using shared information to cater to their needs. Thus, that’s the power of personal touch for your overall marketing efforts.

Knowing an audience segment’s wants and pain points is an excellent foundation for personally targeted messaging.

Here are refined strategies to make your audience feel special:

• • Develop innovative techniques to sustain audience interest
  • Recommend services or financial products that align with their preferences and previous purchases
  • Tailor your approach according to their location
  • Foster an emotional bond with your audience
  • Communicate your unique viewpoint
  • Use language and terms that resonate with your audience
  • Use the method of finding a problem, showing why it’s urgent, and then suggesting a fix
  • Provide the audience with the essential information they need to know

To summarise, make each customer feel unique with a tailored touch instead of just one in the crowd. Remember, making your brand more human and fitting it to every customer’s needs is essential in financial services marketing.

3. Content Marketing

Marketing your finance brand calls for a strong content strategy. Research highlights the popularity of content marketing among both B2B and B2C marketers. Specifically, 73% of B2B and 70% of B2C marketers leverage content as a critical part of their strategies. This means that most marketers understand the impact of delivering engaging and relevant content to their audiences.

However, your content must add value to the consumer. In financial services, ‘valuable content’ refers to content that teaches your audience something new.

Consider some of the queries your audience may have:

• • When is the ideal age to start setting aside money for retirement?
  • What amount should they accumulate before contemplating a down deposit on a home?
  • How can they identify potential investment prospects?

The goal is to produce content that provides simple and valuable answers to customers’ essential questions.

Here are some strategies you can employ:

• • Craft concise yet informative videos to educate your users. Share these educational resources across all relevant platforms to extend your reach and improve conversion rates
  • Develop evergreen content that bolsters your brand’s credibility. By doing so, your blog posts could evolve into a reliable hub for individuals seeking financial services
  • With the time people spend on their mobile devices, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is essential. Focus on this aspect to provide a seamless and convenient user digital experience

By using the above strategies, you can engage your audience effectively. This will boost your brand’s image and establish you as a thought leader.

4. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO is vital for marketing, regardless of the industry. It can significantly enhance your company’s presence on the internet. In other words, if your website ranks high in search engine results, it’s more likely to draw visitors and create business leads.

In addition, it is essential to note that search engines start an impressive 68% of online experiences. This fact is particularly relevant in financial services, where consumers often seek dependable and speedy information.

Moreover, 60% of marketers consider SEO and blogging their primary sources of high-quality leads. This underlines the effectiveness of content and search engines in reaching potential customers, especially in the finance industry.

5. Email Marketing

Think of email as a direct link, sharing new product updates, services, and company news with your customers. With email automation, you can time your updates to arrive when your audience is most likely to read them.

Moreover, one or two people find something they see value in from an email every month and decide to buy it. Furthermore, studies show that half of the people purchase from their inboxes at least once a month. This study further supports the power of emails as a revenue-generating source.

But the benefits of email go beyond just keeping customers in the loop. Emails are a powerful tool for nurturing leads and driving conversions. Regular communication with new customers can boost engagement, loyalty, and retention. Not to mention, it’s an effective way to keep your long-term customers feeling valued and connected.

6. Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)

CRO is a marketing strategy to boost the number of users who complete a specific website action. Firstly, it’s about identifying potential enhancements that can make your site or app more attractive. Then, through A/B testing, you confirm the effectiveness of these ideas.

CRO is like a secret weapon for your business to enhance revenue passively. The aim is to truly engage with the people visiting your website or using your app. Minor tweaks and enhancements can boost the chances of turning these visitors into loyal customers.

As a result of CRO, you save on budget while making more returns from each visitor. And at the end of the day, keeping on budget is great news for growing your business.

7. Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

Once you’ve pinpointed your target audience, the next step is to reach out to them and encourage them to visit your website. For this reason, PPC ads have emerged as a popular choice for many businesses. On average, paid advertisements can yield a return on investment (ROI) of 200%.

This model is unique because you pay per click to your landing page, not impressions. However, the traffic and potential sales PPC brings make this cost worthwhile. You can customise your PPC ads to fit your goals and target audience. You can select the ad type and define who sees it based on location, behaviour and demographics.

In short, PPC  is a highly effective method to reach a specific audience and see immediate results.

8. Social Media Marketing

With a whopping 4.8 billion active users, social media platforms are perfect for reaching a diverse audience. Nearly half of consumers (49%) find their ideal product through targeted social ads, and 40% find it through a brand’s regular post.

Handling social media can be challenging, especially when making meaningful posts for a specific audience. But you can usually find ways to improve your social media with the quality and relevance of your content.

You can start by deeply understanding what content platforms your audiences engage with. Why not start with Instagram to craft visually appealing content that makes complex topics more digestible? Instagram is also a great platform to foster community within your company. On the other hand, LinkedIn could be your go-to platform if you’re aiming for a more professional vibe.

Once you’ve selected your platform of choice,  share tailored content to align with your audience’s interests. In doing so, this strategic move can considerably boost your social media engagement.

To boost your social media engagement, you can:

• • Work with influencers who align with your brand to reach their followers
  • Use paid ads for quick visibility and specific reach
  • Use tools to track what customers are saying about your brand
  • Run polls and surveys to learn what your audience likes
  • Share customer reviews to prove your brand’s reliability and quality of products and services

As a result, these strategies will increase your social media presence and boost customer’s brand impression.

9. Automation and Data

Finance is swimming in a sea of data; sometimes, knowing how to make the most of it can take time. However, thanks to new customer experience and automation tools, using data to improve your strategy is simpler.

Data is critical to understanding which customers might be gearing up for purchases or pre-approved loans. Plus, using data can help you provide services sooner to customers who like online financial help. In the long run, this could reduce the need for customer service.

Take HSBC as the best way to use data and automation. HSBC has embraced AI to streamline their operations and introduced a chatbot, “Amy“, for enhanced customer service. Amy quickly responds to customer queries about products and services.

As a result, this has eased their customer service team’s load, boosted efficiency, and quickened response times. This shows how automation can significantly increase productivity and customer satisfaction in financial services.

10. Community Marketing

Remember, as a financial services company, you’re not just a business but a part of the wider community. So why not show some love to the satisfied customers supporting you? Keep in mind that connecting with your society not only builds your reputation but also boosts your brand.

Maintain a strong bond with your community, even when your brand thrives. Participating in local events, backing worthy causes, and giving to charities creates a positive image. It also reassures people of your reliability. So, stay involved in your community – it benefits both you and your customers.

11. Case Studies and Valuable Whitepapers

Two types of content that shine – case studies and valuable white papers. These types of content are your ticket to building trust and showing off your industry knowledge.

Think of case studies as the highlight reel of your success. Transform your past collaborations into engaging narratives. Specifically, use compelling language and data to illustrate your positive impact on that business.

On the other hand, guides are your chance to delve deep into hefty financial topics that need more space than a typical blog post. Consider rounding up the year’s industry trends or drawing a market report. The beauty of guides is that they are great at attracting leads.

12. Referral Marketing

Your customers can be your biggest cheerleaders. Satisfied customers will readily share their positive experiences if they value your services. This is where a solid referral program becomes crucial. So, if you’re in the financial services sector and don’t have a referral strategy, it’s time to get one.

In simpler terms, people usually trust suggestions from friends, family, and workmates more than any sales pitch. A referral program could be the key to drawing more potential clients to your bank or financial institution.

And let’s not forget to thank your customers for their help. Consider providing rewards or incentives that improve as they refer more individuals. After all, everyone appreciates a good perk, so why not kick off that referral marketing campaign today?

13. Retargeting Campaigns

Retargeting campaigns can be a real game-changer for engaging with potential customers. Sometimes, leads get far down the sales funnel only to change their minds and drop off. But with retargeting, you can revisit these almost-customers later when the time is right.

Before you launch into action, test your messages to ensure they hit the mark. Also, make sure to keep your communication easy to understand and friendly. And remember, everyone likes things to be simple and rewarding – so make it a breeze for your leads to convert.

So why not try retargeting to engage with these stray leads? A small incentive such as a discount or complimentary service could sway them in your favour.

Our services include:

• • Content Marketing
  • Digital Marketing
  • Website Design and Development
  • Brand Creation and Nurturing

Global Marketing Services

As a company, we proudly partner with various clients, from major corporations to small and medium financial firms. These partnerships span across the globe, from the UK and abroad. So, be it the UK, USA, UAE, or Singapore, our team is always ready to meet your marketing goals.

Looking for a Top Financial Marketing Agency to Boost Your Firm’s Online Growth?

Please reach out to Goldmine Media and see how we can drive your business forward, whatever your goals are.

So, if you’d like more information on how we can help with your marketing, please get in touch with Goldmine Media. Moreover, you can reach us by calling 0845 686 0055 or emailing findoutmore@goldminemedia.co.uk.