Surveys show that 70% of consumers learning about a company through content rather than ads. There is no question that content marketing is a critical strategy. However, content writing for finance is particularly challenging. Finding high-quality writers who understand the space is critical but challenging.
From complex jargon to a lack of ability to translate complex financial concepts into easily digestible content, there is a number of reasons some marketing teams are not up for the challenge.
Today, I’ll look at exactly what to consider when hiring content writers for finance, as well as why a strong content marketing strategy is key to success. Finally, we will look at the potential pitfalls of hiring the wrong team or going it alone.
Get in Touch for a Content Writing Quote
Why Content Writing for Finance is Uniquely Challenging
Content writing for finance is a balancing act. Writers need to walk a fine line between demonstrating knowledge of complex financial topics and being able make them easy to understand. As with all content marketing, one of the key objectives is to build trust with your audience and establish credibility. This is all the more important when dealing with the finance sector.
Even experienced and knowledgeable content writers may find themselves challenged by this industry. Content writing for finance requires writers who understand the relevant compliance rules. This means being able to write about them but also not breaking the rules and writing non-compliant content.
Adding to this convolution is the overwhelming presence of jargon in content writing for finance. From Alpha to Beta, MiFID II and more, it’s a hard market to write in if you’re not already familiar. It’s harder still to gauge how much the reader may already know and where you should offer a definition.
As mentioned above the ability to translate financial language can be a huge stumbling block.
Writers can easily fall into the trap of overcomplicating or oversimplifying.
After all, there is no point in writing a technically accurate article that people do not engage with or understand. Content writing has to draw people in, via compelling, accessible explanations of relevant issues.
Unfortunately, freelancers with the knowledge of how to best approach content writing for finance don’t always stick around. Because let’s face it, experts in finance can easily find jobs elsewhere.
This is why hiring a content writing team that shares your company values and understands the material is the best way to go.
The Temptation to Go it Alone - and Why This is a Bad Idea
With that in mind, it may feel tempting to simply write your own marketing content. Afterall, you know exactly what you’re talking about in your space.
However, the practicalities of this are complicated. Finding, training and managing content writers for finance is a massive challenge.
At Nituno, and in my previous company, I’ve done exactly this. I’ve found it incredibly time-consuming to build expert content writing teams when I was a CMO. In fact, that’s why I cofounded Nituno so I could share the expert team I built here.
As an entrepreneur, your hands should already be full with running your business. It is not a helpful strategy to plan for a full-time job to be squeezed into stolen moments at work.
Hire a team you can trust, and by all means, scan their work for quality assurance. But don’t sabotage yourself by trying to do it all on your own.
Why You Need Strong Content Writing for Finance
SEO
Only 0.78% of Google searches resulted in clicks on the second page of results. This shows why SEO needs to underpin all content writing for finance. A good content writer will be able to weave great SEO into anything they write, ensuring it ranks highly on search engines and catches attention. Good communication ensures an understanding of your target audience, catering to their motivations and challenges. The goal needs to be to generate more traffic, and ensure they are using high-ranking keywords throughout their content.
Clarity in Product Messaging
If there are too many vague sentences or irrelevant details in your product messaging, your potential customers will constantly be coming to you with questions. Or worse, they will just walk away and find another company.
Clarity and persuasive language in your content and overall messaging will not only get you more qualified leads, but it will also create happier customers in the long run.
Thought Leadership and Authority
As we said above, building trust and cultivating thought leadership for your brand is core to a successful content marketing strategy. When it comes to financial information in particular, customers value authoritative and informed voices. But improved traffic only comes from a consistent strategy. A content writing team will have the capacity to produce larger quantities of high-quality content, and can be relied upon not to get waylaid by other tasks. This will allow you to steadily grow your engagement.
Content Writing for Finance: Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Candidates
Do They Have a Good Knowledge of Finance?
Content writing for finance needs to show a good understanding of the financial industry and its current landscape. Writers also must demonstrate they know how to write to bridge the gap between industry professionals and more casual readers.
Do They Have a Good Knowledge of Content Marketing?
They need to be able to show they understand the timescale for content marketing, and how to optimize their content for search engines. Look for certifications from Hubspot and SEMrush – these are green flags.
Do They Have the Bandwidth to Deliver?
Does their company culture invest in its writers, or is there heavy turnover? You’ll want to build a partnership with this agency that can grow and strengthen with time, so you need to know their team is in it for the long haul.
Do They Have Proof of What They Are Promising?
As well as the certifications mentioned, look out for testimonials from other customers. Do they also do work in the financial industry? Finally, is their own content compelling, crawlable, and designed for great SEO? Partner with a company that can show you they practice what they preach.
The right content marketing will drive traffic and, over time, supercharge your growth. If you’re in the finance industry, you’ll likely have encountered challenges with finding a reliable, knowledgeable content team.
Content writing for finance may be a difficult space to hire for, but with some thoughtful parameters in mind, it’s far from impossible.
Nituno can help with this because we have a strong track record of writing for the finance industry. We’re a SEMrush agency partner, as well as Hubspot certified. At Nituno, we use a combination of content marketing, SEO, and PPC services, driving growth and improving your lead generation in the finance industry. To get the most out of your marketing spend, get in touch with us today.
