July 29th, 2020
Written by Adam Biederman
Adam Biederman is Copycat's co-founder and longest-tenured writer. With more than 2,000,000 words under his belt, he's a scribe-of-all-trades, but his primary focuses are on technical content, new client acquisition, and creative. He currently resides in Santa Barbara with his wife Meghan and baby girl Shiloh.
When it comes to brand messaging and content creation, every industry has its own unique challenges. But few fields are as tricky to write for as the financial sector.
Effective financial copywriting requires the writer to boil down complex topics into interesting, accurate, and digestible content. All the while, they must optimize each page for search, ensure that the content abides by federal regulations, and be mindful of the brand’s voice, value proposition, and audience.
That’s no simple task. But it is one we can help with.
To that end, let’s discuss everything you need to know about finance copywriting services.
The financial services industry is massive.
In terms of marketing, the sheer magnitude of this vertical creates a messaging problem—there are so many competing voices. This clamor drowns everything out. To consumers, it all too easily becomes white noise.
So, how do you get heard above the din?
It starts with a unique content plan filled with a diverse portfolio of high-quality copy, including:
But being a copywriter for the financial services industry poses some unique challenges. There are two differentiating factors in particular that can make it tough to produce quality content:
These elements add complexity to the copywriting equation.
High-quality financial writing has been important for decades. But in a digital world dominated by web content and social media, it’s now an essential ingredient to financial success.
Done properly it can help you:
But many businesses don’t live up to these goals.
Why?
Because their content falls flat.
So how do you avoid following their lead?
For us, there are five things we focus on in order to create financial copy that sells.
Money is serious. Financial copywriting doesn’t have to be. Or, at least, it needn’t be dull.
If the content conjures images of paint drying or makes the readers’ eyes glaze over before the introduction is through, the battle is lost before it ever begins. And, in the end, everyone’s valuable time is wasted.
You must engage the audience from the beginning and then never let go.
As Will Rogers once said, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
There’s no doubt that the numbers are important. But don’t focus on the facts at the expense of the message. It's how they’re framed that makes the difference.
You must ask, “What’s their impact on and relation to the audience?”
Far too often, that question isn’t answered from the get-go. Instead, the reader is practically waterboarded by a deluge of financial information without clearly understanding how it impacts their life and why they should keep on enduring the torture.
According to Warren Buffett, it’s crucial that you write with a specific person in mind:
“When writing Berkshire Hathaway’s annual report, I pretend that I’m talking to my sisters. I have no trouble picturing them: Though highly intelligent, they are not experts in accounting or finance. They will understand plain English, but jargon may puzzle them. My goal is simply to give them the information I would wish them to supply me if our positions were reversed. To succeed, I don’t need to be Shakespeare; I must, though, have a sincere desire to inform. No siblings to write to? Borrow mine: Just begin with “Dear Doris and Bertie.”
Content can’t be applicable to every reader. If you attempt to write for a universal audience, the end product will be boring, generalized copy that appeals to neither the ideal audience nor the casual reader. What might speak to a CEO may have zero impact and make even less sense to a thirty-something-first-time investor.
Whoever your audience is, the content needs to be tailored to them.
But knowing your audience isn’t simply about building their demographic profile. More importantly, you have to understand who they are on a root level.
How?
By asking questions like:
What do they want? To be a better trader? To save up money for their college fund? To attain a thorough grasp on concepts like ETF markets and budgeting?
Whatever it is they’re looking for, it’s crucial that each piece of content is geared toward not only answering that question but doing it in a way that feels personalized.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a critical role in a business’s digital success. It not only helps you rank higher on search but also makes your content easier to read and more effective at pushing your reader down the sales funnel and towards the end goal.
While there are hundreds of steps you can take to ensure that your content is optimized for search, there are a couple of key pointers to keep in mind:
By taking these actions, you can build better financial content, increase web traffic, and drive conversions.
Whether you’re an individual or part of a larger corporation, don’t be shy. Tell your audience what makes you special.
If you have the stats or financials to support your expertise and experience, use them. And don’t just use them, shout them. Display them on your website, your copy, your emails—anywhere, everywhere.
Let your audience know immediately why they can trust you with their money, time, or financial decisions.
For instance, common financial resume boosters include:
Do you have case studies that demonstrate that your company is doing something different, something better? Make it downloadable. Have you written books on the subject? Articles? Given lectures? Share them. Has the company developed proprietary software that is a game-changer within the marketplace? Let everyone know.
People (strangers especially) demand social proof. They want to know what makes you worth listening to. And yet far too many financial companies fail to proudly display these key differentiators.
Now’s not the time for a false sense of humility. Tell your audience what makes you the best.
Don’t miss out on a perfect opportunity to toot your own horn.
While it’s important to brag about your laurels and establish your authority, that can be done in several ways besides using fancy, industry-specific language.
What does that mean?
Put simply, far too much financial content is jam-packed with finance industry jargon that isn’t geared for the target consumer or layman. Highfalutin diction filled with ten-dollar words doesn’t make you relatable, nor does it provide your audience with the useful information they need.
The diction you use in your content shouldn’t be elevated (unless that’s your target audience). Instead, all of your copy should be in easy-to-read and easy-to-understand English.
Whether you’re writing a blog or a landing page, your goal is simple: quickly demonstrate your expertise by providing your reader with small pieces of digestible content that leave them with obvious takeaways and actionable insights.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you can’t explain or talk about difficult financial concepts, but it’s important you strike a balance between readability and competence. So, if you use jargon, be sure to explain it so that there’s no confusion.
Creating financial content that’s engaging and effective takes time, know-how, and talent. You need a knack for storytelling, a deep understanding of the brand message, and the ability to take complex topics and shape them into accessible primers.
Put simply, writing solid financial copy isn’t an easy feat.
Just like how others come to you for your financial advice, you may need to turn to writing experts to help you elevate your financial copywriting.
Here at Copycat, we’re not just some financial services copywriting agency. We’re different. We build in-house financial writing teams. Each copywriting team is staffed by experienced financial scribes who not only have the finance industry know-how but intuitively understand how to best position your brand’s message.
We’re are pros at:
Whether it’s copywriting for financial advisors or partnering with an equity firms’ marketing team, we have the skills and stable of writers you need to increase site traffic, conversions, and sales.
You can bet on this—working with Copycat will be one of the best investments you ever make. Reach out below and we’ll build you a free piece of content!
Sources
Financial Conduct Authority. Purpose and Application: Who and what? https://www.handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/BCOBS/2/?view=chapter
Forbes. Thoughts on the Life of Business. https://www.forbes.com/quotes/9717/
Warren Buffett. Security and Exchange Commission, A Plain English Handbook. https://plainlanguage.gov/resources/guides/plain-english-handbook/
