WHAT CONTENT WOWS FINANCIAL AUDIENCES?

WHAT CONTENT WOWS FINANCIAL AUDIENCES?

At the start of this year, we asked senior financial services marketing leaders how their strategies are changing in 2023. One early takeaway from the Infopro Digital Financial Services Marketing Pulse 2023 survey is this:

65% of respondents told us ‘Creating content that appeals to our target audience’ is the number one challenge they face.

As 2023 campaign plans get underway, we thought it helpful to provide some insight on the top challenge, by analysing the 50 highest performing pieces of sponsor content published across our financial media brand sites and channels, including Risk.net, WatersTechnology and Insurance Post in the last year.

Our aim? To identify common traits and trends that distinguish the most engaged-with sponsored content, based on traffic, view times, and actions taken. Here’s what we found:

Be clear 

Content that gets clicked is clear in its purpose and execution. Your audience will want to know: Is this relevant to me? Am I going to learn something new? Is it easy to take in the key points? That means signalling intent and value – through clear headlines, standfirsts and structure – from the start to the finish. 

This timely, no-nonsense piece by analytics firm Quantifi, for example, delivers helpful insight to a curious investor audience about an emerging topic.   

 

Be data-led

From research and data to case studies and expert comment, a rich seam of proof runs through the thought leadership content that performs consistently well. Unsurprisingly, financial executives like facts and figures. They are more likely to be receptive if they see clear evidence – from the market, from their peers, from third parties – that you understand their pain points and they can trust what’s being said. 

This future-focused report from technology provider Acin explores a specialist area of risk through bespoke research and in-depth interviews, racking up one of the highest approval ratings on Risk.net’s lead generation platform.

 

Be bold

B2B doesn’t have to be boring. While blogs and opinion pieces remain the bread and butter, bold ideas, smart visuals and interactive formats are bringing new life to previously static content. Project stakeholders take particular pride in these search and social-friendly campaigns, and are being rewarded with a noticeable uptick in impact and engagement from the target audience. 

Kennedys’ Claims Apprentice, for example, taking a lead from the TV series, showcases the talents of young claims professionals tackling challenging tasks, and is among the most viewed and shared content on Insurance Post.  

There are other factors too, of course, but among the majority of sponsored content that lands best with financial audiences you will find these magic ingredients of clarity, authenticity and creativity.

Read more from the Financial Services Marketing Pulse 2023 survey.

To find out more, or for some inspiration to take your 2023 content to the next level, book a strategy call with the Infopro Digital Ignite team.