“It’s been 84 years!” I dramatically claim at least once a week. 10 years is a long time in marketing. In the world of financial services, it feels even longer.
10 years ago, getting a forex broker noticed online was a very different game. Ranking on Google for searches like “best forex broker” was not the challenge it has become today. The competition was lighter, the content landscape was less crowded, and readers were absorbing articles entitled “What is Bitcoin?” and “What is Fintech?”. Oh, and Chat GPT, Claude, Perplexity and all their friends didn’t exist. So, there’s that too.
The finance space is all grown up and I’ve seen financial marketing go from being a niche specialism to a highly competitive space. I’ve also seen numerous agencies enter the industry, attracted by the growth of forex and fintech marketing. Some stayed, some moved on to the next trend, and some discovered that financial marketing is not quite as simple as adding “forex” to a service page and calling it a day. Meanwhile 10 years on, I’m referenced as a financial marketing veteran which conjures up images of a battle weary, caffeine addicted marketer. Something that might not be too far from the truth.
I’ve worked with forex brokers, fintech companies, banks, payment providers, investment platforms and financial brands across international markets. I’ve seen strategies succeed, campaigns that exceeded expectations, ideas that needed refining and plenty of marketing trends that appeared promising before disappearing just as quickly.
So, what has 10 years running a financial marketing agency taught me? Here it is in a nutshell.
#1 Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery. But It is Annoying
When Contentworks Agency carved out its space in the financial marketing arena, specialised agencies focused specifically on forex and fintech were still relatively rare. Many companies could offer generic digital marketing services, but financial brands needed something different. Marketing a forex broker, fintech platform or regulated financial company requires a deeper understanding of the industry, the audience, the technology, the regulations and the challenges that come with building trust in financial markets.
Over the years, many marketing agencies entered the space. Some stayed for a short time, some adapted their offering and a rare few became huge! Have we been copied? Yes, many times. Is it annoying? Yes. But here’s the thing, financial marketing is not something you can learn overnight by changing your website headline or adding “fintech” to your service list. It requires industry knowledge, long-term experience and an understanding of what resonates with financial audiences. It also requires a commitment to staying ahead of the curve, closely following compliance and monitoring the markets.
Being established in this industry has never been about being the loudest agency. It has been about consistently delivering quality work, understanding the market and helping financial brands communicate effectively in an increasingly competitive space. Contentworks Agency could have grown to be a much bigger agency than it is, but that also means losing quality control. Something we chose not to do.
#2 Trust Remains the Foundation of Financial Marketing
Taking marketing out of the equation for a moment, we are all financial consumers. We want to know which fintechs and banks are safe, the best investments for our money, the latest trends and how to navigate bigger decisions like savings, home purchases and retirement. Financial decisions are built on confidence so whether someone is choosing a forex broker or selecting a financial service provider, trust plays a major role in the decision-making process.
Over the years, we’ve seen that the strongest brands are the ones that communicate clearly, educate their audiences and provide the information customers need to make informed decisions. They are also consistent. That’s consistency in their tone of voice and branding, posting schedules, replies, graphics, videos and approach to PR.
Trust is created through consistency, transparency and every interaction a customer has with a brand. It isn’t something you do at the start and then forget about, and this is where most finance brands come unstuck. They aren’t in it for the long haul, but they need to be.
#3 The Best Content Ideas Come From Real Life Scenarios
After ten years of creating financial content, one thing is still true. The best content ideas come from real life scenarios. Customer problems, expectations V Reality, questions, sales discussions and support enquiries all reveal what audiences want to understand. If customers regularly ask about a trading platform feature or stumble over a signup form then you have your content. And there’s is a strong chance others are searching for that content as well. Create FAQs, videos, blogs and posts that answer real questions instead of trying to second guess what customers want!
Now let’s go one step further. Traders, investors, bankers all have real lives outside of finance. They take holidays, eat out at restaurants, buy houses, raise families (or not) and have their own challenges and goals. So, be where the conversation is rather than trying to make those people enter your space. Share content that helps people save money, book trips, navigate difficult decisions or simply to laugh at relatable scenarios.
The most effective content marketing strategies are not built around publishing more. They are built around creating useful resources that meet customers where they are.
And newsflash, customers dont care about your USPs or mission statement. They care about the experience you provide and the tangible benefits they receive.
#4 Compliance Does Not Have to Limit Creativity
Anyone working in financial marketing knows that compliance plays an important role in shaping campaigns. And those who have worked inside the office of a bank or broker know that sales, marketing and compliance form a sort of weird love/hate triangle.
But closely following both finance trends and regulatory updates gives you the confidence to know exactly where to draw the line. You know the one. It’s that line between creative and funny and we might get a fine for this. None of our clients ever got a fine for the content we have provided. They didn’t get a regulatory warning either because we know where the line must be drawn. Understanding the rules also makes communication streamlined, organised and speedy. All of which are essential when markets and marketing are moving at the speed of light.
Things that make us stand out are a stellar understanding of financial compliance, tracked change procedures, accurately sourcing stats, news and claims, careful human written content and a good eye for detail.
#5 Differentiation Is Harder Than Saying You Are Different
One thing I’ve noticed after 10 years working with financial brands is that many companies start from the same place when they talk about themselves. They are innovative. They are global. They are trusted. They are customer-focused. They offer industry-leading technology. And in some cases, all those things may be true. But is that enough?
The challenge is that these descriptions have become so common across the financial industry that they no longer create distinction. When every broker, fintech and bank uses similar language, it becomes difficult for customers to understand what makes one brand different from another. And big bad AI has made this problem so much worse. If you ask ChatGPT to write a bio for your bank it will throw out the same old words. In fact, let’s test that out.
Trusted… secure… innovative and customer focused. God I’m bored. And so is everyone else.
This is something we see regularly when reviewing websites, campaigns and content strategies. A company may have a strong product, excellent technology and a talented team, but if the marketing message sounds identical to everyone else in the market, that value can easily get lost.
Real differentiation comes from the way a company explains complex financial products, the customer experience, how quickly questions are answered, how transparent the communication is and how confidently the brand shares its expertise. Having advanced technology is no longer enough because every company talks about technology. The brands that stand out are the ones that explain the real-world benefit, solve customer problems and create a clear reason for people to choose them.
The strongest financial brands develop a clear voice, share valuable insights, show the people behind the company and build a reputation that exists beyond their website. Or of course, they hire us to do it for them. Because in a crowded market, being different is not about saying you are different, it’s about giving people a reason to believe it.
#6 Not Every Marketing Trend Deserves Your Attention
Working in marketing means being surrounded by new ideas and trends constantly. Some trends create real opportunities for funny or informative content. Others disappear before compliance can approve your contribution. And then there’s the ones you really shouldn’t be touching at all!
The Pedro Pascal / Nicolas Cage car trend worked for a lot of finance companies because it was funny, relatable and easy to adapt. “How it started vs how it’s going” was also harmless and I think we used it for our 10-year anniversary! “The face you make when…” also worked well when related to traders and investors but it was fleeting. But then there were the trends we walked away from. The Will Smith / Chris Rock slap, albeit staged was not a great one to emulate for obvious reasons. Similarly, fake luxury lifestyle content that’s popular on IG and TikTok may be problematic for financial services. It not only raises questions about credibility, it also draws the eagle eyes of regulators.
Also finance podcasts. If you don’t have the budget and commitment to create great, polished content long term then let it go. Sometimes it’s down to a financial marketing agency to be the voice of reason and we often are.
#7 Build Your Own Narrative Before Someone Else Builds It For You
One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned in financial marketing is that a company’s reputation is shaped by far more than its own website and marketing campaigns. Potential traders and investors are researching review platforms, industry forums, social media channels and online communities long before they decide to engage with a financial brand.
For finance companies especially, this matters because reputation management has become a core part of financial marketing.
Building your own narrative is not about controlling every conversation. But it is about consistently creating positive touchpoints, sharing valuable expertise and making sure the information available about your company accurately reflects your brand. It’s about making sure your narrative is showing up on social media, search, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and everything in between. Because if you don’t, you’re handing the power to other sources to impact how people perceive you.
A strong content strategy, thoughtful PR, active community engagement and transparent communication all contribute to how a company is perceived online.
After ten years in the industry, we’ve seen that the companies with the strongest reputations are usually the ones that participate in the conversation rather than waiting for others to define them.
A Few Things I’ve Learned Along The Way
After a decade in agency life, there are a few things I know for certain:
- A “quick update” is rarely as quick as expected. Same as a quick call!
- Mistakes happen, campaigns flop and the post you thought would kill it, gets 1 like. Meanwhile a photo of your cat goes viral.
- And speaking of which, the phrase “can you just make it go viral?” has probably been said to every agency on the planet. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet created a viral button.
- The best campaign ideas are often spoilt by too many meetings and shareholder input.
- A beautiful design cannot fix unclear messaging or a bad product.
- Compliance teams are not here to ruin creativity. They are here to make sure nobody accidentally promises the impossible before breakfast.
After ten years, we still believe the same thing. Good marketing is a mix of strategy, creativity, curiosity and a very strong coffee. And we apply the same marketing principles to our own agency. It’s not about making the most noise, it’s about creating something people remember, trust and choose.
Want to chat about your financial marketing? Book a free Zoom with our team.