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Use any of the many tools available to determine which of your content venues and which content specifically is getting the most interest and shares
It’s a good time to start a fintech company in Asia. There is a progressive regulatory environment, consumer behaviours are changing, and financial and financially-related institutions (e.g. insurance companies) are all looking to new technologies that will serve their customers better and continually draw new customers into their folds.
Here is the challenge for fintech startups. Whether they are launched by student graduates who have the most current understanding of how to start businesses in lending and payments, or the older industry professional from a banking background who wants to launch an online bank (really prevalent in traditional financial centres like Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore or Tokyo), they have to use the same strategies to acquire customers.
Also Read: 12 companies that excel at content marketing (and what you can learn from them)
Those strategies will necessarily involve content marketing. One can have the best new “candy” on the street, but if no one really knows the brand or trusts that brand, that candy will never be consumed. When it comes to content marketing, these are the major points for fintech startups to consider:
Fintech content marketing is not a unique function
While the products and services may be unique, the methods by which fintech companies must spread their brands and gain trust are the same as they are for any business that has a web presence – blog posts, emails, and social media. And the platforms for that marketing must include both PC and mobile environments. Here, then, are some very basic content marketing strategies for Asia-based fintechs.
Audience segmentation
Just like any business, there are target audiences that are in many different ‘places’. There are those who don’t know you at all; there are those who know of you but have no relationship or trust built up; and there are those who are into your sales funnel and moving toward being actual customers.
There are also different demographics to consider. You have to create content that is directed to all of these groups, whether by email, diversity of blog posts, or rotating social media post content.
Also Read: Infographic: 8 content marketing tools you should use
Once you have identified your audience groups, do some research. What are their needs related to your niche? Where are they online? Are they using PC or mobile devices? There is even research out there that will tell you the best days and times of day to send an email or post on social media platforms.
You’ll need a blog
Your blog is where you can provide the “meat” of who you are and what problems you can solve for your audience. You can educate, get personal, and even entertain. As Abdullahi Muhammad, owner of How to Start a Blog consulting firm states:
“A blog is where you begin to establish that personal relationship and trust with your target market. You become a real person who is also an expert – someone who can solve problems and make life easier. And if you have that essential conversation thread at the end of each post, you can engage individual followers personally.”
Leverage social media
Your customers probably spend more time on social media than they do watching television. But you must choose wisely. You cannot be everywhere, but you must be on at least the two most popular platforms in your locale.
This knowledge coupled with research on where your target demographics hangs out will determine your platforms. Whether it’s Facebook, Snow, or WhatsApp, you need to be there. Get a great profile and start posting creative and engaging content. (and you can drive viewers to your site and blog with links in those posts).
Promote your brand
Your product or service is certainly what your “brand” is all about. But, in fact, it is much more than that. It is also you. As the spokesperson for your product or service, you become a part of your brand. And it is you who people must trust before they will do business with you.
There are ways to build your brand offline, of course – you can network, attend conferences, and secure speaking engagements to become a thought leader.
Also Read: How to set up a content marketing plan for your new business
In the world of content marketing, however, it’s a bit different. You have to establish your brand and trust in your brand through digital means. Here are tactics to keep in mind:
- Develop relationships with influencers and thought leaders in your niche and ask for shout-outs on their social media accounts and blog
- Treat every customer as a personal friend, maintaining contact, providing top customer service, and then featuring that satisfied customer in a post or on social media. Ask happy customers to share their satisfaction with your brand and make it easy for them to do so with a single click of a button. When people say good things about you and share that with their communities, you build brand awareness and trust – it’s called “social proof,” and it’s powerful.
Engaging content
The fintech industry is unique because it operates in a regulatory environment that most other companies do not. There is sometimes a tendency, then, to write with that regulatory overview in mind. Then, your content is boring. Do not do this.
Write for your customer. Address your customer’s pain points; pick topics your potential customers are talking about on the web; Use your current customers as brand ambassadors; You are developing leads here, not proving that you are regulation-compliant. Engage your readers/followers in conversations and create good “buzz” about your brand (and monitor that buzz always).
Analyse your success
Use any of the many tools available to determine which of your content venues and which content specifically is getting the most interest and shares. That will drive how you choose topics and how you modify as you go forward.
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The views expressed here are of the author’s, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them.e27 invites members from Asia’s tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, submit your article here.
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