Tips and best practices for using in-app messaging, video, podcasts and social media to strengthen customer relationships.
Article Highlights
- Financial institutions need to provide content in the ways their customers want to receive it
- In-app messaging is an effective way to engage customers while they’re using your mobile app
- Video provides multiple opportunities to share visual content, capture short attention spans and increase engagement
- Podcast listeners deliberately seek out your brand’s content and are more likely to listen to entire segments and take action
- Social media content is one of the most efficient and low-cost ways to interact with customers and communities, increasing reach, engagement and retention
Consumers have more options that ever when it comes to choosing a preferred financial institution. For your organization to make the list, you need to provide consumers with the information they want — when, where and how they want it. As consumer content consumption behaviors change, that increasingly means maintaining an active digital presence that leverages your customers’ preferred formats.
By doing so, you can help build engagement and develop stronger, longer-lasting, more profitable customer relationships. Getting it wrong can mean losing those relationships. Here, we help you get it right with a look at four trending types of financial content that your marketing team should focus on in 2022 — including innovative content ideas.
Financial Content Format #1. In-App Messaging
Bank customers turn to mobile apps more than any other channel to manage their accounts, and that preference has continued to climb since the onset of the pandemic.1 This gives financial institutions a captive audience, which makes in-app messaging a powerful format to include in your content marketing strategy. Delivering targeted financial content that’s timely, personalized and relevant — while your customers are already engaged with your mobile app — increases the likelihood that your content will be seen and acted upon. And that can lead to a better overall customer experience, higher engagement and increased retention.
Innovative Financial Content Ideas for In-App Messaging
Start by looking at your data and analytics for insights into your customers’ behavior and habits. Then build targeted campaigns and tailor content based on their needs and interests. Make content clear, concise and full of actionable language with a prominent call to action.
- Deliver financial content based on an action a customer took in your app
- Leverage in-app messaging for new customer onboarding
- Provide product, service or app feature announcements, such as introducing a new digital budgeting tool
- Link to an educational article based on their interest or interaction with a product or service
- Create a message about mortgage interest rates and link to value-added content like a homebuyer checklist, or link to your mortgage application page
Example: U.S. Bank’s mobile app has been recognized as a leader in user experience due to its content readability, smart assistant, budgeting tools and insights based on a customer’s past and current behavior.
Financial Content Format #2. Video
Video is currently the most popular format for content consumption, with 9 out of 10 consumers saying they want to see more videos from brands and businesses.5 Even better news: As a content type, video provides financial marketers with endless opportunities to visually and quickly share information to capture short attention spans. Video is easy to promote through social media channels and encourages content sharing.
Innovative Financial Content Ideas for Video
- Create videos to inform, educate and entertain audiences; consider telling your brand stories or including helpful “how-to” content
- When creating videos, consider using actors from the demographic you’re targeting for higher engagement
- Tie video to your other marketing campaigns, like HELOCs or credit cards
- Share your brand values, say thank you to customers or leverage your customer testimonials
- Introduce and demonstrate a new product or service
- Provide quick tips, like credit card use tips for college students
Example: Commerce Bank uses video as an educational tool by taking a complex topic and making it easy to understand. Videos live on dedicated landing pages on their website where consumers can find related articles, tools and resources.
Financial Content Format #3. Podcasts
Podcasts offer financial institutions a way to inform, educate and connect with busy people who find it easier to digest audio content while they are engaging in their daily routines. If you’re new to podcasting, consider the audiences you want to reach, what your podcasts will be about, where you’ll showcase podcasts on your website and how you’ll promote them.
Innovative Financial Content Ideas for Podcasts:
- Repurpose existing blogs into podcasts, focusing on financial wellness and education, and sharing personal finance tips
- Inform and educate consumers about current economic and financial trends
- Consider different audio styles like storytelling, interviews or panel discussions
- Use podcasts to share your brand values
- Feature seasonal content topics, like homebuying in the spring and student loans in the fall
Example: Golden 1 Credit Union’s Financial Wellness Center includes 10- to- 15-minute podcasts on topics that cover a range of personal finance topics.
Financial Content Format #4. Social Media
Social media can be one of the most effective and low-cost ways for financial institutions to connect with consumers and build relationships. As the most interactive content type, social media encourages active participation among users, which increases engagement opportunities for your brand.
Engaging with your audiences on social media provides an opportunity to build rapport and humanize your brand without selling. It also gives customers a way to connect with your brand multiple times a day. Don’t forget to use images with posts for maximum engagement!
While it’s not necessary (and may not be possible) to be active on every single social media channel, you should try to focus on the channels where your customers are.
Innovative Financial Content Ideas for Social Media
- Share live webinars or videos on a variety of personal finance topics
- Offer help and support to customers, responding to social media chat in a customer service role
- Share educational content that helps answer your audiences’ questions or addresses their concerns, like online shopping security tips, etc.
- Create short posts that break down complex financial topics, like applying for a mortgage, then link back to related articles or tools on your website
- Introduce new products and services and link back to your site or specific landing pages
- Get interactive by using posts to ask a question, or share a survey or poll
Example: KeyBank leverages multiple social media channels with a consistent message that builds brand awareness and provides financial education.
Create an Engaging Customer Experience Across All Financial Content Types
To provide the most value to your customers — and the highest ROI for your brand — ensure that every content type you use to communicate aligns with your overall financial content marketing strategy and goals. That not only sets your organization up for success but also helps guarantee that your customers have a consistent and relevant brand experience, identifying your brand as one they can trust and rely on.
Are you ready to explore (or expand) your use of these top financial content types? Our financial marketing experts have helped financial institutions of all sizes and budgets build loyal, profitable, long-lasting customer relationships. Our financial marketing services include content strategy and development, digital and interactive solutions, customer data and analytics and more.
Schedule a free consultation or call us at 303.986.3000 today to see how we can help you.
Sources
1 “National Survey: Bank Customers Turn to Mobile Apps More Than Any Other Channel to Manage Their Accounts,” American Bankers Association, posted Oct. 25, 2021, https://www.aba.com/about-us/press-room/press-releases/bank-customers-turn-to-mobile-apps-more-than-any-other-channel-to-manage-their-accounts, accessed Jan. 19, 2022
2 “Digital Banking Survey: 76% of Americans Bank Via Mobile App — Here Are the Most and Least Valuable Features,” Mitch Strohm, Forbes.com, updated Feb. 24, 2021, https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/digital-banking-survey-mobile-app-valuable-features/, accessed Jan. 18, 2022
3 “Millennials and Gen Z Are the Most Likely to Use Mobile Banking Apps—Here’s Why, Plus Budgeting Tips,” Alexandria White, CNBC.com, updated Jan. 29, 2021, https://www.cnbc.com/select/why-millennials-gen-z-use-mobile-banking-apps/, accessed Jan. 14, 2022
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6 “24 Noteworthy Video Consumption Statistics (2021 Edition),” Terry Stancheva, TechJury.net, updated Jan. 4, 2022, https://techjury.net/blog/video-consumption-statistics/#gref, accessed Jan. 18, 2022
7 “The Rising Role of Video Content in SEO Ranking — An Insightful Guide,” Cristian Stanciu, JumpStory.com, posted May 11, 2021, https://jumpstory.com/blog/the-rising-role-of-video-content-in-seo-ranking-an-insightful-guide/, accessed Jan. 17, 2022
8 “Share of U.S. Consumers Who Listen to Audio Podcasts 2006 to 2021,” Statista.com, published July 20, 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/188955/percentage-of-us-adults-who-listen-to-audio-podcasts-since-2006/, accessed Jan. 10, 2022
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