As consumers become savvier, providing financial education is an increasingly important investment for financial institutions. Consumers want answers to questions, to feel informed and empowered, and they don’t want to be overtly marketed to. Offering financial literacy content – whether it’s through a third-party, completely custom, or a combination of both – is a successful tactic for banks and credit unions to educate and engage audiences, while supporting business goals.
Improve your inbound marketing
As the financial marketing landscape continues to shift from push to pull tactics, leveraging financial literacy content allows banks and credit unions to attract individuals while talking about products in a way that doesn’t feel overly promotional. By sharing information about the pros and cons of buying a car vs leasing, you’re supplying valuable insights while creating a strategic segue into your institution’s auto loan options. With this inbound marketing strategy, the product-related messaging is better received, and becomes more relevant and effective at driving conversions when the consumer is ready.
Provide social media content
Having a presence on social media is critical to maintaining a brand, but continuously coming up with content for your social channels can be a challenge. Since financial literacy articles and infographics are educating audiences while subtly promoting products, they dually serve as great social media content for banks and credit unions. Offering flexibility and longevity, financial literacy content presents endless opportunities on social channels. From simply sharing an article, to developing creative campaigns, to capitalizing on trending hashtags – a single piece of content featuring ways to save more money can be used many times in many ways.
Boost your blog content and website resources
With the ability to integrate seamlessly into websites, financial literacy content also makes a great addition to blog content or website resource centers. Delivering fresh content and giving visitors a reason to return to your website, financial literacy can be regularly added as blog content. Helping consumers make important financial decisions, financial literacy can be contained within a central resource center, and well as surfaced on relevant product pages. Whether on the blog or a distinct section of the site, placing financial literacy as contextual, supportive information adds depth to your website experience and supports users at various stages in the consumer journey.
Appeal to specific audiences
Financial literacy content is a great way to attract individuals in specific life stages, with unique lifestyles, or with distinct goals. By aligning educational content with topics and information that is relevant to these audiences, banks and credit unions can create meaningful connections and effectively position products. An article about DIY ways to save on a wedding is a seamless introduction to special savings accounts, joint checking accounts, or even a personal loan to cover certain expenses. Giving financial advice that guides readers toward their goals enables banks and credit unions to contextually present solutions that support success.
Establish market authority
By answering consumer questions and delivering valuable insights, financial institutions portray themselves as industry experts. Generating trust among consumers, this content can help increase confidence and the chance they will open an account or getting a loan with your bank or credit union. In fact, it was found that 83.6% of consumers who read a piece of educational content by a brand, chose that brand when prompted to purchase (Source: Conductor). Additionally, because financial literacy content allows financial institutions to increase awareness of their brand, as well as banking products and services, it can also function as a competitive differentiator.
Enhance your SEO
Achieving a prominent position in search results is essential to online visibility. With the ability to optimize for a variety of keywords and phrases, financial literacy content can help banks and credit unions appear in search results at important stages in the consumer journey – from awareness to conversion. Before someone looks for a mortgage loan, he or she may search for information online about how to get a mortgage loan, steps to buying a home, or how to save for a down payment. Providing relevant education at every stage gives banks and credit unions a chance to be found in unique search results and establish meaningful relationships in the important initial stages. SEO success is best supported with custom content, since search engines prioritize unique content, but if your institution’s content budget is limited, then there are numerous other semi-custom or out-of-the-box content options available.
Get started with ZAG’s financial literacy content
Making it easier for banks and credit unions to offer, ZAG has researched and written a library of semi-customizable financial literacy content – including articles and infographics. Covering topics from homebuying to personal finance, it’s perfect for website resource centers, blogs and more. To discuss your institution’s financial education content needs, contact ZAG to get started.