Marketing is of great importance to any sector, but each industry has its own pitfalls and problems it needs to avoid when it comes to developing its marketing campaign. If you’re already running a FinTech business, or are planning on starting one, there’s a few obstacles you need to be aware of in order to market your brand effectively.

Below Where the Trade Buys provides the following guide to help you navigate effectively through the world of marketing.

Social media avoidance

Social media can seem like a difficult arena to step into — it’s huge, the competition is astounding, and your customers can speak to you directly, in front of a massive audience. In fact, many sectors have fallen foul to ignoring and avoiding social media. According to Incisive Edge, banks were a prime example of this, citing a report from Carlisle and Gallagher Consulting Group that revealed 87% of consumers perceived social media usage by banks as being dull, irritating, or unhelpful.

But social media is where your audience is, and it’s where many spend a large amount of time. Securion Pay noted that an effective marketing campaign needs to consider Millennials, of who 84% have smartphones and 78% are on them for more than two hours every day. Embrace this and establish a strong presence on social media! Just make sure you have an effective plan for each channel — content for Twitter might not work as well on say, LinkedIn.

Also, social media is a great way to build a rapport with your customer base. Even in the event you get negative feedback, the way you deal with it will be seen just as much as the original comment. You can turn a negative into a positive: show ownership of the feedback and resolve it quickly. If you ignore it, the chances are the unhappy consumer will feel stung that you have ignored their attempt to reach out to your directly and give you a chance to respond. They will turn to other websites to tell other people of this experience. As social media and customer services expert, Jay Baers says: “A lack of response is a response. It’s a response that says, ‘We don’t care about you very much’.”

Saying too much, too soon

Do you have big news? Great! But before you rush off to tell the world, take a moment to pause. Would the news be better used slowly? Incisive Edge advises FinTech companies to consider an embargo if you’re heading to a trade show soon.

Basically, you can still create a press release about your exciting news or innovation plans, but don’t release it immediately. Place an embargo on it, so that your press sources can’t publish the news until a certain date, such as the trade show or another effective date for your company. This not only stirs up a sense of excitement, but it also lets the journalists and content writers have more time to write an engaging and detailed piece.

Ignoring offline

You may feel that as a primarily online company, your marketing strategy needs to have an online focus too. But the world of offline marketing is still going strong, and it’s a great way to build your brand and get it noticed.

For example, Delineo reported on some highly effective FinTech marketing campaigns, including offline print marketing. In the report, a robo-advisory firm was shown to have created a brilliant offline campaign that saw printed adverts placed through the underground tube network. People don’t have great signal on their phones at underground stations, so tend to notice and read printed adverts more!

As a start up, you might not have enough in your marketing budget to pull off such a wide-spread campaign but consider the use of printed media elsewhere. Are you headed to a trade show or exhibition soon? Seek out a provider of PVC banners and get your brand and goals printed up for your stand! Banners are a great tool at exhibitions and tend to be more effective than digital ads at these events, with customers recalling the brand from a banner long after the show has ended.

Ads with poor language use

You should be making use of both online and offline media in your marketing strategy, but you’ll need to make it as powerful as possible. There’s no use having a well-placed digital advert or a beautifully designed banner if the language used is dull and uninspiring.

Often overlooked, the use of language is a complex skill that can make or break your intended message. There’s a reason why so many people study language at high academic levels!

Consider the intended outcome of your marketing. What are you trying to tell the customer? At a basic level, new technology is designed to solve a problem, so tell your audience this. Words like “innovative”, “cutting-edge”, “rapid”, and “simple” can help address technology woes such as slow loading apps or complicated processes. After all, FinTech is a disruptive innovation — tell the world how it’s shaking up the banking and financial sector.

It’s important for your business to stand out for the right reasons. FinTech is a fast-growing sector, so it’s vital that you keep ahead of the game. Keep your marketing strategy strong and wide-reaching with these campaign tips.

Sources: 

https://www.callboxinc.com/b2b-marketing-and-strategy/fintech-marketing-strategy-tips/

https://blog.incisive-edge.com/blog/6-fintech-marketing-strategy-tips

https://www.delineo.com/culture/4-fantastic-fintech-marketing-campaigns/

https://securionpay.com/blog/6-marketing-trends-fintech-industry/

http://www.brightnorth.co.uk/whitepapers/Image_Quality_and_eCommerce.pdf

https://skift.com/2016/05/13/why-the-tourist-brochure-is-still-surviving-in-the-hotel-lobby/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2015/09/16/paper-vs-digital/#7de095dc33c3

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/307300374549933402/

https://www.ama.org/partners/content/Pages/6-dos-and-donts-of-promotional-product-marketing.aspx

https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/tripadvisor-statistics/

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/print-ads-in-newspapers-and-magazines-are-the-most-trusted-advertising-channel-when-consumers-are-making-a-purchase-decision-300424912.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthunckler/2017/02/01/jay-baers-top-3-tips-for-acing-customer-service-in-the-age-of-social-media/#1cbbd1764a08

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2015/09/16/paper-vs-digital/#31d49c533c34

https://blog.techdept.co.uk/2014/12/marketing-technology-words-marketers-need-to-know/