A Simple Strategy for Financial Content That Works

2 MIN READ

Last Updated on July 20, 2020 by

Thinking through these 4 simple steps will put you in a position to create content that can make a real impact on your business.

Thanks to the bloggers at Helium for the brilliant graphic.

1.) PURPOSE – Write down why your business exists

An internal point-of-view about your advisory business and how it relates to the world. It will guide your content. This shouldn’t be limited to your views on money. It’s everything.

Question: Why do you exist?

Pro Tip: Beliefs + Values = Purpose

Exercise: Fill in the blank with 10 words or less. Make it personal, not generic.

We exist to_________________________________________________.

(Source: The Ad Club Blog)

2.) PERSONALITY – Describe your business’ personality

This is also about the larger entity, not a specific piece of content. It will determine your voice/tone.

Question: What makes you interesting?

Pro Tip: Personality is Interesting –> Interest leads to Caring –> Care leads to Conversion

Exercise: Answer these three questions, each in 25 words or less:

1. How do you change your clients, prospects or partners’ life?
2. What do you stand for?
3. Who or what do you hate?

(Source: AVC Blog)

3.) CONTENT – List interesting topics that align with the steps above

This should be all about the prospects, clients and partners that will be receiving your content.

Question: How do you help your audience accomplish their goals?

Pro Tip: Necessary Content = Appropriate + Useful + Focused + Clear + Concise

Exercise: Complete this checklist for each piece of content you create:

Does this piece cognitively engage (educate, inspire or pose a question) the reader?

YES  |  NO

Which emotion(s) does this piece target? (Circle one or two)

Joy  |  Sadness  |  Trust  |  Disgust  |  Fear  |  Anger  |  Surprise  |  Anticipation

Does this piece encourage doing something specific, does it contain a call to action?

YES  |  NO 

(Source: A List Apart)

4.) PLAN – Create a simple plan for each piece of content

The tactical execution for each piece of content.

Title: Is my title eye-catching, memorable or provocative in some way?  

YES  |  NO

SEO: Am I optimizing this piece for search engines without being a dick about it?

Metadata  |  Title  |  Body  |  Links  |  URL  |  Photo

Links: Does my content contain all appropriate links?

Sources  |  Resources  |  References  |  Photos  |  Same-Site Content

Visuals: Does my content contain at least one photo, video, graphic, audio or other piece of media?  

YES  |  NO

Conversation: Does my content allow for commenting, sharing and subscribing, if possible?

YES  |  NO

____________________________________________________________

Sound like a lot of work? Yep, it is. We said simple, not easy. But, 1 GREAT post per month that matters is better than a bunch of content that doesn’t.

Pro Tip: The stuff that you subscribe to and then post sucks. STOP PAYING NOW & DROP IT. It has nothing to do with you, which is why it doesn’t work.

Your alternative is to either:

  1. Find the time to do a little bit of writing well or
  2. Read our upcoming article about ways to create financial content that matters without writing it yourself.

Subscribe Now so you don’t miss it!

Author

  • DJ

    DJ is a freelance writer, hopeful photographer, and social media has-been. He writes to financial advisors about lifehacks, science, technology, business and marketing for Blueleaf, a software that helps create dramatically simpler, more scalable financial advisory businesses. You can find DJ across the web (about.me/djswitz) or you can just follow him on Twitter (@djswitz)!

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DJ is a freelance writer, hopeful photographer, and social media has-been. He writes to financial advisors about lifehacks, science, technology, business and marketing for Blueleaf, a software that helps create dramatically simpler, more scalable financial advisory businesses. You can find DJ across the web (about.me/djswitz) or you can just follow him on Twitter (@djswitz)!
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