A few seconds are enough for a prospective client (and a new client) to get an idea about your brand and the digital solution that you offer. They compare you to their favourite applications such as Facebook, Netflix or Amazon.
To meet new consumers’ requirements, financial institutions must take advantage of innovation. This is the best approach if you want to offer ‘digital experiences’ that are inspired by the best brands on the market.
Selecting a financial institution to invest their money is often a stressful stage for individuals. In this context, anticipating and responding to clients’ expectations (and questions) is vital. Performance objectives must be clarified throughout the client journey.
The key is to never promise targets that are impossible to achieve... and not to under-perform. It’s easier said than done. The latest marketing developments help brands establish a dialogue on different platforms. Here are a few essential points to remember concerning digital communication in 2021:
Create content on several channels to highlight your added value
A digital communication strategy is based on a variety of content (articles, videos, white papers and podcasts, etc.). In the financial solutions sector, there are several themes to exploit:
A prospective client opening up to online investment won’t look for the same information as a client with advanced financial knowledge. This is why diverse content is key. Your marketing department must offer suitable resources, according to the maturity of each prospective client/client, with varied themes.
In this perspective, generating leads and the stages of a ‘sales tunnel’ will be designed based on clear objectives. Which personas (client profiles) are targeted? Does the content try to inform, entertain, educate or convince?
Communicating digitally enables you to harmonise a series of conversations over time. In this way, omnichannel communication (website, email and social networks) is crucial. It underlies the dialogue between a brand and its audience.
Use the automation lever
On of the main advantages of digital communication is being able to automate your marketing campaigns. In this way, you align your lead generation strategy with your sales tunnel. This will also give you time to develop hybrid advice (online content combined with physical advice).
A multitude of Marketing Automation tools exist on the market. Automation will enable you to put in place, launch, analyse and optimise a set of marketing actions:
Automation avoids having to respond to e-mail or social media messages 24/7. Another advantage is that automated segmentation offers the possibility of sending targeted messages. Whether for a prospective client discovering your brand or for a long-term client. Each interaction may be adjusted according to specific client/prospective client data.
Teaching resources have become essential in the online financial solutions sector: The boom in online lesson platforms such as Udemy, Skillshare and Openclassroom confirms the appetite for digital learning across all generations.
Teaching content to attract prospective clients (and foster your clients’ loyalty)
The ‘Millennials’ generation swears by teaching content. They are demanding in terms of the quality of resources on offer and don’t hesitate to compare different brands. It’s an excellent strategy to approach prospective clients and consolidate your brand image. Educational content can highlight your expertise and therefore your credibility. It also engages an audience - a key factor in digital marketing.
Gamification and its applications in the financial sector
Gamification is a learning method based on motivation, repetition and accomplishment through rewards.
You are sure to have appreciated gamification concepts, without necessarily being aware of it. In the work environment, for example, it may be a score chart for a sales team for example. In everyday life, sports apps on your phone or connected watch, or online loyalty programmes, are designed based on the principles of gamification.
Digital offers use elements of gamification more and more. The aim is to offer high-end content that promotes user engagement.
So, what gamification concepts are applied in solutions for the financial sector?
This past ten years, gamification has revolutionised the professional training sector. Research into cognitive psychology has supported this development. As a result, the training modules proposed in certain digital solutions radically improve the learning experience.
Institutions that use teaching resources and gamification draw several benefits from it. They create content that improves lead generation, the sales tunnel and the client experience. They thereby develop a strong brand image, emphasising their credibility in relation to the competition. Finally, they promote engagement and client retention.
Technological developments and the pandemic have accelerated the adoption of content and digital interactions. In the financial sector, this means an increase in data exchanges between institutions and clients. The latter expect to be informed about the collection and protection of their data. This is all the more important today, as cybercrime is constantly highlighted in the media.
Communicating about personal data protection
‘Data governance’ (all the standards and metrics framing online information) is a technical term that encompasses personal data protection. Cybersecurity is a matter for experts. So it’s not easy to communicate on these themes! However, your clients’ expectations are very high, because their financial assets depend on it.
The best approach is therefore to develop a communication strategy for this purpose. Another important element to consider is that transparency counts a great deal for an audience. A brand will have everything to gain from investing in clear and detailed online content.
Here are several criteria that you can highlight in your communications:
The more information you have available, the better your communication will be. In this way, you will select the priority themes for your clients. You can then explore certain topics in more depth in order to raise their awareness, while promoting your institution’s transparency and seriousness.
In this approach, don’t hesitate to contact your partners and experts to establish a knowledge base. For example, in terms of the resources put in place to frame data aggregation and sharing.
By providing answers on the topic of online security, you’ll improve the onboarding experience (the discovery of your institution’s digital interfaces). You can also communicate on this topic through official documents or marketing campaigns.
Innovation is omnipresent in our everyday lives. Telephony, IT equipment, transport... brands such as Apple or Tesla compete in terms of ingenuity to improve the experience of their products. Each of your clients will therefore have expectations of the digital solution that you offer. Whether in terms of communication, online resources or data protection, it’s vital for your brand to give a positive impression in all these fields. Innovation will be your best ally in this challenge.
Gambit Financial Solutions supports financial institutions in personalising digital services. Find all our solutions in detail on the Gambit Finance website.