Welcome to the latest episode of At the Forefront: Fintech Conversations!
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In this episode, Forefront Managing Partner Eric Soderberg sits down with VP and Head of Content Sam Belden to discuss content strategy and how it can help fuel overall marketing strategy and business goals. Taking inspiration from our recently published Forefront Insights article, Sam and Eric review three crucial tips for B2B fintechs looking to get the most out of their content efforts.
First, for the purposes of this topic, Sam defines content as going beyond foundational, day-to-day elements like web copy or short-form social media posts – instead, think blog posts, op-eds, whitepapers, case studies, webinars and more. Content strategy, then, is how firms can plan for, produce, publish and promote content so that it has the greatest impact on clients and prospects. Content strategy should work in concert with other marketing functions, such as PR and digital, to align with both your corporate messaging and specific company goals or initiatives (recruiting, regional focus, lead generation, etc).
Tip #1 — Build and Maintain a Content Calendar
Next, Sam and Eric discuss the first tip: building a content calendar. Sam explains that content calendars can be as simple or complex as your company sees fit, so long as there is a plan for a) what you are publishing and b) when you’re publishing it. Content calendars ground your content program, ensuring you are publishing at a proper cadence and reaching your audience regularly. Mapping out your content this way can also help with logical sequencing and storytelling, Sam explains, as well as determining what resources are required for each piece.
Tip #2 – Cater to Your Audience
The second tip is to cater to your audience. Sam explains that your firm’s content should reflect your audience’s preferences (think technical product blogs for developers versus value-focused pieces for the C-suite). Length and medium can matter, too, depending on your target demographics or industry niche. To gain insight into your audience’s preferences, Sam suggests poring over your engagement metrics to see what’s working.
Tip #3 – Make the Most of Your Resources and Existing Content
Sam wraps with the final tip: making the most of your resources at hand. Producing content consistently and efficiently sometimes means leveraging previous work to inform new content – the key is to offer new and distinct angles while reinforcing previously held positions. For example, if your firm produced a whitepaper last year, consider writing a series of blogs highlighting the key takeaways and how they’ve evolved in recent months. In the same vein, leveraging the people around you can prove advantageous – for example, taking advantage of the more recognized executives on your team and highlighting them as thought leaders. Conversely, a CEO who typically flies under the radar could benefit from having their profile boosted by content that sees them taking a bold stance on an industry topic.
If you’d like to learn more about Forefront or our content offerings, you can explore our full services list or check out our library of case studies.
See below for a breakdown of what was discussed. Happy listening!
Timestamps:
0:50 – Explaining content strategy and its importance to B2B fintechs
3:05 – Building and maintaining a content calendar
6:00 – Catering to your audience
9:25 – Making the most of your resources and existing content
