How to Build a Marketing Strategy for Financial Services

Financial services firms face a unique challenge: selling trust. But in today’s digital landscape, even the most credible advisors need a smart, consistent marketing strategy to stay competitive. In fact, ad spend in the banking and lending sector is projected to rise by 20% in 2025 (Invoca), showing just how seriously firms are taking the race for attention and trust.

These are the core principles to keep your efforts focused, compliant, and competitive:

Big opportunity, complex market
Whether you’re targeting business owners, individuals, or institutions, the financial services industry is crowded, and credibility is everything.

No plan, no pipeline
Without a strategy tied to real KPIs and conversion rates, marketing campaigns often fall flat or attract the wrong leads.

Strategy follows trust, not trends
It’s tempting to chase trends on every social media platform. But the most effective marketing strategies are grounded in educational content, SEO, and long-term relationships.

Consistency earns clients
From content marketing to customer experience, showing up regularly with value builds authority and drives measurable growth.

Why Financial Services Marketing Needs a Different Playbook

Most marketing strategies focus on attention, emotion, and urgency. However, the stakes are higher in the finance service industry, and the sales cycles are longer. You're not just selling a product. You’re selling stability, security, and long-term outcomes.

That means your approach must reflect the sensitivity and regulation of the space.

Financial services marketing needs to:

• Build trust over time, not push quick conversions

• Provide educational content that informs rather than sells

• Comply with evolving financial regulations while still standing out

• Target niche audiences, from retirement planning clients to small business owners

Traditional tactics like generic blog posts or overly broad social media marketing often fall flat. Instead, financial firms must focus on authority-building strategies like:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)

• High-quality blog posts on relevant financial topics

• Clear calls to action that lead to a strong customer experience

• Measurable KPIs tied to real marketing goals, not vanity metrics

Pro-Tip: Use client FAQs to guide your content marketing strategy. If potential customers ask, “How do I plan for retirement?” or “What’s the best credit union near me?”—those are the questions your content should answer.

Step 1: Define Your Target Market and Ideal Client

Understand Who You're Marketing To, and Why It Matters

Before you launch any campaign, you need clarity on who you're speaking to. Financial services firms often serve diverse segments, including business owners, young professionals, retirees, or high-net-worth individuals. Each group has unique concerns, from investment advice to retirement planning, and your marketing efforts should reflect that.

Start by identifying:

• Age, location, and income brackets

• Financial goals and pain points

• Preferred digital channels (social media platforms, email, search, etc.)

• Decision-making behaviors (self-research vs. referral-driven)

If you're targeting both B2C and B2B audiences, create separate buyer personas for each. The more specific you are, the better your messaging will resonate.

Pro-Tip: Use insights from your CRM, customer surveys, and social media profiles to understand your most engaged audience. Don’t rely on assumptions; back it with data.

Once you’ve defined your target market, align your messaging, content, and offers with their needs. This becomes the foundation for all future marketing activities.

Tools to Source Financial Data:

• WealthEngine: Identify high-net-worth individuals and segment audiences by financial profile.

• YCharts: Access investment research and visualize market trends for client education.

• ZoomInfo: Use financial services filters to find B2B leads and understand buyer intent.

Step 2: Set Clear Marketing Goals and KPIs

Measure What Matters Most

In the financial services industry, vague goals like “get more clients” won’t cut it. You need to define what success looks like, then track it.

Start by aligning your marketing goals with your broader business objectives. Are you trying to:

• Increase qualified leads from small business owners?

• Improve conversion rates from blog posts or landing pages?

• Grow social media engagement among retirement planning prospects?

• Drive SEO traffic to service pages?

Once your goals are set, define your key performance indicators (KPIs). These could include:

• Cost per lead (CPL)

• Website traffic and bounce rate

• Email open and click-through rates

• Conversion rates by channel or campaign

• Lead-to-client ratio

Pro-Tip: Tie each KPI to a specific marketing activity. For example, if you're investing in content marketing, track time on page and CTA click-throughs, not just traffic volume.

Setting KPIs keeps your team accountable, helps allocate budget wisely, and shows the real ROI of your marketing efforts, in compliance-sensitive sectors like finance, documentation and performance metrics matter.

Step 3: Build a Content Marketing Strategy

Educate First, Sell Second

Trust is currency in financial services, and the fastest way to earn it is through content that educates and empowers. Whether you're a financial advisor, credit union, or B2B finance firm, great content builds authority and keeps your brand in mind.

Start by choosing the right content formats for your audience:

• Blog posts that explain complex topics like retirement planning or investment advice

• FAQs and checklists that support financial decision-making

• Case studies or testimonials from existing clients

• Downloadable guides and whitepapers for lead generation

• Short videos on social media platforms like LinkedIn or YouTube

Focus on topics that address your ideal client’s questions and concerns. What do potential clients search for? What misconceptions do they have? What financial goals are they trying to achieve?

Pro-Tip: Repurpose one core idea across multiple formats. A blog post can become a short video, a LinkedIn carousel, and an email campaign, saving time while increasing visibility.

Finally, ensure every piece of content includes a next step, whether a call to book a consultation or explore your services page.

Top Tools for Financial Content Marketing:

• ClearVoice: Find vetted finance writers and manage content production in one platform.

• AnswerThePublic: Discover the exact questions potential clients seek about money, investing, and retirement.

• Canva: Design social media graphics, client guides, and educational content without needing a designer.

Step 4: Optimize Your Website and Digital Experience

Make It Easy for Clients to Trust and Convert

Your website is your first impression. For most potential customers, it is where the decision to trust your financial services company begins. A slow, cluttered, outdated site can derail the best marketing efforts.

Make sure your site:

• Loads fast and looks great on mobile

• Clearly outlines your services and specialties

• Includes trust signals like certifications, client logos, or security badges

• Has intuitive navigation and visible CTAs (like “Schedule a Consultation” or “Get Investment Advice”)

• Uses client-friendly language instead of finance jargon

Don’t stop at the homepage. Review every step of the user journey, from blog posts to landing pages, to reduce friction and increase conversion rates.

You’ll also want to audit for SEO:

• Include keywords related to your services (like “retirement planning for business owners” or “credit union near me”)

• Optimize meta descriptions and image alt tags

• Structure content with clear headings for search engine visibility

Pro-Tip: Add a live chat or scheduling widget to your homepage. This will shorten the gap between interest and action and make it easier for potential clients to reach out when they’re ready.

Step 5: Choose the Right Marketing Channels

Go Where Your Clients Already Spend Time

You don’t need to be everywhere; you just need to be where your clients are. In the financial services industry, that means choosing marketing channels that align with how your audience researches and makes decisions.

If you're targeting individuals, like credit union members, young investors, or retirement planning clients, focus on platforms that support educational and trust-building content.

Start with:

• Facebook or YouTube for approachable video explainers and success stories

• Google Ads and local SEO to capture high-intent searches

• Email newsletters to stay top of mind with current and potential clients

LinkedIn is a must for B2B firms such as fintech providers or commercial lenders. It’s the top platform for building thought leadership and directly reaching business owners and financial decision-makers.

Also consider:

• Webinars to engage niche audiences

• Whitepapers or gated content to support lead gen

• Retargeting ads to re-engage site visitors

The goal isn’t to be on every platform, it’s to be intentional. Choose 2–3 channels that match your audience’s habits and invest in consistent, high-value content.

How to Choose the Right Marketing Channels for Your Finance Firm

Match the Message to the Medium, and the Audience

Selecting marketing channels isn’t just about reach, it’s about relevance. The most effective financial services marketing strategies are rooted in understanding where your audience is and why they’re there.

Here’s how to choose the right mix:

• Start with your target market. Business owners, retirees, and young professionals all consume content differently. Consider long-form blog posts and email campaigns if you're marketing retirement planning. If you're reaching busy entrepreneurs, LinkedIn and webinars may work better.
  
  

• Consider the type of content you create. Visual explainers and client stories are great for platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Data-rich insights and investment advice perform better on LinkedIn or gated whitepapers.
  
  

• Think about the client journey. Early-stage leads might discover you through SEO or social media platforms, while repeat clients may respond better to email newsletters or personalized landing pages.
  
  

• Remember compliance. Not all platforms are equally friendly to finance-related content. Choose channels where you can maintain your brand voice and meet regulatory standards.
  
  

You don’t need to be everywhere, just intentional. A few well-chosen channels, aligned with your marketing goals and customer behavior, will always outperform scattershot tactics.

Step 6: Use AI to Work Smarter, Not Harder

Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool Might Already Be in Your Browser

You can’t scale a financial services company by doing everything manually. The good news is that today’s top marketing teams are using AI to move faster, personalize outreach, and make smarter decisions, without hiring five more people.

AI can help you brainstorm blog post ideas, generate financial content, analyze client behavior, and improve conversion rates. The key is knowing which tools to use, and when to use them.

Here are three options worth your attention:

• Averi.ai: Explicitly built for marketers, Averi combines AI speed with human expertise. It helps you turn strategy into execution by planning campaigns, creating content, and delivering output directly to your business goals.
  
  

• ChatGPT: Ideal for drafting emails, writing blog posts, or creating content for social media platforms. Use it as a creative partner when developing campaigns or simplifying complex financial topics.
  
  

• Google Workspace + Gemini: AI is now built into your everyday tools. Docs, Sheets, and Gmail offer smart suggestions and content assistance, saving time across reporting, campaign planning, and internal communications.

Step 7: Measure, Learn, and Improve Continuously

Strategy Is a Cycle, Not a Set-It-and-Forget-It Plan

Even the best marketing strategy needs regular evaluation. In the financial services industry, where regulations shift, client expectations evolve, and competition is fierce, your approach should be agile, data-driven, and open to change.

Use your KPIs to track what’s working across every channel:

• Are your blog posts driving organic traffic and improving SEO?

• Which landing pages have the highest conversion rates?

• Are social media profiles generating real engagement from potential clients?

• What topics lead to the most email signups, downloads, or consultation requests?

Set a recurring review cadence, monthly or quarterly, to assess marketing efforts. Look at both performance metrics and client feedback to refine your strategy and double down on what works.

Don’t be afraid to pivot. Adjust if a campaign isn’t resonating, your audience isn’t responding, or your message feels outdated. The financial sector rewards consistency but punishes complacency.

Measurement turns guesswork into growth. Keep testing, keep learning, and keep improving.

Common Financial Services Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

Even Great Firms Can Miss the Mark, Here’s How to Stay On Track

Even well-established financial services companies make marketing missteps that can cost leads, trust, and visibility. Avoiding these common pitfalls can save time and improve your overall marketing performance.

• Speaking in jargon, not solutions
  Using complex financial language may sound impressive, but it often confuses potential clients. Focus on clarity, not credentials.

• Ignoring mobile optimization
  If your website or email content isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing trust, and conversions. Over 60% of financial research now starts on a mobile device.

• Prioritizing quantity over quality
  Flooding your blog with low-value content doesn’t build authority. One well-optimized article about retirement planning or investment advice can outperform ten weak ones.

• Not aligning content with client needs
  Generic marketing materials won’t resonate. Tailor blog posts, social media content, and offers to your target market’s actual pain points.

• Overlooking compliance
  Financial marketing is highly regulated. Failure to follow advertising and disclosure rules can lead to severe penalties.

• Failing to track real KPIs
  If you’re only watching likes or clicks, you're missing the bigger picture. Make sure your KPIs are tied to lead quality, customer experience, and long-term business goals.

• Set-it-and-forget-it strategy
  The finance sector evolves fast. If you’re not regularly reviewing and improving your marketing efforts, you’re falling behind.

How Averi Helps You Execute

A great strategy means nothing without execution. That’s where Averi comes in.

We combine AI tools with human support to help startups turn plans into output, fast. From building marketing campaigns to generating content marketing and managing performance insights, Averi enables you to scale without the overhead. 

You don't need a bigger team to get results. You need the right experts, at the right time, with the right AI-powered systems to support them.

It’s like having an extra marketing team, without the extra headcount.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good marketing budget for a financial services firm?

Most firms spend 5% to 10% of revenue on marketing. If you're in a growth phase or launching new services, a higher investment may be needed, especially in a competitive market like wealth management or commercial lending.

How do I choose the proper marketing channels for my firm?

Start with your audience. For B2B, LinkedIn and email tend to work best. For B2C, consider Google Ads, SEO, and platforms like YouTube or Facebook where financial education content performs well.

Who should lead marketing at a smaller financial firm?

Hire a strategic generalist who understands compliance and can manage content, lead generation, and analytics. If you’re not ready for a full-time hire, consider external partners like Averi or a financial marketing agency.

What’s a realistic first goal for financial marketing?

Start with building awareness and capturing leads. That could mean driving 500 qualified visitors to a landing page, growing your email list, or booking 10 discovery calls with potential clients.

What KPIs should we be tracking?

Track core metrics like cost per lead, lead-to-client conversion rate, email engagement, and SEO traffic. Client acquisition cost (CAC) and retention are key for service-based firms.

How can AI help a financial services marketing team?

AI can help you generate content, streamline email and social planning, and analyze campaign results. Tools like Averi, ChatGPT, and Google Workspace AI let you move faster without sacrificing compliance or quality.

Ready to Stop Planning and Start Executing?

Most financial service firm marketing doesn't fail because of a bad strategy. They fail because of poor execution.

While others are still perfecting slide decks and debating which hashtag to use, you could be launching campaigns, testing messaging, and driving real growth, all within days, not months.

Get Started in 3 Steps:

1. Book a 15-Minute Demo — See how Averi's AI-powered platform works specifically for your business

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3. Ship Your First Campaign — Go from concept to execution in under a week

Don't waste another month on marketing that never leaves the planning phase.

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