What You Need to Know About Hiring Top-Notch Financial Content Writers

What You Need to Know About Hiring Top-Notch Financial Content Writers

The internet is the world’s directory for products and services. Whether you need to order groceries, find a dog walking service, or locate a home repairman, a quick online search enables you to compare options and make a decision.

One of the best ways to inform potential customers about your services is to produce online content attracting them to your website. Sheer content production alone, though, won’t continuously draw new customers to your business.

Instead, effective new content—blogs, business services pages, product reviews—is paired with search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to get your content to the top of a consumer’s search results.

Producing content for financial services providers or product sellers is no different. Consumers seeking to establish a new relationship with financial services providers, such as investment or wealth management, retirement planning, or financial planning advice desire an experienced company they can trust.

Outsourcing your financial content writing to an experienced writing agency saves your business time, effort, and expense while increasing your market share and customer reach.

How to hire financial content writers

Why Hire an Online Content Writer?

Customers use online content to learn more about a company’s product or service before buying it. But what is “online content”? Everything from your business’s “About Us” webpage to your staff listing and product descriptions is valuable real estate.

In an economy where 85% of customers find local businesses online, a strong internet presence is a must. Creating your online content optimized for online web search requires a trained in-house marketing staff familiar with SEO strategies meant to attract new and repeat customers.

However, depending on the size of your business, this may not be feasible. Even if you have an in-house staff, budget constraints may limit the resources your in-house marketers can devote to content creation.

Outsourcing content creation is beneficial to creating superior, typo-free, and relevant search-engine-optimized content. Perhaps this is why as much as 84% of business-to-business marketers and business-to-consumer owners outsource content writing.

What is SEO?

An effective writing service provider implements search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. Put simply, SEO is the process taken to get a website placed higher in the results provided by an online search engine (usually Google).

You can consider SEO to be the free analog to paid advertising. For example, you can pay to have Google provide your website when a potential customer searches for specific keywords. On the other hand, you could optimize your website so that search engines such as Google place it higher on the list of results when a potential customer searches.

Consider a blog comparing different types of retirement accounts. The most common are 401(k) accounts and Roth IRA accounts. If someone were searching for the differences between the two accounts, they’re likely looking for applicable income limits, contribution maximums, and investment strategies. If anyone were to find your blog, it would need to outrank other websites comparing these retirement accounts.

Using SEO can pull you up in rankings. But SEO isn’t only about strategic keyword placement. It’s also about content and design.

Writing Effective Content

To make outsourcing your content creation effective, the content must be high quality. A high-quality blog will not only include relevant keywords, but it will also provide a solution to whatever problem it is that readers endeavored to solve. The longer your audience engages with your content, the more favorable the ranking by the search engine.

Search engines also emphasize intent: Why did this individual search for this string of terms? Do they want to know how to do something? Are they looking to make a purchase?

When your writer understands the target audience, they write more interesting and engaging content.

Using Effective Keywords

The keywords you choose will drive potential customers to your website. The particular keywords you target aim to attract different audience segments to your site.

Imagine that you sell investment management services for clients able to invest at minimum $25,000. Ranking for a keyword like “cheap investment advice,” for instance, might garner thousands of clicks per month. But who would these clicks come from? People who might not have $25,000 to invest!

Keyword selection matters because you need to choose specific words that naturally occur to your audience.

Hiring a Content Writer in Your Field

Consistently publishing online content keeps your business relevant to consumers. For example, an error-free blog written on timely topics adds credibility and authority to your services. When this content pairs with SEO strategies, you make it more likely that consumers or businesses see your posts.

Outsourcing financial content writing will benefit your business in the following ways:

1. You can focus on your business.

Some small businesses consist of a handful of trusted and capable employees. Mid-sized businesses may have an in-house marketing department dedicated to reaching new consumers. In either situation—and all of those between—outsourcing content creation saves time.

Take a 1000-word blog explaining the difference between a certified financial planner (CFP) and an investment broker. While a relatively uncomplex topic, a thoroughly researched and well-written end product requires hours of sourcing and drafting. A content editor would need to review the first draft, while a manager would need to approve the product before posting online.

Posting a high-quality blog would require at least two to three levels of review, taking multiple employees away from other tasks.

When you outsource content creation instead, you allow yourself to focus on the business of running your business.

2. You keep costs down.

Employing a team of in-house marketing strategists is beneficial for businesses with a steady revenue stream capable of supporting multiple salaries. These marketing strategists provide a return on investment by building your client base and brand awareness and developing goodwill and identification in your sector.

But what if you could achieve all of these benefits without paying numerous salaries? Not to mention the additional employment taxes, employee benefits, and social security payments that you save on.

When you outsource your content creation, you only pay for the final deliverable—your new content. No need to pay employee wages and related taxes.

You would also save on non-monetary resources by hiring an outside financial content writer. For example, outsourcing means:

  • That there is no learning curve. A quality writing agency only employs content creators well-versed in their respective fields. The agency ensures each writer has professional experience with the required topic. Instead of wasting time searching for a freelance writer helter-skelter, outsourcing a financial content creator from an agency is a one-stop shop.
  • That the writer understands your audience. To write an online blog post, professional services page, or authoritative resource guide, the author must understand the target audience. The fact that the author knows finance marketing does not mean that the author can translate that information into easy-to-process language for the target audience.

Content creators employed by an outside agency, on the other hand, spend their professional lives communicating information in easily understandable terms. Compared to an in-house marketing team that composes online content as part of their job description, outsourced writers work exclusively to create effective content accessible to any audience.

3. You build authority.

Only content only matters if it’s authoritative. You want customers or other businesses to value it as a resource to learn more about your services, current industry trends, and how your company fits into the larger sector. Customers are more likely to trust your business when its online content is professional, clean, and typo-free.

Outsourcing financial content writing solves this problem. Writing services maintain and enforce strict quality compliance guidelines. This ensures that every deliverable meets your standards and speaks to your client base.

You can also establish authority by maintaining consistency across content forms. Consider your business’s brand identity: How will consumers read this blog and know immediately it comes from my website?

Developing a style guide will make uniform:

  • Using particular stylistic tools, like the Oxford comma
  • Employing images, infographics, or other visual media
  • Including numerical data or statistical information
  • Setting limits for paragraph length
  • Using a particular tone

Clients can tell when you aren’t using quality writers. Working with an outsourcing service ensures strict compliance to the highest standards.

4. You promote traffic to your website.

The point of your business’s website is to attract customers. Creating content on a consistent schedule gives them a reason to revisit your site time and again.

That said, the content you produce should serve a purpose. Once you’ve described your business’s services or products on your business services page, there’s no need to publish additional blogs reiterating what you’ve already said. After all, there are only so many ways to define and describe what a wealth advisor does.

Instead, use your blog to highlight new industry trends and illustrate how your company keeps its services current. This is where digital content naturally lends itself to search engine optimization (SEO).

Utilizing SEO can land your content at the top of the stack when a potential customer runs a query through an online search engine. For example, search engines rank a piece of content’s relevance by whether it includes certain high-traffic words and phrases as determined by the engine’s users.

A writer using SEO places those specific keywords throughout the content to drive traffic to your website.

5. You gain new insight into your industry.

Outsourcing your content creation provides you access to a larger pool of writers. These writers bring varied and unique points of view, generating new ideas for your business. One writer’s take on an assigned topic may provide you with an unexpected perspective you hadn’t considered.

Similarly, new business trends develop almost daily. A writing agency that effectively uses SEO tools can identify new areas of content centered on these trends for you. This keeps your website current while also keeping you in the loop.

As clients read your content, they compare your services with other information they have on the topic. When your information is original and provides a fresh perspective, it helps your clients connect with your brand.

6. You build a loyal client base.

Optimizing content for the online marketplace requires concise and shareable posts. When you upload a new blog, you capture your audience’s attention. Regularly updated posts encourage audience retention. As you build authority in your industry over consistent posts, your audience will come to trust you.

A trusting audience is a loyal client base. Loyal clients share their experiences with your content and products with their friends and family. While the way in which we engage with information has moved to the online space, traditional word-of-mouth recommendations from peers are still one of the most effective marketing tools.

When a loyal client shares a link to your blog on their social media or includes a write-up in a professional email, your business gains greater brand awareness.

Meet Our Writer

Dale Davis is a member of Express Writers team

Express Writers is Here for Your Financial Content Writing

At Express Writers, we’re people-oriented, and our writers are stellar. We vet all of our specialty and industry writers, checking for on-the-job experience, advanced degrees, and years in content writing.

Our finance writers have been bankers, accountants, and insurance folks with many years in the industry. They keep up with industry terminology and can break down these terms for your target audience.

Whether your financial services or products are general or niche, our writers will rely on their experience and research capabilities to deliver an authoritative, specialized piece that attracts customers to your webpage.

When partnering with Express Writers, you’ll also work closely with our client success and content management teams. They provide friendly, helpful service to make sure you get the right content in the right context.

Take content marketing off your plate, get in touch today. Our expert client success team is ready to answer your questions.

Hire our expert client success team

Financial Blog Writers: 5 Secrets for Amplifying Content Quality & Succeeding in the SERPs

Financial Blog Writers: 5 Secrets for Amplifying Content Quality & Succeeding in the SERPs

90% of businesses are blogging in 2020. By the time you’re done reading this article, tens of thousands of posts will have been finished and pushed live. With 77% of all internet users reading blogs now, and blogs considered one of the top five most trustworthy sources of information, there’s no bones about it — your finance business needs a blog. But there’s a lot of content already out there, which means you’re facing stiff competition. And if you’re in a popular niche like finance, the competition is even fiercer. You need expert financial blog writers on your side.

Psst… we craft industry specialist content for brands in the finance space! See our expert finance writer rates here.
However, competition for eyeballs isn’t all talented financial blog writers have to worry about. From special quality requirements by Google to features of the industry itself, here’s why it pays to invest in a writer who knows that they’re doing in this field (plus plenty of actionable tips for you to get started writing your finance blog!). Let’s dive in! [bctt tweet=”Financial blog articles are hard to do well and easy to mess up. Why? You need financial know-how AND engaging writing. ✍?? @JuliaEMcCoy discusses the expertise you need and how to write for this tough industry.” username=”ExpWriters”]

financial blog writers

First Things First: Offering Financial Advice Is Tricky Business Even Under Normal Circumstances

Have you ever received well-meaning but inaccurate financial advice from a friend or family member? They probably thought they knew what they were talking about. It probably sounded good. Maybe you even acted upon it. But surprise! Things didn’t go so great. ? Let me be the first to warn you: Google is well aware of people like your friend or family member, and they don’t have time for crappy financial content in their search engine. You may already be an expert on finance, but if you’re thinking about starting a finance blog, make sure you do your homework. ? Specifically, make sure you know how to convey to Google the fact that you do, in fact, know what you’re talking about. Here’s how.

Your Money or Your Life

Unlike writers in other industries, financial blog writers need to be aware of a small but uber-critical quality requirement: YMYL. It stands for Your Money or Your Life. According to Google, YMYL topics are those that can impact a person’s future happiness, health, safety, or financial stability.  The Official Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines require a Very High-Quality rating for all pages that fall under YMYL. That’s because if someone follows the advice and it turns out to be poor or inaccurate, it can have serious negative consequences on their life, happiness, health, or finances. How do you demonstrate quality under YMYL? You make sure your readers are E-A-Ting the best content! Demonstrate:
  • Identify authors and their credentials. Showcase your company’s accomplishments and dedicate yourself to never publishing low-quality content. Ever.
  • Develop your brand’s authority by consistently publishing high-quality, well-researched, and cited content on specific topics.
  • Be transparent about who you are and what your company is about. Have your contact information clearly listed, and make sure all other important info is easy to find.
But! Make sure you’re actually demonstrating that authority to back it up, even if you’ve got the most interesting blog in the world. 😉 authority meme [bctt tweet=”‼HOT TIP: Financial blog writers need to be aware of a small but uber-critical quality requirement for ranking: YMYL (Your Money or Your Life). Learn more ➡” username=”ExpWriters”]

How to Write Financial Blog Articles That Win Audiences (and Conversions!)

It’s easy to fall into the trap of dry, uninspired writing, but the best finance blog writers know just how to spice up the copy to win audiences and conversions. Here’s a quick guide for financial bloggers and a few tips when writing a finance blog.

1. Analyze Your Target Audience, Then Speak Directly to Them

Nobody likes being talked at – on the internet, talking at your audience is a great way to scare them off. With financial blog articles, it can be easy to sink into that. However, you should be cultivating your unique voice in a way that creates a conversation with your readers. The best way to speak to your readers? Understand their language, their needs, goals, and desires. You can identify those things with a target persona. You can think of a target persona as a case study of your readers. It can shed insight into what topics you should discuss, what you should avoid, and how to approach conversations for the best possible reception. I also recommend that you:
  • Define your target audience as narrowly as possible. Finance is such a big topic that it’s better for you to define the scope of your blog as narrowly as you can. That also allows you to develop your content differentiation factor.
  • Identify your audience’s reading level. A finance blog written for investment specialists will sound very different from one intended for the general public.
  • Embrace the human element. Finances can be a touchy, emotional subject. So, don’t be afraid to address the human element of the conversation to get in touch with your audience.
financial samaurai

When your target audience is well-defined, it will show! Compare the Financial Samurai to the Penny Hoarder (below). Who is the target audience of each?

2. Give Your Financial Blog Readers a Reason to Read

We like to know that we’re going to get something for our efforts. So, with every financially-centric blog you post, get in the habit of putting yourself in your target audience’s shoes and asking yourself: what’s in it for me? People (usually) don’t go looking through financial blog content unless they’re enthusiasts on the topic. If they’ve landed on one of your articles, chances are they’re looking for advice. Therefore, pay special attention to the value that you’re providing by highlighting the clear benefits of each article. Do:
  • Make tips and advice as actionable as possible
  • Break down concepts and leave your readers feeling more knowledgeable than they were
  • Lay out the key points and benefits early (the introduction is a great place) so readers know what they’re getting and why reading this blog is worth their time
  • Share your unique wisdom and perspective (content differentiation factor!)
When writing financial topics, you need to be engaging and informative, but NOT stuffy, to win readers. Learn how to take the “stuffy” out of your writing in my Unlearn Essay Writing course.

3. Use Your Blog as an Opportunity to Build Relationships

According to Bankrate, the average adult in the U.S. stays with their bank for some 16 years – five years longer than the average marriage lasts. The best financial writers know that the industry is used to thinking in terms of (and emphasizing) relationships, so they take care to demonstrate this in the content they create. If you’re treating each blog as a conversation with your readers, you’ve already taken the first step toward building a relationship with them. Now, take it a step further. In 2020, readers want to know that you’re there to provide value, and to be of service beyond simply doing what it takes to win a sale. Readers convert to customers when they not only feel good about the product, but also the company providing it. Why? Focusing on building relationships sends the message that you care about the experience your customers have with you. According to PwC, 73 percent of customers will stay loyal if that experience is a good one. So, take the opportunity to show your readers you care. Always remember to:
  • Showcase your transparency with author bios and credentials clearly listed (remember: YMYL!)
  • Use compelling CTAs to invite your readers to interact with your brand further
  • Invite feedback via blog comments or other forms
  • Create content that makes your readers part of your story
financial blog writers quote

4. Get Catchy with Financial Headlines

Mastering the art of headline writing matters for all content writers, but it’s especially important for financial blog writers. Why? Because when 73 percent of people are skimming your blogs, what are their eyes going to catch? The headlines. And let’s be honest, which would you rather read…
  • IRS Advice for the Self-Employed
  • Self-Employed? Lower Your Tax Burden With These Lesser-Known Credits
When it comes to financial blog content, use catchy headlines that emphasize what’s in it for the reader. Consider headlines that indicate an article will:
  • Make life easier
  • Show the reader how to do something
  • Present information backed by science
  • Share hard-won wisdom or personal experience
  • Provide a fresh take on an overdone topic
(These are great tips right here!) The Penny Hoarder blog

Which headlines stand out to you, and what do they all say about who the Penny Hoarder’s target audience is?

5. Avoid Finance Jargon Jungles

Last but not least, financial articles can run on the long side. (Neil Patel once found that the average length of a finance blog article was around 2,500 words.) That’s plenty of space to stray waaaaaay into the weeds. ?? On its own, that’s not a bad thing. There are lots of gems of wisdom to be found in the weeds. But you also run the risk of getting trapped in jargon jungles, using terminology that might prove confusing to your readers. Remember: the average adult reads at a ninth-grade reading level. Unless you’re writing specifically for a crowd who you know will understand the terms, it’s better for your readers (and SEO) to use plain English as much as possible. [bctt tweet=”? Newsflash: The average adult reads at a 9th grade reading level. Unless you’re writing for a crowd you know will understand the terms, it’s better for your readers (and SEO) to use plain English as much as possible. ?” username=”ExpWriters”]

Need Expert Financial Blog Writers? We Got ‘Em!

TL;DR: finance blog writing is its own kettle of fish bait. From satisfying Google’s special quality requirements to crafting engaging, accessible copy, you’ve got a lot on your hands. I’ve provided a bunch of tips for you to get started writing a finance blog, but an expert financial blog writer can also help. Check out our content shop to learn more about the finance blog content we offer, or talk to us about finding an expert copywriter in your unique niche. Happy creating! Hire financial blog writers]]>