With more time at home in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, people are turning to social media more than ever before. Now at an all-time high, social media use is an avenue for staying connected with loved ones, political engagement, shopping, and so much more. While financial institutions seek to take advantage of this massive, concentrated audience, the tension of general economic unrest can make it tricky to navigate the best ways to connect. According to a study conducted by The Financial Brand in April, most prominent financial brands saw a drop in their social media sentiment scores immediately following shutdowns due to the pandemic.

Let’s do a word association game. When we say Instagram, what comes to mind? Perhaps funny memes, your favorite products, visual inspiration? Now, what about when we say email? Is it suddenly feeling stuffy in here?

By now, we all know that they say content is king, and we're here to confirm, whoever "they" are, they're right. Content marketing is the foundation of a healthy marketing strategy. And while it isn't the end-all-be-all, it's pretty close. But not all content marketing efforts are created equally. Just like anything in life, you get out what you put into the process. Indeed, throwing some words on a page and thinking that customers and leads will magically start pouring in is a little naïve. That's why today, we're breaking down the four major steps to a killer content marketing strategy, starting with your audience.

Presentations: we’ve been giving them since our fourth-grade science projects, yet somehow, we still dread them. In truth, dread hangs around the word “presentation,” from every angle. And you don’t only have to be the one giving it to feel the dark cloud descending. Just try getting invited to one. Most people don’t meet the invitation with a hop, skip, and a heel click. Have a guess at why? I bet you do.

Whether you’re a one-woman show working out of your garage or the VP of a marketing department, you need an email list. They’re one of the most valuable assets your business can have. An Instagram can get hacked; a LinkedIn account can get deleted. But an email list? That’s all yours. Which means you need a super awesome email marketing software to help you build, edit, and market to said list. When it comes to picking an email marketing software, it isn’t exactly rocket science. Many offer very similar features and costs. But instead of you scouring the internet, jotting comparisons down on a sticky note you’re bound to lose, we’ve done it for you. In no particular order, here is our list of favorite email marketing software, and their comparisons.

 When it comes to your marketing, it doesn’t always work to create on specific strategy and blast that strategy to your entire audience through the same platforms or messaging. Depending on what generation your reader is a part of, they may or may not respond to your marketing strategy. The large gap between Baby Boomers and Generation Zers means that each respond to different kinds of media, as well as the messaging you present within that media. Some marketing techniques that put Generation X at ease might make Generation Z squirm, and vice versa. Let’s take a look at some tips for marketing to different generations for the most success.

You’ve heard the phrase that “Content is King.” While this is true, and we appreciate the point it emphasizes, it’s also true that not all content is created equally. If we wrote a blog post telling you about why Marvel is better than DC (duh), you probably wouldn’t be very interested. Granted, there’s certainly an audience for this type of topic, but if you’re here, it’s because you’re likely looking for marketing advice. A blog like that doesn’t serve you in the least. For content to really be a good king, it needs to be considering the good of its people constantly. Let’s take a look at how to do precisely that.

For a lot of business owners, they’re switching between hats constantly. It’s something they often don’t tell you when you start a business. You’re not only the tradesman, great at his or her craft, but you’re also the receptionist, accountant, marketer, event the janitor. With so much to do, the idea of creating the amount of content needed to be successful in a world where “Content is King” can be daunting. Even for a full-fledged marketing team, sometimes the amount of content that needs to get done can seem like an endless ocean where they forgot their compass somewhere on the mainland.

There’s a saying that's become popular with the ever expanding availability of the internet. It goes a little something like this, "These days, everyone’s an expert.” It has a two-fold meaning. There’s the obvious, which is human beings’ tendency to spend one afternoon reading into a certain subject matter and suddenly they’re an aficionado. It’s a rough reality, but not as bad as the second meaning (unless you’re the poor soul stuck talking to that guy at a party). The second is that with the internet comes the ability for users to self publish. These are the really dangerous experts. And with their continual emergence, Google is having to work harder and harder to determine what out there is good content, and what is, well, just plain crap.

Hearing the word “content” and only thinking of words on a page is like hearing “ice cream” and only thinking of vanilla. There are so many other forms it can come in, and all are equally important for your business and delectable to your audience. You should be using many different types of content other than just words on a page to engage with them and promote your business. Each will serve you a little differently and appeal to your audience in different ways and for varying reasons. Today, we’re looking at some of your content options, how to implement them into your business, and why your audience is drawn to each. Let’s get started.