PR for Fintech: the definitive guide

First, you need to figure out who exactly your audience is. To whom do you want to sell? Whom should you be targeting? If you are launching a new mobile banking app, perhaps gen y, often called millennials, these people are digital natives. They were born between 1982 and 1994, and technology is part of their everyday lives; a great deal of their activities are mediated by a screen.

If you’re launching a new stock trading app, then identify those with a keen interest in financial markets, perhaps college-educated people who regularly read MarketWatch or Bloomberg.

Once you figure this out, it's time to think about how best to distribute your message. Public relations experts can help you reach a larger audience. For example, reaching millennials is easiest using Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Reaching potential day traders is easiest using more specialist blogs.

PR consultants are experts at crafting distinctive messaging that cuts through the noise and speaks directly to your target audience. Public relations in fintech can also help build relationships with key influencers. Influencers can be critical in fintech promotion.

You must build a positive image to show you are honest, relevant and successful. If you want the edge here, hand it to an agency that does this for a living. They will surely do better than you at bringing your company's narrative to life. It's harder to change your messaging once you've started on the wrong foot, and you may damage your reputation if you try. Anything related to money, whether saving it or investing it, creates a strong emotional response in people. This can be both useful and tricky when building a brand.

Do you know how many "stories" journalists receive each day? You'd probably think twice before sending any old message to them if you did. You are one of many vying for coverage, and there are many things to consider before reaching out. You need to show how unique your proposition is. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it count.

PR agencies are experts at dealing with journalists after building successful contacts in particular industries. They can list the financial journalists who write for the publications your potential clients read or watch. They can also advise on how best to respond and follow up on journalist inquiries. There is an increasing number of tech publications now with large audiences. Take advantage of this to get the right coverage you need. Journalists that specialize in financial services PR and fintech are highly prized and hard to reach. You’re probably not going to grab the attention of Stephanie Flanders, Senior Executive Editor of Bloomberg, during the start up launch of your new mobile banking app. However it’s a goal to work towards.

What is it you want to achieve? People need objectives and goals to work towards, or the company cannot achieve anything. The industry is complex. With clearly defined objectives, you can avoid wandering. As well as the above, you can build the profiles of your key spokespersons through thought leadership, engage your audience through social media channels, or even generate leads directly. These all require different tactics.

A PR company can help you devise the best objectives to achieve desired results and then put them into play. Additionally, PR experts can develop longer-term plans to make sure you stay relevant and in the news.

It's important to understand who your audience is, so you know how to target them effectively. If unsure, you can conduct market research and create buyer personas. Your messaging will have the most impact once this is known. You need to resonate with them. Just make sure your message is clear and on-brand. Fintech PR companies can assist here.

It is important to have clearly defined goals. Your whole strategy depends on this. Every stage of the process needs to be measurable and clear for your team. Everyone needs to know what they're doing and why. This will need to be continually updated and is especially important in the ever-changing world of fintech. As an example, the objective of a company launching a new mobile baking app might be to achieve 5% market penetration within 5 years. This might be achieved by studying the behaviours of existing competitors like bunq, N26 and Revolut.

Fintech companies are fortunate to have plenty of options for getting the message out. Aside from the traditional outlets, a growing number of publications cover the industry. Work to target specific journalists at these publications. Then work to build relationships with them. It will soon pay off. They can help you get the word out about your company and its products. You can do this via press releases or sending them content you think will interest their readers. This, in turn, will help generate more leads and sales. It is important to keep in regular contact with these reporters. Fintech audiences depend on these journalists for information and product reviews. Reach out to them with newsworthy news, invite them to events you host and join in with discussions of their tweets and other published articles.

Writing blog posts is an excellent way to become a thought leader in fintech. By doing this, you will not only get your name out there, but you will also help establish yourself as an expert in the field. You will gain more trust and business if you provide valuable insights and information to people. Conferences are also great for contributing to your industry and making connections. An insightful and well-put-together presentation will go a long way in impressing those in attendance. You can also do this on social media. Exciting and relevant posts that create discussions can also showcase your relevance in the market and that you have your hand firmly on the button. Customers in this industry love to read and learn.

In line with the above, creating relevant and exciting content is necessary for any fintech company. The fintech ecosystem changes more than most, so you'll need to be adaptable and quick to observe trends. As well as making thoughtful, new, and intelligent content, don't miss the opportunity to produce evergreen content that will be relevant to your audience and get traffic to your site for years to come. Infographics, 'how to' videos and blogs about the latest trends are usually a winner in the world of tech and finance.

Creating quality content is a surefire way to make you stand out from competitors and is relatively easy to do.

In line with the above, creating relevant and exciting content is necessary for any fintech company. The fintech ecosystem changes more than most, so you'll need to be adaptable and quick to observe trends. As well as making thoughtful, new, and intelligent content, don't miss the opportunity to produce evergreen content that will be relevant to your audience and get traffic to your site for years to come. Infographics, 'how to' videos and blogs about the latest trends are usually a winner in the world of tech and finance.

Creating quality content is a surefire way to make you stand out from competitors and is relatively easy to do.

Factual information helps when making strategic decisions. Learn what people like and dislike about your product and use it to iterate. How is the media coverage and engagement coming along? Are there any changes you can make to your strategy? Your strategy must be flexible. Ensure your PR strategy is always relevant and effective by staying on top of industry trends and keeping your finger on the pulse. Similarly, you can also use analytics to spy on your competitors and what is and isn't working for them. Keep going back to the key success factors of financial services. Conduct regular customer surveys to help you understand how you are doing.

Mint's rapid growth and expert content marketing strategy make them a great example of a successful PR campaign. The bank invested considerable resources into its blog, MintLife, using a full-time editorial team and contributing writers. They began by determining which audiences should be targeted. This happened to be young people keen to learn more about finance. Mint aimed to provide answers to their questions. Different videos explained different financial concepts. They gained plenty of new followers by answering questions about whether you can buy a vehicle with a bad credit score, what makes a good credit score, and how to prepare your finances for a home purchase.

Mint took to social media to give away discounts and offer various promotions. All of this contributed significantly to audience engagement. Mint also built connections with other popular brands by connecting with other credit card companies. This helped establish its authority in the market. It became much easier to attract a new audience as a result. The company's activities on social media weren't self-promotional. Rather than answering questions, the company provided answers to its audience.

The company created valuable and relevant content and provided crystal-clear explanations on how to use its tool. During just two years, the company grew to 1.5 million users and was sold for $170 million.

‍Klarna is a Swedish fintech company founded to make shopping more affordable. You can shop and pay later and pay instalments, much like a loan. A well-known feature of Klarna's social media campaigning is the creation of helpful campaign videos on YouTube that promote the app's features and services.

Klarna was immensely successful at utilizing Youtube to tap into its primary audience - millennials and Gen Zs. Videos are more accessible to watch and understand than other social media platforms. Klarna combines creativity with brand awareness in a series of Youtube videos with popular influencers. The result is that creativity and out-the-box thinking triumph.

‍Monzo is an online bank and among the most recognized fintech companies worldwide. They focus on their customers' needs while educating them on investing. This campaign is simple. Every week, save 1p, 2p, 3p, and so on. Most people can handle that, and the campaign itself is simple. It's a clever move by Monzo to target the right audience. The under-40s, who make up a huge chunk of Monzo's target audience, feel they need to save more. Monzo appeals to millennials by promoting this simple and achievable money-saving challenge.

Until December 31st, this will continue. Over the year, you have saved £667.95 by contributing 365 pennies (or £3.65). Monzo built the challenge to combine its platform. The user's Monzo account is automatically credited with the correct daily amount by combining the two systems.

Due to its attention to its audience, the PR campaign was successful.