Here are ten trends financial and professional services marketer should understand and take advantage of.

1. Instagram. Believe it or not, this visual channel can be a perfect way for financial and professional firms to connect with clients and prospects. This is especially true for millennials who tend to prefer image-based storytelling over words. Many firms forget that they are about more than just dollars and cents, advice, products, services and technology. People at financial and professional services companies help their clients improve their lives and achieve their dreams and goals. Visual social media channels like Instagram are a great way to get people thinking about and sharing their ideas for the future.
2. Video. Video was hot, then it wasn’t. It is again. Why? Technology and distribution have finally caught up with the realities of video delivery. That’s made watching video any place, any time and on any device a good experience. People are doing just that, on the train, at the gym, flying and in line at the supermarket. If you had a video flop in your past, it might be worth trying the medium again.
3. People. No one wants to connect with a company in social media. They prefer interacting with people. Take a lesson from Progressive and their icon, Flo. Find a company representative or create a character to humanize your firm in social media.
4. SlideShare. Financial professionals are constantly looking for new information to present during client meetings or at conferences. Come up with novel, interesting presentations they’ll want to share. If they use your materials for educating clients, they’ll be more likely to promote the products and services associated with them.
5. Podcasts. Similar to videos, podcasts were hot until they were not. Now that it’s easier to stream them any place (including cars), any time on an unlimited data plan, they’re back again. Develop a podcast series on a topic your client base would enjoy listening to that relates to your products and services. Retirement lifestyle information, home improvement tips, timely investing ideas and economic perspectives are popular options today.
6. Data. Many believe that data is dead because it’s not easy to track down. The truth is that data is hotter than ever, especially since it’s becoming easier to link up metrics from social and digital advertising campaigns to website numbers to sales figures. If you’re not clear how to access data and set-up a dashboard, an agency that specializes in digital marketing for financial and professional services firms can help.
7. Social selling. Many financial firms gave up on the idea of selling through social media when their first social ad campaigns didn’t produce the anticipated results. The truth is that you need to nurture leads in social before you can make a sale. An experienced agency can help you figure out how you can sequence your messages to generate sales.
8. Chat. Early chat provided a mediocre end-user experience, especially for firms in highly regulated industries. Messages felt canned and unconvincing. Newer technology is finally delivering on the early promise of live chat. If you haven’t checked it out lately, it’s definitely time to take a second look at the technology.
9. Ratings and reviews. Many financial and professional services firms shied away from requesting and publishing online ratings and reviews. Yet many consumers depend on them to make purchase decisions. Firms have been concerned that the results might be less than ideal. The reality is that your happiest and least happy clients will provide them. It’s likely that your satisfied clients significantly outnumber those who aren’t. Do the math and you’ll see why most companies earn ratings of 4.5+ on a scale of 5. That’s enough to encourage most prospects to do business with your firm.
10. Client generated content. Sometimes the best marketing content can come from your own clients. Ask them to share their success stories. This is a powerful way to demonstrate the benefits of working with your business.

Looking for fresh ideas on how your firm can leverage popular digital strategies? Check out Carpenter Group’s perspective on digital marketing. Then contact us so we can discuss how you can effectively leverage the latest digital techniques in your marketing plans.