Money is an emotional topic. Each person has a unique journey that affects their relationship with it.
When you ask a person to invest their money with you, you’re asking them to make a deep emotional decision. They’re trusting you with a valuable resource that’s likely required sacrifice and years of work to achieve. This isn’t a decision your clients will reach on a whim.
That’s why branding for financial services is so critical.
Financial services branding goes beyond having a website, logo, and business cards. It’s about defining who you are as a company and building a level of trust that brings your prospects to say “yes!” to your products.
How clients perceive your brand will directly impact your bottom line. But when it’s done right, branding in financial services will contribute to the overall success of your business.
If you Google “financial services firms” in your town and take a look at the websites in the search engine results pages (SERPs), you’ll likely read similar words and phrases from firms talking about their services.
Consumers see much of the same messaging and information around money management. Branding is your opportunity to differentiate and tell your story.
Be radically honest with people. Layout what it’s like to work with your team from the moment they send you an email or walk through the door. Transparency can win trust and break down barriers people put up around their finances.
Across the country, financial anxiety is very high. 73% of Americans said finances are the number one stressor in their life — more than relationships, jobs, and family issues. It’s a daunting statistic to overcome, but it’s also an opportunity for you and your firm to connect with people on a fundamental level.
Brands of financial services should alleviate the fear and stress around finances. By branding your company as a resource, you’ll play a role in demystifying money. In an era of robo-advisors and instant analysis, you can be a guide in helping people achieve their financial goals. All of this starts with having the right brand.
Consumers gravitate towards brands that feel familiar. They want to embrace companies that embody their lifestyle. When creating messaging, branding for financial services should have an ideal customer and lifestyle in mind.
If your firm works with people who have accumulated wealth and want to set up legacy-giving programs, incorporate that into your branding. Discuss how you can help them support their church, family, or charitable organization.
And talk about your community and personal involvement. People are looking for a way to connect with you, so give them one by talking about yourself.
In other words, don’t shy away from telling your personal story. A significant part of branding for financial services is explaining why you are in this line of work. Share the reasons you love helping people with their finances.
Building a relationship that allows prospective clients to connect your brand with authenticity is crucial. When they’re reading your site, you want them to nod along because they feel like they’re getting to know you.
Keep in mind that building a brand that your staff believes in is just as important — if not more so — than having a brand your customers love.
Your team needs to feel like they connect to the brand; it should reflect who they are and what they do. When they feel connected to your company, it becomes effortless for them to share your services with prospective customers and speak with authority. When your staff is confident in your brand, others will see it and be attracted to your firm.
Relevance is the name of the game for design and branding for financial services.
In an ever-changing financial landscape, firms must provide information that is timely and helps people make better decisions with their money. And in an era of 24/7 financial news cycles and meme stocks, this can be a tall task.
It’s best to identify an area of expertise and write relevant blogs, social media posts, and other content focused on your strengths.
Being relevant will also help establish you as a thought leader in your market. When you’re recognized as an authority, your content is more likely to be shared on other platforms and picked up by publications, all of which will drive more traffic to your site.
You’ll create a brand that consumers find useful because you’re relevant. Your information can help them, and they’ll return to you again for advice. You’ll create long-term relationships and loyal followers using this strategy instead of just pushing your services.
A great example of this is the GameStop stock drama in 2021. So many people were asking why it happened, whether they should invest their money, and how it would affect the broader market. Writing posts answering people’s questions and addressing a current and timely event will make your firm personal and relevant to what’s going on in the market.
To continue, a key component of relevance is accessibility. Information should be easy to locate on your website. Consumers need to engage with you when and where they’re ready without encountering resistance like a poorly designed website.
Remember that you’re marketing more than financial services products. Your purpose is greater than money management or investing. It’s about helping people secure their financial future — or leaving a legacy of which they’ll be proud. Whatever your cause, make it consistent in your messaging.
Investors today are looking for transparency and trust with their advisors. The days of giving someone money and letting them manage it for an undisclosed fee are over. Information is easily shared and disseminated through the internet, and for younger investors, that means they want to work with someone who is honest with them and delivers results.
New generations and the rise of investment technology have caused a shift in the financial advising industry over the last few years.
Consumers are looking for real connections with people who are honest with them. They want to work with people who pick up the phone when they call and offer sound advice when they need it. So when you’re branding your financial services firm, you need to focus on creating a bond with clients.
Back up what you say on your website and public-facing channels with what you tell clients in person. Own your values and live them out when you work with your customers. Being true to your firm’s beliefs will attract and retain your ideal customer.
Once you’ve built a strong relationship with one client, you’ll begin to create a fan base. People love to talk about great experiences they’ve had with a business. When a satisfied client is having a conversation with friends or colleagues and money management comes up, they’ll be much more likely to refer you to their network.
Differentiate your brand by being uncommon. Many advisors say they’ll promptly return a call or an email and never do. Instead, say you’ll do it the same day or within 24 hours and follow through. It seems like a tiny thing, but it can be the difference between keeping or losing a client.
According to Nasdaq, 61% of investors with more than $1 million in investments left their advisors because they didn’t receive a prompt return call. Another 53% said they left because their advisors weren’t proactive in reaching out.
Communication and trust are important when a person’s hard-earned money is on the line. When you say you’ll get back to them, do it.
Being consistent in how you treat people is much more likely to earn repeat and referral business than any other financial services branding strategy. In addition, it will solidify your brand as being reliable and true to your values.
When you build the right brand and relationships, you'll secure customers for life — and along the way, you’ll have earned their trust so you can pitch them new products, services, and experiences.
Your brand is so much more than images, fonts, and a company name. It’s the first level of trust you’ll build with prospective clients. It’s the opportunity for you to tell a story that resonates with customers and demonstrate how you can help them manage and grow their wealth.
But creating a great brand doesn’t happen overnight or in one meeting. It takes thought, expertise, and research.
The team at LAIRE has years of experience providing financial branding services. We can help financial services firms like yours create a uniquely positioned brand. Our financial services branding agency understands the industry and can help you differentiate yourself.
If you’re interested in exploring our work with financial services firms, you’re in luck. We put together a case study based on a recent project. You’ll see what it’s like for our team to launch a new financial services brand from start to finish.
Or use our free marketing checklist to evaluate your current strengths, pinpoint areas for improvement, and gauge your standing compared to other financial firms in your industry.