Diving Deep Into Marketing in Financial Services (My Takeaways) 🔥 FLAMING HOT TAKE ALERT: Marketing can drive business goals, but it can’t save a bad product. One financial company that understands this well is Wise, an international money transfer service I use. According to Nilan Peiris, Chief Product Officer at Wise, the company aimed to build a product that “blows user’s socks off.” That intended feat has come to fruition because a whopping 70% of Wise’s user growth comes through word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM). Even I discovered Wise through word of mouth. In this article, I will share five inspirational examples of effective marketing for financial services. I also share four marketing ideas you can deploy to market your brilliant product. Before delving into the strategies and examples, let’s discuss tips for solving your most fundamental marketing challenge — building a product customers love. Table of Contents A Case Study of Wise: How to Solve Your #1 Marketing Challenge as a Financial Services Provider Financial Services Marketing Strategies Financial Services Marketing Ideas What I Learned A Case Study of Wise: How to Solve Your #1 Marketing Challenge as a Financial Services Provider Businesses in financial services deal with a slew of challenges, including regulatory marketing restrictions, lack of consumer trust, and commoditization. These challenges are mitigated if you build a great product and provide a great user experience. That’s what Wise did. Wise aimed to give customers “an experience they...

Diving Deep Into Marketing for Restaurants (My Takeaways) I’m fortunate to live in a city that has a thriving restaurant scene (it’s most known for its barbecue and Tex-Mex, if that gives you any hint). And while I don’t consider myself a food connoisseur by any means, I was a food journalist in a past life, so I continue to stay on top of the latest stories and trends surrounding the restaurant industry. To do this, I follow a lot of restaurants on social media. I also subscribe to their newsletters, attend their special events, enter their giveaways, and sign up for their rewards programs. And because my marketing brain never shuts off, I can’t help but be curious about these restaurant marketing strategies. How well do they work? Which channels do these restaurants perform best on? How do established restaurants maintain interest after the grand opening buzz wears down? To figure out the answers to these questions, I’m digging deep into restaurant marketing ideas, strategies, and real-life campaigns. Restaurant Marketing Strategies That Work I wanted to get more insight into the world of restaurant marketing, so I spoke with Rachel Ayotte, the founder and CEO of Bread and Butter, a communications agency that works with hospitality clients. Why do restaurants of all sizes need a marketing strategy? What does an effective campaign look like these days? “In New York City alone, there are over 25,000 restaurants, which would take the average person 22 years to try,” shares...

Q1 Marketing Plays That'll Start Your Year Strong, According to State of Marketing Data Ah, quarter one. It's a time when many of us reflect on the last year, make new bets, and refresh our playbooks. If the fourth quarter is about finishing strong, then the first quarter is about starting smart. It's an exciting time but also a bit overwhelming. You have new goals to reach and new strategies to execute. You also need to create enough room to pivot at a moment's notice. But have no fear – here, I've rounded up seven data-backed strategies for nailing Q1, as well as Q1 marketing tips from HubSpot experts. Let's dive in. 1. Interested in influencer marketing? Start with micro-influencers. Half of marketers plan to increase their influencer marketing investment in 2024. If you've always wanted to work with influencers — but the price tag seems out of reach — I have some good news. Among marketers who leverage influencer marketing, nearly half (47%) found the most success with micro-influencers. These are influencers who have anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 followers. While these creators don't have millions of followers, they hold influence with a smaller, more engaged community. In fact, when asked about the biggest benefits of working with micro-influencers, 42% of marketers say micro-influencers are less expensive, followed by 39% who say micro-influencers give access to more niche communities. Want to learn more about working with micro-influencers? Check out this helpful guide. 2. Approach social media as an...