Financial Copywriter

 

Financial Copywriter

There are complexities and specialisms in every sector, but financial services are among the most challenging. When producing content in this industry, it is essential to employ a specialist financial services copywriter. But what does a financial copywriter do? This is a writer who knows the products involved, has the ability to explain complex things in simple terms and can cut the jargon to communicate your message effectively.

You may think that your own ability to crunch numbers and your expert knowledge of your sector mean you can handle your own copywriting. But what sets specialist financial copywriters apart is their ability to tell a story.

They will have the instinct to identify the rational and emotional drivers behind your clients’ decision-making and communicate the real essence of your brand and its values in a way that truly hits the mark. If you’re still wondering what does a financial copywriter do, this infographic gives you some idea.

How important is my finance company’s written content?

 

Whether it’s blog posts and website content, brochure copy or B2B case studies, your content can make or break your prospects. White papers are another fantastic tool in the financial services for setting out the way your business is going or raising brand awareness among your customer base, and financial copywriters will help you get the most out of this too.

Clients that work with financial copywriters provide all sorts of different financial services. A good financial copywriter will be able to demonstrate a broad range of past projects. They will then apply this breadth of experience to any project.

The finance industry includes investment banks, stock exchanges, insurers, custody and administration providers, assets managers, asset financers, financial advisers and much more besides. Some companies are household names, while others are smaller, more niche firms, but all require the same high standard of copy to reflect their brand in the best way possible.

When looking for a quality financial copywriter for your project, you should look for a firm or individual with a portfolio that contains work in your niche.

Experienced financial copywriters will have experience in all sorts of subjects, including:

Equity execution

Trading foreign exchange derivatives

Treasury services

Trade finance

Financial regulation

Recent technological innovations

Life insurance trends

What does a financial copywriter do: Types of online content they produce

Specialist financial copywriters are able to produce copy for a number of purposes, but online content is by far the most common. It could be webpage content, sales copy, marketing emails, blog posts or landing pages. A financial content writer has the skills to produce copy that helps your services sell.

Unlike writing for news pieces or editorials, financial copywriting is all about encouraging the audience to take a certain action. This may be to engage with a particular service, subscribe to something, or purchase a product or service. In any case, the written content will be fine-tuned to persuade the reader and lead them to take the action you want. Producing effective content of this nature is an advanced skill.

Financial copywriters will create their content from start to finish, but they can also provide editing and proofreading services for content you already have. So if you already have a blog post or landing page, but you are concerned about grammar, readability or effectiveness, you can use the skills of a finance content writer to help.

Where does financial copywriting differ from other copywriting?

As stated, the world of financial services is complex. Whether you are offering advice to your audience or attempting to sell a financial product/service, finance is heavily regulated. Unlike most other areas of copywriting, a financial content writer will need to be able to produce quality content that is effective and meets legal requirements at all times.

The Financial Conduct Authority has strict requirements governing financial promotions. As such, all adverts to be clear and fair, without being misleading in any way. Finance content writers should be aware of these regulations to produce fully compliant copy, never making any ambiguous claims that can’t be substantiated.

Every bit of information must be clear and accurate, with no margin for error. A good financial copywriter will be able to deliver consistently.

How well do you know your audience?

Financial copywriting is a broad field, with various niches that cater to a very specific audience. The subjects cover everything from cryptocurrencies to investment opportunities, or retirement finance to offshore investments. You may even wish to aim your sales letters at different target groups.

In general terms, financial content will target career-focused individuals in the middle class with a certain amount of disposable income to invest. That said, you can’t simply lump everyone into a single class for every topic. Your company must talk to the individuals as the version of themselves they aspire to become, rather than as the ambitious and hopeful people they are currently. And it needs to consider key online personalities to ensure people engage with and share the content.

Readerships of financial content are full of people who meet the extremes, as well as those who lie somewhere in between. While some people are very optimistic, others are very pessimistic, and many more will sit somewhere between the two. A number of your readers will already have been subscribed to your newsletter for some time, having spent a significant amount of money on subscriptions – maybe even more than they have invested thus far.

You need to deliver something useful for every one of these people, and the most persuasive method is to address any scepticism they may have. Some topics will be trending, and the hype may have already gone some way to doing this work. But there will always be people who remain sceptical and reluctant to jump on any bandwagon.

A quality financial copywriter will be able to identify and target specific sections of your audience in order to deliver your message in the most effective way possible.

Still wondering what does a financial copywriter do? Find out at Copify

If your company is in the financial services industry and you want to improve your content, working with a financial copywriter at Copify is the answer. They will be able to take the reins and produce your content for you so you can focus on your business and doing what you do best.

Leave the writing to the professionals – you wouldn’t have your IT specialist come in and give financial advice to clients, so why have anyone but a writer produce your written content?

7 attributes of great financial copywriters

Financial copywriters are a specialist breed and you need to make sure you are hiring the right one.

Some of the attributes you’ll be looking for from your financial copywriter are obvious, some not so and may surprise you.

But all of the things in this post are important to consider if you are about to trust your brand to a writer.

Copywriting experience

Well it goes without saying right?

But really, if you are looking for a copywriter then hire a copywriter, don’t think that someone from the office can do it because ‘it’s only a few words’.

Copywriting takes skill and is harder than it looks.

You might want to find someone who understands SEO or who has experience writing for an insurance company or someone who is really good at making techincal subjects accessible.

But whatever you want you’ll need a copywriter

Financial experience

This is always helpful.

OK so some financial copywriters are amazing even though they have never worked in financial services but not many.

Frankly if you want someone to write about your accountancy software or your B2C loans or your whizzy new fintech app then it’s going to be a lot easier if the person understands a chart of accounts and APR calculations.

It saves you a lot of time explaining things too!

Something to add

What’s the difference between a good financial copywriter and a great one?

No it’s not a joke.

Genuinely, the difference is that a great financial copywriter will add something to your business.

They’ll come with ideas, tips and tricks to make your copy stand out.

They’ll have something to add to the conversation and it might even be totally unrelated to the copy they are writing.

Good standard of English

You might think that this is a given in the copywriting industry but you’d be wrong.

I’m always amazed when I see work from other writers that just doesn’t make sense.

Or has speeling errors (just my little joke).

Or has clearly been written by AI.

If that spelling error is annoying you then think what it will do to your clients.

Attention to detail

This isn’t just the details that go along with copywriting; it’s the detail that goes along with the gig.

Answering emails

Asking questions is they don;t understand

Making sure their copy is accurate

Delivering on time.

This is one thing that gets my goat. You have a deadline and I’d expect to deliver my copy by then if not before.

Some copywriters just don’t bother.

They get you

This is one of those ‘soft’ things that can’t be quantified but it is absolutely imperative.

They have to get you.

They have to get your company.

They have to understand your tone of voice.

If there’s a mismatch then it’s likely that the copy they provide, whilst great, doesn’t quite do what you want it to.

A great financial copywriter will understand what you are about and how to add real value to your team.

You like them

People laugh when I say this but one of the reasons that I went freelance is that I wanted the freedom to work with people I like.

And you should like your copywriter too.

Life is too short for tetchy meetings and awkward email exchanges.

It’s Friday PM and you want to talk about your campaign but you don’t mind having a little bit of a laugh too.

You have to like the people you are working with, otherwise the time passes very slowly indeed.

Financial copywriters are a different breed

We work differently and we think differently but we’re not that odd!

Someone who has worked in finance for any length of time will understand that there are some things you can say and some you can’t.

They’ll be as invested in the work as you are.

And they’ll add to the project by bringing their knowledge and experience to bear.

If you’d like to have a chat and find out how I can help your business then click the button and let’s talk.

IT’S TIME TO SEE A RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT.

The truth is, you work hard. You spend your days hustling and grinding, helping people reach their goals. Savings goals. Investing goals. Retirement goals. All types of goals.

It’s time someone helps you reach your goals.

YOU’RE A: 

Personal finance website

Money expert 

Personal finance influencer

Bank or credit union

Financial services company

Your goal is to expand your business and help your target audience reach the financial freedom they crave. To have a reputation so strong people run straight to you any time they need financial advice… because they know you’ll help them make the best decisions.

Your goal is to be seen as an expert in the personal finance industry so you can choose which partnerships and career opportunities to pursue. To see your business explode so much you’re forced to hire an entire staff to meet demand. (*clears throat* because you’re that popular.)

Your goal is to spend less time at work and more time doing the things you love. But you know that only comes once your business is running like a well-oiled machine.

YOU’RE LOOKING TO: 

Expand your brand and become an industry leader in the personal finance space

Drive high-volume traffic to your website because visitors can’t get enough of what you’re saying

Add long-lasting value to your business that keeps clients coming back time and time again

But your plate is already so full. 

You don’t have the time or expertise to put together a marketing strategy that propels your business forward. You need help executing your vision.

You need an experienced personal finance copywriter who “gets” your ideal target audience. Someone who can reach into their minds and compel them to action. 

That’s where I come in.

Hi, I’m Cassidy, an expert personal finance copywriter.

I make really complex financial topics easy to understand so your audience feels at ease coming to work with you.

I demystify the overwhelming process of finding quality financial services so your audience can immediately see the value you offer.

WHEN YOU WORK WITH ME YOU GET:

Articles backed by solid research in the industry

Search Engine Optimization so it’s easy for customers to find you online

Photography that’s royalty-free

Content written in a tone that engages readers and turns them into customers

Ideas for new content based on your target audience

Formatting so you don’t miss out on readers who skim

Editing so your work is error-free and ready to go

 

3 Tips to Make Financial Copywriting Less Boring

 

 

Buckle your seatbelt. Hold onto your chair. Ready for a wild ride?

Whether you work in the world of finance or not, chances are you’re not expecting that the above applies to stochastic modeling, credit default swaps, or dividend recapitalization. With great respect for our clients in finance, these topics aren’t the pinnacle of absorption.

Accountants, banking execs, investment advisors, wealth managers, and financial service providers are all great at what they do. But turning that into effective writing that persuades, engages, and delights? Not so much.

Here are three simple tips to take your financial copywriting from snooze-inducing to heart-racing.

1. Don’t Get Too Technical

It’s easy to get caught up in the finer details of your craft—don’t.

Yes, clients want to know that you know your stuff, but what they really care about is the end result. Consider how an outsider would understand your work; state it plainly and tell them why it matters. Focus more on the benefits to your clients, less on the mechanics of your process.

2. Tie It Back to Human Values

Boiled down to the bare essentials, chances are good that your ultimate selling proposition is that you help clients save money or make money.

Generate revenue, increase profits, improve the bottom line… yes, yes, yes, but that all falls flat. Clients have heard it time and time again. To create captivating copy, tie it back to what really matters.

Money isn’t just money—it’s freedom, power, peace of mind, more time with the kids, that vacation you’ve been daydreaming about for years. Translate financial gain into an emotional impact.

3. Be a Partner

You’re not a robot; your company isn’t a machine. You’re living, breathing human beings, working together to help people achieve their heartfelt hopes and dreams.

Your clients crave more than your services—they want a relationship, a trusted partner who they can connect with, someone who’s got their back and is guiding them forward.

Finally, if you need a hand humanizing your financial content, we’re happy to help. It’d be our pleasure.

 

50 Attributes of a Great Copywriter

 

 

Suppose you’re in the market to hire a great copywriter. Suppose you’re in the market to become a great copywriter.  What are the attributes of success? After spending many decades writing, editing and hiring/managing writers, here are 50 attributes of a great copywriter that stand out to me.

What can you add to the list?

1. Curiosity. Writers are like six–year-olds; they always want to know why. Curiosity is the gateway to clarity. As Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.“

2. Clarity. The difference between a writer and someone who writes is that the former enlightens the reader while the latter confuses the reader.

3. Passion. Further down, I’m putting words like “boring” and “trivial” in quotations because to great copywriters, nothing is boring or trivial if that’s what they’re writing about.

4. Vocabulary. More than just knowing a lot of words, writers must know the nuances of meaning that distinguish, say, notorious from famous.

5. Precision … The devil is in the details of grammar, punctuation and style. From sloppy copywriting, readers infer a sloppy author (i.e., your company).

6. … Without perfectionism. If a writer never says, “Done!” nothing ever gets published.

7.  Diligence. Professionals are expected to work efficiently and meet deadlines. This applies to copywriters and other creative talent.

8.  Ability to multitask. How nice it would be if copywriters could handle one assignment at a time. Unfortunately, in the real world they have to juggle jobs just like everyone else.

9. Focus. To multitask effectively, copywriters need the ability to stay in the moment, focusing entirely on the job at hand. Distractibility diminishes quality.

10. Self-motivation. The manager who motivates a writer to write by screaming, “WRITE!” has yet to be born.

11. Self-editing. Arrogance undermines quality. Great copywriters know when their own ideas stink and treat them accordingly.

12. Versatility of form. Business writing is so much more than articles and web pages; I once described 18 types of odd copywriting jobs. The more of these assignments a writer can handle, the more valuable he or she is to any business or agency or client.

13. Versatility of voice. Some writers master the conversational style; others master the technical or formal (boardroom) style. Those who can move gracefully from one style to another are rare treasures indeed.

14. Versatility of purpose. Some writers are uncomfortable with the concept of a hard sales pitch; other writers are uncomfortable with “boring” assignments. Great writers are uncomfortable with not writing.

15. Consistency of quality. Great copywriters consistently turn in work of high quality, rather than just being great when they feel like it or by chance.

16. Is quick on the uptake. Because of deadlines, copywriters often have to learn on the job and on their own – and quickly.

17. Knows when to stop learning. Being quick on the uptake also means knowing when you know enough to get the job done. Writers who feel the need to know everything before hitting the keyboard never get started.

18. Knows when to ask for help. A writer has two choices: struggle endlessly with a vexing problem or get help from a subject matter expert. The latter option improves speed and accuracy.

19. Knows whom to ask for help. A writer is only as good as the brain trust that surrounds him or her. Choose collaborators wisely. There may be no such thing as a foolish question, but without a doubt, there is such a thing as a foolish answer.

20. Handles criticism professionally. Clients, internal personnel and editors always criticize draft copy. If these people feel they must walk on eggshells when dealing with the writer about edits, morale and productivity suffer mightily.

21. Defends the work. Great writers not only accept and even welcome constructive criticism, they also turn the tables and make a persuasive case for their work. Clients, managers and editors are not always right; an overly compliant writer contributes to mediocre content.

22. Has perspective. On the other hand, great writers don’t make mountains out of molehills. Writers who continually get hung up on small matters of style or approach infuriate coworkers and bosses. 

23. Knows the rules. When it comes to punctuation, grammar and style, writers can’t make it up as they go along. Because both correctness and consistency are important, good writers are familiar with the rules (e.g., AP style) that govern their type of writing.

24. Knows when to violate the rules. Selectively breaking rules is a sophisticated technique for capturing attention. Apple’s “Think Different” campaign succeeded in part by departing from the boring and pedestrian phrase, think differently. 

25. Uses plain English. Knowing a lot of words is good, but using obscure words is bad. As Stephen King said, “Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word.” This is as true for fiction as it is for business copy.

26. Is a master of brevity. Any writer can spew out 1,000 words on a given topic. A great writer condenses the topic down to 300 powerful ones.

27. Knows how to go long. Brevity in business writing, while generally advantageous, is not always so. Certain types of content, such as landing pages for complex products, demand long copy. Again, any writer can spew out 1,000 words of drivel, but it’s the great writer who can compose 1,000 words of irresistible persuasion.

28. Understands the business world. Writers write well about what they know. Thus, a first-rate copywriter understands the business process, customer behavior and basic business concepts such as features and benefits.

29. Anticipates reader questions and concerns. Because great writers understand the business world, they are able to identify probable reactions from the target audience – and address them in the copy. In addition, this knowledge enables them to discard messaging points that are not pertinent. An ounce of anticipation is worth a pound of verbosity.

30. Recognizes gaps and weaknesses in the information or ideas being presented. Business savvy enables great writers to spot flaws in the case they are being tasked to make; their input can be enormously valuable to a firm’s sales and marketing leadership.

31. Plays nice with designers. Business copy is more than just cranked out text. It is an important component of a brochure, web page, slide presentation or some other form heavily influenced by design. Writers and designers must be flexible and patient when working together to hammer out the finished product.

32. Knows SEO. Copywriters need not be SEO experts, but they do need to know the basics of keywords, anchor text structure and a few other details. SEO comes into play in such things as text, headlines, subheads, Meta titles and Meta descriptions.

33. Muscles through writer’s block. Writing when inspiration is lacking is agonizing – in fact, it’s every writer’s nightmare. Great business writers have the ability to crank it out even when ideas are harder to come by than five-sided snowflakes.

34. Tells stories. Today’s content strategies have circled back to perhaps the oldest technique of all, storytelling. The ability to spin yarns is essential for case studies, landing pages, slide presentations, videos and a multitude of other forms.

35. Is observant. Writing without seeing the details is like playing solitaire with a 49-card deck. You can’t win.

36. Listens. Most great writers I know are better at listening than talking – maybe because writers are often introverts by nature. Listening is crucial to many aspects of business, including content creation, because it is the surest way to understand the needs of a company’s leadership and its customers.

37. Takes notes. Relying on memory alone, a writer forgets or misremembers most of what he or shehears and observes.

38. Thinks logically. Most business writing is aimed at influencing action – influencing prospects to buy, customers to stay, investors to invest, etc. Since business decisions are made in part based on compelling arguments, copywriters must be able to lay them out.

39. Writes with emotion. Because business decisions are also based on feelings, writers must be able to provoke an emotional response in many of their assignments. Warm prospects freeze when exposed to cold writing.

40. Reads enthusiastically. Great writers are great readers. Reading is to writers what exercise is to athletes.

41. Reads widely. Versatile and authoritative writers read all sorts of things – newspapers, novels, history, comics, or even washing instruction labels if nothing else is available.

42. Reads deeply. Great writers enjoy mastering a subject. The combination of depth and breadth of reading facilitates the versatility in form and style mentioned above.

43. Isn’t a desk jockey. Great copywriters aren’t just about reading and writing. Instead, they go out into the real world and talk to employees, customers and even competitors. Without this, they lose their feel – or never acquire it.

44. Borrows well. Creative copywriting is often an exercise in recognizing effective content and adapting it to the job at hand. Great writers are discriminating judges of talent.

45. Borrows professionally. Crediting a source in the form of a mention, a link and/or a formal citation is a necessary element of credible and creditable writing.

46. Has a mentor. Exceptional writers almost always speak highly of a teacher, an editor or a writer who inspired and taught them.

47. Is not blunt. Many writers tell it too much like it is. Great writers control this tendency.

48. Is not temperamental. Many writers have mood swings; perhaps this goes with the creative territory. Great copywriters manage this tendency to prevent it from interfering with their work.  

49. Is imaginative. Although in some business situations, imagination may be seen as a negative, employers should not come down too hard on copywriters who appear to be daydreaming or throw out lots of ideas.

50. Possesses a sense of humor. Sylvia Plath and Edgar Allan Poe were brilliant writers, but neither would be particularly effective or happy writing an infomercial script for miracle meat slicers. A lighthearted spirit helps writers plow through “boring” and “trivial” assignments, connect with readers and work well collaboratively.

 

his is an exciting opportunity to work for a sector-leading agency. If you’re a talented writer, and you've got experience in writing about personal finance or have an interest in the subject, we want to hear from you.

On any given day, you’ll be:

Crafting beautifully written and engaging pieces of content (both short and long)

Understanding complex financial subjects and explaining them clearly and simply

Selecting relevant issues to write about through research and awareness of topical financial matters

Managing a newsletter schedule so you deliver work on time
Following style guides to ensure that content matches a client’s professional tone of voice

Editing and proofing content to ensure everything is consistently great

Helping us become the ‘go-to’ financial services marketing agency by exceeding expectations and embracing innovation

We don’t want you to create boring, mediocre content that no one will read. We also don’t expect you to make loads of cups of tea (at least no more than you will drink yourself). We’re looking for someone with an enthusiastic attitude and a passion for personal finance. You’ll also be expected to deliver projects on time, and to the highest quality. We want someone who isn’t afraid of being held to high standards.

As Steve Jobs said: “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

Now you know how we got our name!

If you’re the person we’re looking for, we need you to be able to demonstrate:

Proficiency in writing engaging content (please include examples of your work with your application. If this isn’t included, we won’t be able to consider your application, and you don’t want that)

A keen eye for detail and consistency

A good grasp of all things personal finance (or at least a willingness to learn)

That you can offer and accept constructive feedback to constantly improve the quality of your work.

If you already have personal finance experience and know an ISA from a pension or a SIPP from a SSAS, we definitely want to hear from you.

However, we also want to hear from experienced copywriters who might have a passion for personal finance, if not the experience.