Videos are a great way for financial firms to market themselves. Consider that, in 2021, online videos are expected to comprise at least 82% of internet content by the end of the year. There is clearly a huge movement in user preference towards video content, yet a minority of financial planners in the UK seem to be using them on their website and other platforms.
This potentially presents your financial firm with a unique opportunity to get ahead of the competition. By offering great video content to your clients and prospects, you can better serve their content expectations and elevate the profile of your brand. Publishing financial videos also present additional opportunities for brand exposure. YouTube, for instance, is the world’s 2nd most popular search engine. By simply publishing videos on their platform, therefore, you could dramatically increase your audience.
Yet what makes a good financial planning video? How do you publish regularly without compromising on quality or breaking the bank? Below, our content team at CreativeAdviser offers 5 key features of great financial planning videos which can help with this. We hope you find value in this content, and we invite you to get in touch if you’d like to find out more about our own selection of financial videos.
#1 A well-written script
Whether you are creating a financial video on “How to consolidate your pension pots” or “How to develop an investor mindset”, it will need a strong script to carry the message effectively. Writing a good script, however, is not as easy as it might sound. First of all, financial planners commonly assume that a video script needs to be quite long. However, you may be surprised at how long it takes to communicate a 300-word script. As such, a strong script will need to limit the amount of content it contains and focus on the main points. You cannot fill your video with dense copy, as you will quickly lose your audience.
Secondly, getting the jargon and tone of voice can be a challenge. After all, a financial planner will know what a final salary pension is – but many of your viewers may not. Therefore, how much of your script do you devote to educating your audience before leading onto your main point? Here, you may need to make sure of other assets in the video to help you (e.g. explanatory graphics above the copy displayed in the footer of each video “slide”). The balance you choose to strike here will partly depend on your target audience – e.g. their level of understanding before they watch your video – as well as your main goal for the video presentation. Is it to educate, to drive action (e.g. booking a consultation) or both?
#2 Attractive animations
A great script is a key pillar in your financial planning video. However, if the graphics, charts, illustrations and animations appear low-quality, inconsistent or poorly thought-out, this will lead many people to simply stop watching. Human beings like to devote their attention to attractive things. This is why it is so important not to cut corners with the design and layout of your video presentation. Here, a dedicated financial graphic designer or agency can help you create something more professional.
#3 Relevant topics
Suppose you want to create a financial video about special purpose vehicles (SPVs). This may be very interesting to particular types of investors (e.g. sophisticated investors) and/or business owners. Yet will it be interesting to John & Mary, a couple in their 60s approaching retirement, whose profile makes up the majority of your target audience as a financial planner? Of course, you may have lots of different target markets and buyer personas, yet given the amount of time and work that goes into creating a good financial video, you will need to prioritise topics that appeal to your wider base. Here, think carefully about the sorts of subjects your main audience(s) may be interested to hear about in your financial videos. You could even try asking some clients directly what they would like to see videos about. You can also look at prominent media outlets to see what’s trending and popular.
#4 Sound & background music
You may be interested to hear that many video consumers are willing to put up with a degree of sub-par visual presentation. However, if the sound is of poor quality or if the music is off-putting/irritating, then viewers usually reach a lot more harshly to this. Just take a look at YouTube for a demonstration of this to see what we mean. Many videos with millions of views are rough smartphone recordings or real life events. The video footage can sometimes be poor, but the sound is almost always pristine.
Makes sure your financial video comes with good background music that you have the rights to. You may not need a voice-over, but if you choose to include one make sure the sound is clear and engaging.
#5 Appropriate length
It can be tempting for a financial planner to want to create a long video. After all, there is a lot of subject matter to cover in this field – especially with regards to pensions and investments. However, bear in mind that most viewers will only be willing to give you a minute or two of their time before they start to lose concentration – no matter how good the video is. If you really want to go in-depth with a particular topic, therefore, consider covering it over a 3-part series of videos.
