Working in marketing means you already know your audience is skeptical long before they read the first sentence of what you’re offering. They’re naturally cautious and tune out the sound of messaging that sounds even remotely cold or corporate.
And yet, most financial brands keep using stiff language or the kind of templated messaging that reads like it was assembled by a boardroom rather than something written for real people.
Trust is the real currency of financial brands, but earning it? That means using a communication style that’s authentically human.
Use Simple Language That Doesn’t Speak Down to Your Audience
Financial brands love to sound like the smartest person in the room, but dense language does more harm than good. Taking a complex idea, like loan terms or investment structures, and explaining them in a way that people understand on the first try is what sets the most trusted financial brands apart.
Every time your audience has to re-read a sentence or Google what was meant, a little of their trust gets lost. By using clear messaging, financial brands seem less intimidating, and it shows respect to customers.
Don’t let your financial brand’s messaging feel disconnected. My Social Media for Small Business Owners course will help you find a clearer way of speaking to your audience.
Your Tone Should Match Real Human Conversations
If your audience wouldn’t naturally say something out loud, they won’t connect with it when reading it online. Financial marketers run the risk of falling into robotic patterns because they’re trying too hard to avoid personality, but that’s exactly what makes a message forgettable.
So what does human-sounding financial marketing content sound like? It recognizes the connection between everyday emotion and financial decisions and uses everyday language to emphasize that fact. The most important part is that it speaks to people and not customers.
For example, be conversational.
Generic: "Diversify your portfolio to minimize risk."
Human: "Putting all your money in one place is stressful. Spreading it out gives you more breathing room."
And remember to speak to people, not 'customers'.
Generic: "Our advisors are ready to assist clients 24/7."
Human: "Money questions don't follow office hours. When something's stressing you out, you deserve someone who'll be there to talk it through."
Respect for their time and needs goes a long way in making people feel seen and safe.
Empathy is the Greatest Competitive Advantage in Financial Marketing
All today’s consumers really want is to feel as though the brands guiding them also understand them.
Major financial decisions are usually attached to intense emotions as well. The ability to channel that in a way that makes a financial brand feel like an empathetic mentor is the best tool to tie lived experiences with product features.
Why This Works
Trust starts the moment a customer encounters your brand. That very first impression defines everything that comes after, and for financial brands, messaging that builds confidence by feeling human is the key to winning customers’ hearts and minds.
At That RANDOM Agency, we combine data and empathy to create a human-centered strategy that helps financial marketers communicate with confidence.
Take the next step in strengthening your messaging with my Social Media for Small Business Owners course. Build trust and spend it the way smart financial brands do.