Planning Financial Content in a Recession

Planning financial content in a recession: The art of the refresh

By Ken Williams

November 20, 2022
102022_Refresh_Hed
5 steps to prioritize, identify and update existing content efficiently and effectively

Headlines remain concerning when it comes to 2023 economic forecasts. Not all economists agree, but it could be time to plan our businesses conservatively, meaning that a “soft landing” could be wishful thinking. Individual savers and investors are seeing these reports of a possible recession — what does that mean for our content planning to those audiences?recession newspaper headlines

Whether individuals want to help secure their retirement savings or are looking for opportunities to invest in a down market, content is as important as ever. But an economic slowdown might hit our marketing budgets as well — and that’s when strategic repurposing of existing content can be a lifesaver.

We’ve compiled five steps (and tips for each) to stretch content that’s already out there by prioritizing segments, reevaluating needs, identifying the right existing content, and repurposing that content quickly and efficiently. 

1. Prioritize the segments most important to your business.

Specificity is king when resources are tight. The last thing we want to do is cast a broad net in a sea of broad nets. Take a close look at the segments that are most important to your business and further segment them if possible. The more specific your message is to them, the more likely it is to resonate in the onslaught of recession content they are surely experiencing.

For example, perhaps Gen Z investors with $200,000 to $500,000 in investable assets is your bread-and-butter segment. Targeting them will make the subsequent steps that much easier, and the resulting content that much better.

2. Reevaluate the segments’ needs in light of economic forecasts.

Now that you have a specific audience in mind, do some quick persona work. How are their needs likely to change over the next 12 months? Have their buying journeys changed? What are they specifically concerned about? What are they not concerned about?

Using our example, a married Gen Z homeowner with $200,000 in her brokerage account and one young child might be most worried about potential layoffs. So, focusing on content around things like emergency funds, short-term bonds and mortgage forbearance might make the most sense.

3. Look for existing content that meets those needs and fills a competitive gap.

Take stock of content published within the last year and note any that specifically address the topics you identified above, then note those that address related topics. From there, see if there is overlap with gaps in your competition’s coverage. Audits are labor-intensive but “scans” are an easier lift and can be invaluable. Add any findings from your competitive scan to your list.

4. Sort content by quick-and-dirty and strategic.

Any content published in the last 12 months should already include references to inflation, rising rates, and/or a potential economic slowdown. So, there shouldn’t be a ton of work to do there. But because some content will require more work to refresh than others, sort your list into two groups: 30/70 and 70/30.

For content that’s 70% good-to-go, update any data points and references. Then re-top the copy to provide up-to-date context and framing — and republish and promote.

For content that’s less than 70% OK as-is, prioritize the pieces and then assign to writers with briefs that clearly outline the intended audience, their needs, and the goal of the piece. The brief will help the editor clearly and quickly evaluate the refurbished content when it comes back.

5. Dedicate resources to SEO.

There’s nothing like economic uncertainty to get people searching about I bonds, Social Security withdrawal strategies, price-to-book ratios, bond ETFs and more. This is a prime opportunity to snag some extra organic search traffic. Once you’ve completed step #4, run an SEO audit of your site to see where the “quick wins” are (we can help) and where a cluster of pages — or a pillar page and a cluster — could drive traffic to your site. Make sure to include strategic CTAs on those pages to lead your audience down the funnel.

It’s a big lift — don’t feel like you need to do it alone.

While the steps may be straightforward, this process can feel like a ton of work. We’re here to help! If you work in financial services and are looking for ways to stretch your existing content in 2023, please reach out so we can schedule a time to jump on the phone.

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