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Why is copywriting for financial services different?

Freelance financial services copywriter

Financial copywriting is something that involves a very special set of skills and experience and it would be a mistake for companies to think that any copywriter is able to produce good quality content.

There are some specific aspects that you need to think about and in this article I am going to look at what I consider to be the most important pieces of this particular puzzle.

Tone of voice

The tone of voice used in the writing is really important. It gives the reader clues as to the values and attitude of your organisation.

This has changed significantly over the last few years. Two decades ago banks and building societies would use a very conservative tone of voice designed to engender a sense of professionalism, steadiness and respectability to the reader.

However in latter years the dividing line between professional services and other copy has blurred, especially with the advent of new fintech companies.

Newer, younger companies tend to still use a professional tone of voice, but this will be more informal and will be younger in outlook.

This sense of professionalism is important, because if you are looking after people’s money then they need to know that they can trust you.

Accuracy

If you are providing information for your customers then the last thing you want to do is to make simple mistakes.

Accurate writing is important as errors can cost people money and reduces confidence in your brand.

A good financial copywriter understands this and fact-checking comes as second nature.

This is perhaps the biggest difference between a general copywriter who may be writing lifestyle articles and general blog posts and the professional financial copywriter.

Experience

A great financial copywriter will have relevant experience and will be able to add in value from their own background.

Being able to weave in real-life examples to an article is especially valuable as it add depth and richness.

For example an article from a financial software company that is written by a qualified accountant who has actually run finance departments carried much more weight.

Gravitas

Many clients prefer to have their articles prepared on a ‘white label’ basis. This means that the writer completes the article but this is posted either using the name of an employee of the company or using just the company name as an author.

However, with financial copywriting the option is available to include the name and credentials of the writer.

An expert guest writer who has relevant and direct experience of the issues at hand adds gravitas when posting for their client companies.

Clarity of language

Financial subjects can often be steeped in jargon and three-letter acronyms.

A great financial copywriter will be able to take the key points and add the kind of clarity that your customers need to fully understand the subjects that they are reading about.

This use of language, transferring complex topics into easily understandable and engaging content is a key difference between and ordinary copywriter ans a specialist.

In summary

Expert financial copywriters are experienced in taking complex models and breaking them down into their basic building blocks, then producing a clear and understandable narrative for the layman.

They understand the need for accuracy and credibility and will bring a sense of gravitas to you company.

If you would like to talk to me about writing for your company then why not get in touch by clicking the button below?