Why non-money influencers may be best placed to promote financial services

This is a guest post from award-winning parenting blogger Jo Middleton, Slummy Single Mummy.

As a financial organisation, you want to get your brand in front of as many people as possible, so you go to the money influencers, right?

Yes. And also no.

While niche money blogs and social media accounts have a wealth of experience in writing about finances, there are lots of benefits to thinking more widely about the influencers you ask to talk about your product or service.

Not convinced? Here are just a few reasons why non-money influencers may be best placed to promote financial services.

They make financial information accessible

When your day-to-day is all ISAs and defined benefits, it can be hard to step outside of that and create financial content that’s genuinely accessible and engaging. Financial inclusion is hugely important though, and one way to make sure that you reach traditionally marginalised groups, such as women, people living with a disability or people living in poverty, is to speak to them directly, through influencers who actually represent them and their circumstances.

If you want to reach a particular community, find that person who they can connect with, who can talk about you in a simple and authentic way.

They often have untapped expertise

Don’t assume that just because an influencer chooses to talk about fashion, food or travel, that they don’t have any financial value to add. For example, I happen to have an economics degree and I trained as an actuary – you probably wouldn’t get that from my Slummy Single Mummy blog name.

Donna, who writes the parenting blog What The Redhead Said, is another great example. Her experience as a family blogger, combined with her financial background, means she can talk in a relatable way but with the back up of expert knowledge.

‘I’m a family lifestyle blogger,’ says Donna, ‘but I also used to be a bank manager. I know all the banking jargon, from ISAs and TESSAs to SVRs and early redemption charges. I know that typical people don’t understand all the terms, though – they like to know about a wide range of topics but they want to hear about it in a way that they can understand. As family bloggers, we’re friendly and approachable and our followers know that if they don’t understand something, they can ask and we’ll explain.’

They can share relatable, personal experiences

Financial products aren’t always the aspirational savings and investment type services – sometimes we need to talk about the difficult subjects like debt or tools for managing a low income. In these cases what readers often need is a relatable story, a connection with a ‘normal’ person who can say ‘this happened to me, this is what I found useful.’

Nyxie writes Nyxie’s Nook, a mental health and wellness blog, which includes content around personal finance, often aimed at people on low income or experiencing debt.

‘Whether or not we like it, money and finances are always in our lives,’ says Nyxie. ‘Some people shy away from the topic, but talking about money and debt normalises it and can make it feel more manageable. I write about money from my personal experience and that makes it more relatable at the same time as bringing a fresh perspective. I hope that people reading my blog can think “Okay, she’s been through this too, it’s not just me” and feel empowered to work through difficult financial situations with more confidence.’

They can give a financial product or service context

Let’s say you’re trying to sell a savings product. Yes, you may have a decent interest rate and some cool product features, but what’s really motivating that potential customer to save? What’s the context?

Thinking about the customer in a broader context can help you connect with the influencers who might reach them, whatever their niche. For example, a single woman in her 20s who is saving for a dream travel experience is much more likely to follow young travel influencers than a money blog. A couple saving for their first home are following the crafters, the DIY and the interiors influencers.

‘Financial content always gets a reaction,’ says John, a well-established parent blogger at Dad Blog UK, ‘because everyone has an interest in financial services. In the early years you’re buying nappies and buggies, in the tween years you’re maybe looking at getting your child their first phone, then at secondary school you have to buy laptops.’

Every purchase of a financial product or service has a context, and influencers can really help you tap into this.

While there is still value in working with money influencers, we hope this article has shown you that thinking outside the box and expanding your pool of partners could have a positive impact on your next influencer outreach campaign.

Ready to find relevant influencers for your next finance campaign? Find them on the Vuelio Media Database – book a demo here.