Six ways to rate a content creator? (Part 2)

The key numbers are shown in this chart, and the green boxes describe my two broad types of service.

1. Where I work with you to create ‘Custom Made’ content.
2. Where I supply licensed ‘Content to Go’.

If you’d like to see the assumptions behind this chart, email me at hello@paulclaireaux.com with the subject title, ‘Chart Assumptions’

And I’ll send those to you by return; they’re perfectly sensible.

Now, let’s get back to those six test questions for your content suppliers.

As I covered the ABC tests in the first Insight, the next test must begin with the letter ‘D’

‘D’ asks – does the content have any real Depth

The market for consumer-facing financial education content is a mixed bag.

Some content providers tend to offer relatively short posts, which can only skim the surface of complex financial planning or human behavioural topics.

You and I know that you cannot begin to explain the issues around Estate and Inheritance Tax Planning, for example, in 1,000 words!

A comprehensive book on this topic can span 100,000 words.

I’ve covered the key points in a graphical guide in c. 10,000 words, which I’ll rewrite and repurpose into a series of shorter lessons and offer as licensable content once I know there’s an appetite for it from my clients or licensed content users.

Please email hello@paulclaireaux.com with the subject title ‘IHT Planning Guide’ if this interests you.

Of course, short posts might briefly grab the attention of some people on Social Media. And, if you have plenty of adviser friends who follow you on ‘The Socials’, you might enjoy some good-looking ‘impression’ and ‘engagement’ metrics.

But short posts with no links or calls-to-action rarely deliver much website traffic, let alone valuable leads from potential clients, for financial advisers.

One leading financial planner told me how he’d posted 600 times over two years on LinkedIn – without gaining a single client enquiry!

He was pleased with the interaction from fellow planners and others, like me, and I agree there is value in sharing our ideas with (and having them challenged by) fellow professionals.

However, in terms of potential client engagement, those 600 posts yielded no results, and I suspect that’s the same for many.

To genuinely engage potential clients, therefore, you need something very different.

The evidence suggests that high-quality, in-depth, relevant, and plain English content works best.

Does this sound like a lot of content creation work?

Well, yes, if you choose to create it all yourself, but why shoulder all that intense work alone when others can help at a fraction of the cost?

Either way, the good news is that when you have the deep-dive content you want on your website, you can draw most of your short posts from that.

So, you’ll save all the time you spend now creating those daily short posts for the ‘Socials’.

And now you’ll offer more value because your short posts will invite your audiences into your deeper dive thought pieces.

Frequent short posts, on their own, tend to offer little marketing value.

There are exceptions, of course, such as the high-quality 30 to 90-second Insight videos from Dr Julie Smith, the Psychologist.

But that is a different content strategy, and Julie has also published two brilliant books. She’s also a regular guest on various podcasts, which last 50 to 80 minutes.

So, behind those short posts is a lot of in-depth content, as you’d expect from a Dr of Psychology.

The general point is that to engage and persuade consumers to consider financial planning or advice, your content must tick the EEAT boxes.

It must demonstrate Expertise, Experience, Authority and Trustworthiness.

Short posts can’t do that.

They can, however, nudge your audience to visit your website for more valuable, in-depth lessons.

Or, rather, they can if you aim those outreach posts to the right people on the Socials!

If this interests you, read more about EEAT and YMYL factors here.

In terms of marketing basics, this is the classic two-stage approach.

We ask those who don’t know us to give us a small amount of their time.

So, that’s the short outreach post – and if it’s engaging, a good percentage of those will head to our website for the whole story.

Here’s the idea in a picture.

Offering deep dive content shows your commitment to helping people make progress on their financial life journey:

A number of readers (or video consumers) who are considering a financial planning challenge will want to learn more about their options.

And one of their first questions is this:

Should I pay for advice? And, if so, what’s a fair price?

Click on that link and let me know what you think of that consumer-facing Insight.

(FYI, I have two versions of that. One with and one without the excessive fees charts)

One of my clients shares a link to that Insight (on their website, not mine) with any prospective client who asks a lot of questions about advice fees.

So, that’s just one example of an Insight that helps potential clients overcome their advice-avoiding issues.

One significant action blocker identified by psychologist Albert Bandura is that we tend not to engage in complex and risky challenges about which we know little.

That’s also one of the ten reasons people don’t talk about money. Click here for another nine! 

Now, I know this sounds obvious but…

Keeping people in the dark about Financial Planning is a really bad idea.

Yet this is what we’ve collectively done as a sector for decades.

The evidence is here.

The question is, how could we genuinely change this picture?

Deep dive content generates more reach and leads

I’m not sure why some content suppliers (and other ‘business service’ providers) push the idea that content marketing is all about sending frequent short posts.

Actually, that’s a lie – and I do know why.

They don’t offer great deep-dive content!

And they’re wrong about short form, so let’s dive deeper into this?

This bar chart is from the annual survey of blogging statistics, run by the respected marketing firm, Orbit Media for 11 years. 

Then we have the leading US marketer, Neil Patel, who has described how he consistently publishes Insights of between 3,000 and 4,000 words.

Yes, like the one you’re reading now!

And he says this strategy has driven his website to over 100,000 visitors per month.

Patel also cites these other leading firms for evidence on the value of long-form content – here are three examples:

WordStream (the leading Online advertising software and services provider) said that after switching to long-form content, they tripled their on-page time from 1.5 to 4.5 minutes. And their most popular article (c. 2,500 words) became a top traffic driver.

CoSchedule (a leading provider of tools & training for marketers) say their top 10 performing blog posts have an average word count of 4,000 words.

BuzzSumo (who provide a leading content marketing tool for creators) also found that, on average, in-depth articles (3,000–10,000 words) receive 6,000 shares – which is three times the share rate from content of under 1,000 words.

Here’s their research paper with Moz on what drives shares of and links to content.

It’s well worth a look – and includes this quote – and the table:

What is surprising, given the consistent findings that long-form content performs better in terms of shares and links, is that over 85% of content continues to be less than 1,000 words.

Tell me -what was your view about deep-dive content before you read this post?

And what’s your view now?

What type of content do you, your family and friends, and your clients consume?

Do you read (or listen to) many books and long-form guides?

Do you watch informative documentaries, like this one on the dangers of Social Media?

That’s just the (short form/attention grabber) trailer.

The fascinating full documentary is 94 minutes long!

And if you’ve bought into the idea that these Social Media Giants are unstoppable, you really should watch that documentary.

Trouble is coming for them – and rightly so.

On a more cheerful topic…

Start-up (or growth-seeking) advisers who want business development and ‘advice effectiveness’ ideas might want to tune into this series of hour-long videos from Financial Planner Life.

And perhaps you like to learn from podcasts?

How long do they last?

Are they genuinely valuable?

Some are better than others, and some are just mates chatting in an echo chamber.

Do we learn that there are ‘New Things Under the Sun’ in places like that?

Anyway, at the top of the educational spectrum, we have TED talks.

And these are 18 minutes long for a reason.

That’s long enough to unpack a reasonably complex idea while being short enough to hold people’s attention.

Research suggests we can experience a “cognitive backlog” if we’re given too much information.

So, we may struggle to stay attentive for more than 20 minutes.

That said, our limit varies enormously with how compelling the content is, right? 

So, that’s back to our third test in our A to F list of Six.

Is the content truly compelling?

The same applies to books, films and music. 

Content creators have to work hard to capture and hold people’s attention.  

Still with me?

What’s interesting is that, at a gentle pace (suitable for learners), an 18-minute talk requires a script of 2,000 to 3,000 words.

And what a coincidence – that’s similar to the optimal length of a blog!

Deep-dive content makes better lead magnets, too

Finally, on this section about the value of deep-dive content…

Remember that deep-dive content is more likely to prompt people to join your newsletter.

See what I did there?

Have you signed up?

Long-form content is perfect for lead magnets, where you offer a guide, for example, in exchange for the enquirer’s email address.

Lead magnets are one of the most powerful marketing tools.

People don’t readily share their e-mail address with strangers, least of all businesses.

So, when they do, it’s a strong sign of interest in the guide you offer, and it shows some trust has been built with YOU.

The truth is that, in all professional services, potential clients engage more with helpful (educational) suppliers than those sharing no ideas at all.

People who download your guide want the advice it contains, so they’re more likely to accept a contact call from you.

The question is:

Do you go deep enough,

on a wide enough range of topics, to

interest enough people in your services?

And that’s the next test.

‘E’ asks: Can this supplier help you *expand* your conversations?

As a professional adviser, you need a content creator or supplier with expertise and experience across a wide range of topics.

Their content needs to help you (or your team) have more expansive (and fascinating) client conversations.

Of course, suppliers vary in the breadth of the content (as well as the depth of each piece) they offer.

I’d have used ‘breadth’ instead of ‘expansive’, but the latter fits better in this A to F series of tests 😉

Some suppliers cover (or plan to cover) a wide range of topics.

Others tend to plough a narrower content furrow.

Consider questions around Money Psychology, for example.

Is your content supplier (or one you’re considering) capable of supplying genuinely sound content in this area?

What Insights do they offer now, and what more do they have planned for the future?

If you’d like to know my plans in this area, let’s meet online and talk.

Are you checking that their posts on this most complex and sensitive of topics are grounded in solid psychological science?

Would you like me to check this for you?

This is not a trivial matter.

Sadly, we have a few self-appointed psychologists in our sector, sharing misleading ideas on matters of the mind.

Yes, we know this topic fascinates people more than pensions and stock market charts.

But we all need to take great care in this area. So, I’d urge you to work with a content creator who follows leading practitioners and researchers, like these.

We must move on from the unproven (‘fire walking’) macho motivational ideas of the 1980s.

So, I’d urge you to use a content supplier whose Money Psychology Insights are reviewed by an acclaimed Psychologist.

Mine are.

If this topic interests you, let’s explore it in conversation

I’ll be happy to outline what content I currently offer and my plans to expand this part of my licensable library.

What content categories does your supplier plan to cover

Of course, you’ll want more than Money Psychology Insights in your library.

And my content creation plans include consumer-facing Insights across fourteen different subject areas. 

Money Psychology is just one, and that’s big on its own.

Again, if you’d like to learn about (and have input on) my broader content plans, let’s meet online and discuss them.

I’m told that some content suppliers tend to focus (perhaps too much) on a single topic, like the wonders of stock market investing.

Now, I agree that everyone should understand these concepts, which is why I offer these two lessons on them:

1. ‘How much investment risk is right for you?’
2. ‘Who’d be happy with a stock market crash?’ 

That second one is Pound/Dollar Cost Averaging and Ravaging Explained – in plain English.

I’m told by leading financial planners that these Insights cover all the basic concepts of investing for most (non-expert) consumers.

Elsewhere, I also explain how to choose a good box for your money before you invest it.

I’m not keen, however, to keep repeating these fundamental lessons.

They should be taught once and well – to form a knowledge foundation, so we can come back to them, time and again as we learn about other aspects of finance.

Make sense?

So, I’ll *expand* the range of content I offer for you, for two reasons:

1. To enable you to offer more interesting training sessions for your team.
2. To support more engaging conversations with your prospects – and your clients and professional connections.

We both know that Financial planning is about much more than investing.

We just need more prospective clients to understand this.

Fair?

‘F’ stands for the ‘Fees’ you pay for content

Assuming the fees are fair for the services provided, this should be the last factor to consider.

That’s why it’s the last of these A to F tests!

The absolute level of fees for creating or licensing content still matters, and may be a critical issue if you run a small and growing business.

And that’s why I’ve set my fees to compete strongly with all good content providers.

For custom-made content (options 2 and 3 in this chart), I charge around one half (or less) than an average financial adviser earns per hour (Source: VouchedFor)

For licensed content, I’ve set my prices to save you between 95% and 98% of the cost of creating your content in-house.

My best value option (the ‘All Insights Pass’), which will launch this summer, will cost just £80 per month* for early adopters.

And those who subscribe at that price will incur no price increases before January 2031—and no (real-term) price increases after that.

I hope you’ll agree that £80 per month is an extraordinarily low fee to access a whole library of high-quality educational content for use in your business.

Can you use more than one content creator?

Of course you can.

Indeed, you could use my NEW All Insights Pass to try out my content alongside the content you create in house – or use from other suppliers.

You can then gauge the feedback you receive on my content from your clients, prospects and professional connections.

If you’re familiar with my content, you’ll know it’s engaging for consumers.

So, I’d urge you to take advantage of my launch offer for this new service.

It won’t be repeated.

* £80 per month equates to 24 minutes of fee-earning time for an average adviser, or 5 minutes for each adviser in a firm employing five.

This is nothing compared to the dozens of hours it takes to craft high-quality, engaging content for consumers.

Does my content pass those six tests?

Well, that’s not for me to say 😉

What do you think?

Have you read any of the Consumer-Facing Insights I’ve linked throughout this piece?

Do they look Accurate? 

Balanced?

Compelling?

Do they pass the ‘Deep Dive’ test?

And could they help you (or your team) to have more ‘Expansive’ client conversations… on questions of Money Psychology and more?

What about my fees?

Do they seem fair?

And here’s an extra test question.

Do you get a sense that our goals are aligned?

Are you, like me, keen to:

• Help many more people make sound financial choices?
• Protect more people from scammers and other misleading agents?

Do you want to:

• Build a better reputation for your firm – or maintain the good one you’ve already built?
• Be seen as a ‘go-to’ provider of trustworthy and helpful answers to key money questions? 
• Offer Money Insights that will also engage the adult children of your wealthy clients?

What do others think about my work?

This is what matters most.

So, be sure to read my client testimonials

There you’ll find their views on the quality of my thinking, ideas and written works – for guides and video scripts.

And here’s what my clients have told me about how their clients respond to my work.

Based on 11,000 responses, Money Alive (a leading Fintech) says that 100% of adviser clients valued the video series (on Equity Release) that I wrote for them.

The ‘C’ suite team at Salary Finance (a business with purpose, award-winning Fintech) described the education program I wrote for them as ‘Outstanding’.

They also told me it helped them win TESCO and other FTSE 100 firms as clients for their services.

Yes, Salary Finance offer first-class services too.

But their message was that the educational program was, at times, the clincher in their negotiations to win these massive clients

E-mail me at hello@paulclaireaux.com if you’d like to see examples of the videos and guides I wrote for Salary Finance.

Finally, you might like to scan this ‘Financial Wellness’ series of five guides that I wrote for Fidelity Adviser Solutions.

This short series has been described as ‘brilliant’ by various Chartered Financial Planners.

Now, that’s quite enough about me.

Let’s get back to YOU!

Let’s face it – YOUR market is unique

The issue with some content writers is that they don’t fully understand you.

But, I’ve been working with advisers for (coughs) decades – and I know how YOUR market is different from most businesses.

First, we know that investing clients tend to avoid price discounts.

People tend to avoid investment shops when the sales are on – and vice versa.

Second, is the fact that most consumers don’t have a scooby doo clue about the valuable work you do.

The evidence, in the Google Search Trends, is here again.

You’ve seen the amusing cartoon Iceberg and other diagrams that seek to show the hidden areas of value in an advice service.

And I imagine those pictures help those consumers who see them, and have them explained.

However, they’re clearly not helping us close this financial planning awareness gap, so we need something else for that.

This awareness gap is a serious issue because it undermines trust in your sector.

And despite all the well-intentioned talks by leaders at industry conferences, I think we need to accept this truth.

We’re not moving the dial on awareness or trust.

The levels of both are on the floor.

And they’ve been stuck there for decades.

That’s why I focus on creating a different type of consumer-facing content.

Content designed to help ordinary (non-financial expert) people to understand the value of your services.

You need stepping stones to your services

Research (from LangCat and others) suggests that most advised clients recognise the value of financial planning after they’ve experienced the service.

We know it’s hard to explain that value beforehand.

The potential client is standing on that red dot.

They’re way too far from your services to see what’s happening and the work involved.

So, many only realise too late that they have a financial challenge that requires sound advice.

What do we need for these people?

Consumer-facing stepping stones to your services of coaching, planning and advice.

Surely we can all agree that we must help more people to consider and confront their financial challenges before it’s too late.

Prevention is infinitely more valuable than offering cures when it’s too late, right?

Here are four examples of these stepping stone works:

1. How to approach financial planning – in 7 awesome steps.
2. How to choose the right boxes for your money.
3. How to work out how much investment risk is right for YOU – on each of your life goals 
4. Should you pay for advice? And, if so, what’s a fair price?

FYI: That fourth Insight is perfectly aligned with advice from a leading marketing and sales expert.

Marcus Sheridan – author of ‘They Ask, You Answer’ – often urges us to focus on the first question people have when considering our services.

And in your market, that question is seldom about how you compare to another advice service. 

The first question in many people’s minds is this:

Do I need advice at all?

Or can I sort this all out by myself.

Those four Insights linked above are all designed to help people see the value of your sound advice.

But they can only work their magic if you offer them from your website.

Do YOU need help with your content?

Perhaps that first question in the mind of your potential clients is also your first question when considering your educational marketing?

You know you need great content to build or maintain trust with consumers, but:

Do you really need any help with this?

Or should you create everything yourself?

We have explored your cost options in the bar chart, which is repeated here for your convenience.

Essentially, you have five choices from my perspective. 

And potentially, I could help you with four of these.

So, if you’d ike to explore these further, book an online meeting directly into my diary here.

I’ll be happy to help you find a sound educational content solution for your business.

You may need a mix of all those options.

And perhaps you won’t need my help with content creation at all.

That’s fine – just give me a shout and let’s chat.

There’s currently no charge for that, but this will change later this year.

Either way, if I don’t think I’m the right supplier for you, I’ll let you know.

I don’t do hard sell!

Shall we stay in contact? 

You can sign up for my Educators Newsletter here to be kept up to date with my services.

Did you like the sound of my NEW ‘All Insights Pass’ for just £80 p.m?

If so, email me at hello@paulclaireaux.com with the message ‘All Insights Pass’ to register your interest.

That way, I can advise you as soon as that NEW service goes live – and please remember, the price for new subscribers, after the launch offer, will be 50% higher at some point in the future.

If you get in early, you’ll enjoy the low price with no increases before 2031 and none in real terms ever.

I really can’t do better than this.

So, if my content is right for you, grab a place for the low (and fixed) offer price while it’s available.

And thanks for dropping in.