How to become a financial copywriter

Becoming a financial copywriter involves copywriting skills combined with a deep knowledge of the financial sector.

Understanding financial jargon, as well as the rules and compliance standards for the industry.

But how exactly do you break into financial copywriting? In this article, we’ll be giving you a breakdown of how to get into the space and what you might be able to expect.

How to get into financial copywriting

Financial copywriting is something that can take years of experience to get into and can be approached in many different ways.

There is no official copywriting ‘qualification’, so as long as you can produce high-quality, financially accurate copy, then you can become a financial copywriter.

There are two routes that most people take when becoming a financial copywriter – either coming from the freelance writing route, or directly from the financial services sector.

Here is an overview of both:

1. Freelance writing route

If you are coming at financial copywriting as an existing copywriter or a beginner, then the main thing you need to gain is financial knowledge.

The benefit of a financial copywriter is that they are a copywriter who doesn’t need to be trained on financial concepts – they can work with a client or company and understand straight away the products or services that are being offered.

This means that you will need to gain a firm understanding of the financial markets and financial services businesses. You will need to do a lot of research in your own time to become more savvy about financial products and to have a basic understanding of financial jargon before attempting to understand a client’s needs.

Furthermore, you may also want to do some research on marketing, just to understand some basic terms before you work with a client. Often, financial services companies will have marketing leads which you will work with, so understanding how these processes will also help you.

2. Financial sector route

If you are coming from the financial services industry, then your route will be slightly different. As you already have experience in the financial sector, you will likely know how finance and financial companies work. 

Developing strong writing skills is absolutely essential for becoming a copywriter, so practicing your writing skills is an important starting point.

Copywriting, which is essentially writing for marketing purposes, is a unique skill in itself, so get used to writing articles, emails and web content like landing pages.

Subscribing to newsletters or reading financial articles is a good place to learn how financial brands market themselves.

Types of financial copywriting

Copywriting is one of the most flexible careers on the planet, and what you could end up doing will entirely depend on the way you steer your work.

Within the financial sector (and any niche for that matter), there are multiple niches within the niche.

With finance, you could end up being a financial copywriter for:

• Fintech (financial technology)

• Wealth and investments

• Personal finance (budgeting and saving)

• Cryptocurrency

• Loans

• Banking (retail and business)

As the financial industry is constantly going through changes, any one of these industries has a huge demand for content, as they are all facing constant changes and developments. New parts of the world are opening up to financial technology each year, and as mobile phone uptake increases, so does financial education. This is where financial copywriters can benefit.

Fintech is a booming industry, and constantly needing new content.

Challenges of being a financial copywriter

Before you become a financial copywriter, there are a few things that you should be aware of before stepping into this career.

Compliance & ethics

Financial services are strictly regulated, and as a financial copywriter, you must ensure that the content you are producing is compliant with the country and sector in which you are publishing content. 

It is important to understand guidelines from regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)  in the UK and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US, or the equivalent bodies in other countries.

A good rule of thumb is to avoid giving any advice to action – no content should persuade the reader in any way to make a financial decision.

SEO challenges

If you are looking to write financial SEO content, then there are specific challenges when it comes to SEO.

As any content related to finance is considered to be YMYL content, then you must ensure that any content you write that is listed on Google is financially accurate, otherwise not only might you be in violation of regulations, but you will also be punished in the rankings.

Finding your first clients

To find clients, you will need to do a combination of things such as cold outreach, networking and pitching. If you have already worked in financial services, then a good place to start is your old company, or perhaps other contacts in the industry that you might know. As they already trust you and know you, you will be much more likely to land them as a client.

If you have no experience but still want to become a financial copywriter, then you can start bringing in

All work should be collated and presented in a portfolio to make yourself more attractive to prospective clients, and in future be ready for inbound leads.

Is financial copywriting high-paying?

Financial copywriting is one of the highest-paying forms of copywriting. Any sector which has a large amount of money is likely to pay the most from copywriting, as each client or customer is worth significantly more.

With financial copywriting, it is entirely possible to make $10,000 a month, and even more if you are able to manage many clients at once.

Copywriting for a charity or non-profit may be extremely effective in signups and general marketing, but unfortunately, will not pay as much as sectors such as finance, tech, or medicine. 

Conclusion

Financial copywriting is a rewarding career that can pay well. With good writing skills, an understanding of marketing in financial services, as well as an understanding of financial jargon, you are halfway on your way to becoming a financial copywriter.

Start with smaller companies, or perhaps look for more in-house freelance projects on sites such as LinkedIn, to build up some experience and understanding of the industry.

Once you have a few clients through, present the work in a portfolio, and even ask for some testimonials to add trustworthiness to your offering. From this point onwards, you are a financial copywriter and the world is your oyster.

If you are a business in need of financial copywriting, or financial copywriting services, then contact Finnus today and see what we can do for you.