Are You Attracting Customers with News?

“Consumer debt problems worsen.”

“Credit cards become increasingly restrictive.”

These are today’s headlines, but are you turning them into marketing messages? Being your prospective customer’s primary financial news source is a great opportunity. Chances are most customers avoid the business or finance section of their local newspaper. The information is too complex or simply makes their eyes glaze over-this is your opportunity.

A simple email, Twitter, or Facebook message every couple of weeks passing a link to a relevant debt story could easy produce multiple leads. Let’s design a simple campaign…

Searching for News

The first step in being a valuable source of financial news and information is to efficiently harvest it. My favorite suggestion is Google Reader; however, I do get a fair amount of good ideas from Twitter, Facebook, and increasingly FriendFeed.

Combine a mixture of traditional news feeds, like the online Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and CNN Money, with less traditional sources like smart bloggers. Here are a few I watch:

• TheMortgageReports
• Calculated Risk
• Naked Capitalism
• Morning Mortgage Notes

A RSS Reader, like Google Reader will allow you to quickly clip and share important items.

Setting Up Your Broadcast

Depending on how you communicate with your customers you have a variety of options to broadcast these little bits of information.

I prefer the ease and reach of Twitter. This approach will also attract additional followers, which could become prospects. However, do not underestimate the power of good old fashion email. A good message or one forwarded directly from the news source can be powerfully viral. Each person you email is likely to have their own network of folks they forward interesting items to.

Make it Consistent and Routine

Probably more important than the content is the consistency with which you provide financial news. The more consistent your timing, frequency, and quality of coverage the more your clients will rely on you exclusively. If there is a feeling that you are the person who can, with credibility, be their source of financial services information they will unlikely look elsewhere. That means when they need help with finances-mortgage or debt-they are calling you.

Offer Your Help

Finally, never forget to offer your help in answering any questions or explaining the information in the news clip. This is you opportunity to educate, add more value, or solve their financial crisis/need.

News can easily become your secret marketing weapon.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Google Reader Takes Another Social Step With People Search And “Likes” (techcrunch.com)
• Is Social Media a Waste of Time? (stealthmode.com)