Content Marketing: How-To Guide

Banzai's extensive library of interactive content is designed to capture your potential leads' attention. Rather than just another marketing message, you're offering something of value with no strings attached. As you educate and inform, you seamlessly transition from defining benefits to describing features and, eventually, offering the right product.

This guide walks you through how to use that content effectively across lead generation, calls to action, email, and social media, as well as how to plan it all out on a content calendar.

Lead Generation & Collection

Banzai streamlines lead generation and collection in a few ways:

• Collects user analytics
• Offers users a free library of financial-literacy content
• Tracks engagement and clicks
• Leads users to topics of interest

The library isn't a full training course, it's a treasure trove of topics and information. Users learn about what interests them and ignore what doesn't. That freedom lets you provide targeted offers that resonate with potential leads. Instead of throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, the library shows your leads exactly what they need.

Financial education is an ideal way to turn leads into customers. By giving users the information and the tools to implement their knowledge, you create a lasting connection between your leads and your products. Taking the time to educate is what feeds a lead for life.

Creating Incentives & Calls to Action

Working on financial literacy and informing customers is great — but your endgame is to sell your products. You don't just want your leads to think; you want them to act. Encouraging customers to make a move means seeing an offer through their eyes.

Getting to know your customers

Casting too broad a net is a rookie marketing mistake. Playing the odds might catch a few prospects, but targeted incentives bring in the best quality leads.

Using the library to understand your leads gives you valuable insight into what motivates current and prospective customers. While you might have data about age, gender, and income at the ready, tracking a user's pathway through financial topics offers more than just raw data. It tells you what they're interested in and what incentives would have the most impact.

What's in it for me? (WIIFM)

Creating a timely incentive means understanding the WIIFM principle: What's in it for me? Your leads want to know how your product benefits them specifically. Without drilling into learner motivation and highlighting key benefits, even the best financial products get dismissed. 80% of consumers say they're more likely to do business with an organization that offers personalized benefits.

Things that drive customer action:

• Getting out of debt
• Better interest rates
• Better loan terms
• More efficient savings
• Understanding complex topics better, like mortgages

Things that weaken your offers:

• Confusing terms: "4.7% APR may apply, subject to approval, all deposits FDIC insured"
• Offers that don't apply personally: "Click for great mortgage rates!" sent to college students
• Offers without context: "Check out our savings accounts!" — why?
• Offers requiring excess action: "Contact us for more information about retirement accounts"
• Offers that benefit only your business: "Help us meet our quota for 100 new accounts this month"

Don't just tell customers what you're offering, tell them why. From saving money to offering peace of mind, the WIIFM principle helps you target motivation for incentives that make sense.

Simply specific

Simplicity is one of the key factors in worthwhile incentives. Muddying the waters with legal jargon and confusing terms is a surefire way to lose customer engagement and, more importantly, customer trust.

If you can't describe your offer in one sentence, it's already too confusing.

Compare:

"Click for our best credit card rates. Subject to approval; 24-month introductory rate on BTs applies. See branch manager for details."

vs.

"Click here to consolidate your debt with our zero percent APR credit card."

The first is buried in legalese and lacks specificity, which breeds mistrust. The second clearly highlights the benefit and shows how to take advantage. Which would you click?

Distill your message into one power-packed sentence. After reading your offer, your leads should know how to act and what they'll gain. If terms apply, spell them out in a follow-up email. Keep the initial pitch simple and specific.

Playing matchmaker

The offers you make in your Banzai resource library should be based on the customer journey. Match offers to the content the reader is actively engaging with:

If they read about…	Then they see an offer for…
Repaying student loans	Debt consolidation
Credit scores	A credit card
Budgeting	Multiple checking accounts — one for each needs and wants
Mortgages	Current mortgage rates and incentives
Retirement lifestyle	An IRA or financial planning service

Channel Marketing

You've gotten to know your potential leads and created some incentives you think they'll love. Now it's time to spread the word.

The most important factor in marketing to potential leads is value first, incentives second, sale third. The very definition of content marketing is to use information to generate and capture leads. You only have one chance to make a first impression, so make every communication count.

Choosing the right channels for education, awareness, and lead generation could be the most important factor in your overall success. Different channels offer different benefits — even if you use social media for staying in touch, using it for leads is a whole new game.

You've Got Mail

Internet users are choosier about what subscriptions land in their inboxes, which means you need to offer something they'll love or risk the dreaded unsubscribe. This is a blessing in disguise: 67% of savvy consumers actually enjoy getting emails with personalized offers. If you can capture lead motivation and create incentives based on personal profiles, you create more meaningful email campaigns.

Segmenting leads

Your Banzai library leads are a natural fit for your subscriber list as they've already demonstrated interest in financial literacy. But sending a general email blast to your full list could do more harm than good. Segment customer emails by:

• Demographics: location, income level, age
• Library activity: which articles have they accessed
• Current customer activity: what products are they using
• Offer eligibility: credit score, current products, past offer participation

The Banzai library lets you see who is reading what and use that information to segment your newsletters, offers, and other email communication. Segmenting can boost your open rate significantly.

Types of emails

Not every email needs to sell something. Users trust an organization more when they're offered no-strings-attached value. Mix these email types into your communication:

• Onboarding — "Welcome to the Hometown Financial family. Check out our financial library and keep in touch via social media."
• Activity-based — "We noticed you were looking for info on mortgages. Here are some other articles you might like."
• Upselling — "Looking to consolidate your debt? We've got you covered with our new personal loan program."
• Exclusive — "We love our customers. As a thank you, we've got an exclusive offer for cardholders!"
• Microlearning — "Did you know two thirds of Americans would struggle to come up with $1,000 in case of an emergency? Make sure you've covered your bases with these tips."

Anatomy of an email

Subject line. Capture attention by clearly stating how it benefits the reader (the WIIFM principle).

❌ "Check out our low mortgage rates." (Benefits the bank)

✅ "Save $10,000 on your mortgage." (Benefits the user)

Body. Distill the message to what's absolutely necessary. Highlight benefits, not the application process.

❌ "Did you know that if you qualify for our low rate, you could save $10,000 over the life of your loan?" (Focuses on the application)

✅ "What could you do with an extra $10K? Refinancing your mortgage with our low rate can save you $10,000 over the life of your loan." (Focuses on the benefit)

Call to action. End with a specific, action-oriented prompt using strong verbs.

❌ "See if you qualify by contacting our branch manager. Terms and conditions apply." (Weak verbs, indefinite benefit)

✅ "Click here to learn how to lower your payment today!" (Easy action, specific benefit)

Social Media

42% of millennials say social media is the most important form of advertising. If you want to compete and generate more leads, social media is where you'll find high-quality, ready-to-engage customers.

Different channels have different uses. The top three (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X) all let you interact with customers, shape brand opinions, and generate leads — but each in a different way.

Facebook

Facebook is great for creating conversations. The platform is built around connections. Users want to connect, but are wary of anything overtly promotional. Free educational content helps your reputation and overall click rate.

Post regularly. An infrequently updated page is almost as bad as not having one. Education is an excellent form of engagement.

Ideas for Facebook posts:

• Library content — Share Banzai articles with a hook: "Feeling crushed by student loans? Here are some quick tips for creating a realistic payback plan."
• Statistics and microlearning — Teach without linking out: "Looking to save for your next vacation? Use an app to round up your purchases and deposit the extra change into your vacay fund."
• Questions or polls — Invite dialogue: "What's a savings tip you wish you knew in college?"
• Offers and CTAs — OK to use, as long as you've delivered enough value first.

Instagram

Instagram is the most visual channel. Followers want eye-catching, aspirational posts. Visual aesthetics may seem like a mismatch with finance, but there are creative ways to use it:

• Distill a library article into a few concise points layered over a stock image
• Create an interactive hashtag and invite stories or posts
• Hold a contest where participants tag three friends to enter
• Showcase current customers and their financial wins
• Film a quick Q&A with a branch expert
• Interact with people in your community by searching by location

Things to avoid on Instagram:

• Getting too casual — followers want a peek into the organization but still want it polished
• Posting the same content to all channels — followers expect exclusive value per platform
• Using Instagram for advertising only — if they aren't getting any benefit, they'll unfollow
• Sticking to yourself — Instagram is a community; interact

Twitter / X

Think of Twitter/X as your customer service center. 67% of consumers use social media to resolve issues. The short character limit makes for clear, concise back-and-forth.

But Twitter isn't only for resolving complaints, it's ideal for sharing. Link clicks account for 92% of user interaction on Twitter. Even comments and retweets can't compete with the power of a well-placed link.

Don't just plaster the page with links — explain why a user should click.

❌ "Understanding Your Credit Score"

✅ "If your credit score seems more confusing than the plot of Inception, we've got you covered. This article breaks down the basics faster than you can say DiCaprio."

When replying to questions:

❌ "We're not sure. Call this number and we can help you out."

✅ "@PotentialLead547 Getting a mortgage is complex, but we can definitely help you out! DM us with your details and we'll find a solution that works for you."

Twitter/X users expect lightning-fast responses and lose interest quickly. Post multiple times per day and aim to respond to inquiries in under 24 hours.

Content Calendar

All this talk about platforms, media, engagement, and sharing can make social media marketing feel overwhelming. The easiest way to manage it: a content calendar.

A content calendar helps you plan posts in advance, putting your marketing on autopilot and skipping the "what am I going to post today?" feeling. The time of year dictates how consumers think about their finances — August might be student loans, December is credit card debt, spring is homebuying.

Five steps to build a content calendar

1. Identify a theme. Choose based on time of year or a topic your users would most benefit from.
2. Fill in major events. Scheduled email blasts, offer beginning and end dates.
3. Schedule channel posts by frequency. Instagram daily, Facebook 3–5x per week, etc.
4. Pair channel with content type. First Monday: introduce the month's theme on Facebook, post a link on Twitter/X, launch an interactive hashtag on Instagram.
5. Fill in the rest of your calendar with channel and content for each day.

You already have plenty of data and a library of great articles at your fingertips. The content calendar just helps you schedule posts based on topic and platform so you don't have to wonder when and what to post.

In Closing

You want to give your customers and leads the tools they need for financial success. By offering high-quality information to the right leads and customers, you give them the tools to save, spend, live, and work. Reaching out and connecting with leads where they already interact with brands gives you the opportunity to teach in an education-first marketing strategy.