Advertising agencies for financial services are staffed with trained professionals that not only know the advertising industry, but also have extensive knowledge of the banking and financial services sector. For any banking or financial business, creating advertising campaigns that portray your company as trustworthy and caring is vital to the success of your business. An ad agency for financial services can best serve your needs.

Financial services advertising can target many groups, from the person looking for best deal on a checking account to millionaires looking for the right investment firm. Working with advertising agencies for financial services requires a firm to determine their strengths and weaknesses to create an ad campaign that:

1. Develops a strong brand for financial advertising companies.

2. Utilizes financial services online advertising.

3. Targets a specific demographic.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose a full-service bank ad agency to create your advertising campaign

Many businesses opt to work with a full-service advertising agency to establish their brand and get the most from a coordinated advertising campaign. A full-service agency can start from scratch to create the most useful ads for your business, be they in print or online.

I recommend: Turchette Advertising Agency is a full-service firm in New Jersey that has developed advertisements for many financial services, including local and national financial companies and banks. KDJ Advertising is a another full-service advertising agency that specializes in ad campaigns for financial services. Some notable clients are Fidelity Investments, MasterCard and National Westminster Bank.

Find a bank advertising agency that specializes in a specific media

If your business has an established brand and just needs help reaching the right people with your branding and slogans, then an advertising agency that works in a specific media can help you reach your target audience. With the right media, your message will reach the right people. Most advertising agencies work with you to place ads in the right markets, in addition to designing slogans and brand names.

I recommend: The Partnership is a financial advertising agency that works in both traditional and interactive media, and also offers design services. Bagwell Marketing offers radio and print advertising for financial services, as well as marketing reports.

Work with an agency that can create online financial services advertisements

Because so many people utilize the internet for personal and professional pursuits, online advertising is extremely important for any financial business. Many advertising agencies now offer services to create exclusive online ad campaigns that utilize SEO article marketing, banner ads and full-service websites for your business.

I recommend: Overland Brand and Interactive provides a case study on how the agency worked to create and design a website and online ad campaign for a financial services company. Entrepreneur offers marketing advice for businesses that want to utilize online advertising.

Advertising firms for financial services are nothing new in the banking industry. Service industries like banks must compete against other related businesses. Advertising puts your name in the public eye, because you want people to think of your business when they have financial needs.

Bank advertising agencies have the knowledge and experience in both advertising and financial services to get the word out. No one knows your financial company as well as you do, but to be successful, you must get the information about the services your business provides to the public.

Choose the right ad agency for financial services for the following reasons:

1. A bank ad agency can find reasons to keep current customers coming back.

2. Look to a bank advertising agency to attract new business.

3. Finally, financial services advertising helps you communicate the proper image for your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Develop a marketing plan for financial services advertising

Brainstorm about your advertising needs through the development of a marketing plan. A marketing plan looks at your business and your customers through advertising and promotional needs. Once you have a marketing plan and budget, you'll be in a better position to hire a financial ad agency.

I recommend: Visit the Small Business Administration for assistance in developing a customized marketing plan for your business. If your banking business includes branches throughout a region and you feel that your marketing needs are complex, look at the Community Bank Marketing Manual.

Specialize with advertising agencies for financial services

Maybe you determined through your marketing plan that you just want to pursue online advertising for your financial institution. Some advertising agencies specialize in a specific aspect of advertising, whether it's print, multimedia, Internet, events or general public relations.

I recommend: If you decide that you want to focus on promotion, find an agency that provides public relations. Ask public relations specialists it they’re accredited with the Public Relations Society of America. Find out what you need to know about online advertising before you sign on the dotted line.

Go with a local bank ad agency

When you're a local bank or financial services company with a local clientele, you may want to go with a local agency that knows your target market.

I recommend: Find advertising agencies for financial services in your area by doing a search at the American Association of Advertising Agencies. You can also look at members of the American Advertising Federation for your state.

Hire a full-service bank advertising agency

Don't have the time to market your business along with all your other duties? Perhaps you see the need for a comprehensive approach to marketing your business. Sounds like you could use a full-service financial services ad agency for one-stop shopping. A full-service agency does it all-print, events, broadcast, Internet and PR.

I recommend: See who some of the big financial guns use for their advertising. For example, Chase uses the mcgarrybowen agency. New Jersey’s Turchette Advertising Agency is a full-service agency with a proven track record in financial services advertising.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Other financial service companies that benefit from financial advertising agencies include mutual fund companies and financial planners.

Considering the ups and downs of the financial services industry, it is advantageous to you and your business to stay abreast of financial services advertising news and trends. An accurate understanding of pertinent ad agency for financial services information is vital to your professional success as well as your bottom line. Take advantage of the boundless resources provided by the Internet and set aside some time to research and review financial services and bank ad agency content.

To make the most of your efforts, consider the following when researching advertising agencies for financial services news and trends:

1. Visit an advertising agencies financial services blog to view industry headlines, professional advice and trending information.

2. Subscribe to a financial services advertising agency newsletter that will be regularly be delivered to your email box and contain news alerts and useful tips.

3. Review industry publications that highlight financial services online advertising, financial services advertisements and advertising firms for financial services.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Frequently visit blogs that focus on financial services advertising firms

Browse financial services and bank advertising agencies blogs to survey breaking news and information. As an interactive medium you will be able to connect with and converse with other professionals via the comment function of many blogs. It is important to remember, however, that when you visit blogs where you are viewing a specific category of posts that you must newly select that section of the blog each time you visit to ensure you are accessing the most recent information.

I recommend: Take a look at the financial services advertising section of the Advertising Is Good For You blog. Check out the SmartBlog run by Smart Marketing, a financial advertising agency. Visit the advertising and promotion section of the Netbanker blog.

Subscribe to financial services and bank advertising agency newsletters

Receive by email or peruse online newsletters produced by financial advertising companies. In the case of an email subscription, news alerts and industry advise will be delivered to your inbox on a prescribed schedule. You will save yourself needed time and ensure you are aware of the current happenings and trends.

I recommend: Sign up for Marketing Persuasion, an online newsletter produced by Suasion Resources, a financial ad agency. Input your information to receive Effort-Less Advisor newsletter created by American Business Visions.

Routinely review financial services advertising publications

Examine industry periodicals to access in-depth features and analytical content pertaining to financial advertising agencies. Such publications will provide you with a comprehensive illustration of where financial services advertising stands and where the industry is going. You can view some magazines and journals free of charge online although others require a paid subscription.

I recommend: Visit Financial Services Online to check out a variety of publications on financial services. View a sample and subscribe to the Journal of Financial Services Marketing distributed by Palgrave Macmillan.

There are many advertising agencies in all parts of the United States and the world that specialize in working with financial institutions. These might be banks, credit unions or brokerage firms. Typically, these companies can handle every aspect of an advertising campaign. They may work with company personnel to develop logos and other print materials, they may help a company set up a blog, they may run a full-blown media campaign or they may promote an event.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Customized marketing plan

A customized marketing plan takes into account all of the aspects of a company in order to advertise it. It's important to consider the company's financial products like loans, mortgages or interest rates. The advertising firm should also consider any specialized market like less-than-prime loans.

I recommend: The US Small Business Administration can provide guidance to a company to help it develop a customized marketing plan. Allison Mitchell is an example of a financial advertising firm offering customized marketing plans.

Print advertising

Print advertising uses print materials that you mail or distribute to consumers at conventions or other events. Print advertising can consist of many types of pieces created in numerous formats. These can include letters, flyers, posters, postcards and other materials.

I recommend: The Bagwell Marekting website has great examples of posters, a direct mail piece, and an annual report as examples of print advertising. It's a good site to get ideas from.

Multi-media

Multi-media uses all types of media to promote a business. For example, events, print, Internet and posters are all medias.

I recommend: The Turchette Advertising Agency site gives case studies of clients it has worked with. Looking over these case studies can give a client ideas about what types of media will best represent them. Palmer Advertising, a financial advertising company, offers a list of its mixed media options.

Industry specific expertise

Industry specific expertise denotes a company that specializes in a certain type of business. Knowing the industry allows the advertising agency to help a company brand its products and run large media campaigns.

I recommend: KDJ Advertising is a Wall Street Firm recognized for its expert advertising campaigns.

Regional campaigns

Sometimes it's best for a company to run a regional campaign, depending on its product and target market.

I recommend: The American Advertising Federation can help members communicate with other members from different areas to share ideas for specific regions. TotalView Marketing showcases its ability to run different types of campaigns, like regional ones, on its website.

Demographic market

It's essential that a company be able to analyze the demographic market for your company in order to represent it well. The demographic market includes things like the average age and income for your target clients.

I recommend: Weber Marketing Group is a firm that can analyze a company's demographic market carefully. To see an example, visit InvestorGuide.com, which provides its demographics.