The financial world is full of potential. If you want to make money and aren’t afraid of risk, then it can be the perfect career choice for you. Even just reporting on the big financial moves requires a lot of on-the-ground reporting and a dedication to the industry. If you have a passion for finance, and are hoping to start your own brand in the field, then this guide is for you:
Have a Niche
You can always expand later, but when you first start out, it’s important to have a niche. If you have a background in finance, perhaps you are a qualified stock broker for example, that niche could be explaining the key terms and options for newcomers. Those that aren’t certified and licensed may instead focus on relaying big financial news and what this means to their audience. There are a lot of ways that you can get started, but in general it’s important to know:
- What content you’ll focus on
- Who your audience is
Create Your Website
Ultimately, you’ll want your audience to make you money, even if that’s just through advertising. If you are using your platform to bring in new clients, then the importance of a thriving website and social media platforms cannot be emphasised enough. Not only should your site be aesthetically-pleasing, it should also be home to a thriving blog. To get the most out of your investment, you’ll want to use a combination of email newsletter marketing, social media marketing, and international SEO services to bring in organic and paid traffic every day.
Content Marketing 101
Your content must be multi-media. This means a mixture of blog posts, white papers, infographics, video content, and images. Every piece of content you create must be done with SEO in mind in order to gain the full benefits. Not only does this help search algorithms understand your content better, it actually makes it more accessible for users, making it a win-win.
Essential Requirements
Financial advisors go through intense training in order to gain their license. While you can talk about your own money journey to inspire others, the waters tend to get muddy once you start making specific recommendations. If you don’t have the essential requirements you will need to be very careful about the advice that you give out, and the way you frame it. If you simply create a brand that reports on financial news, for example, then you’re in the clear. If, on the other hand, you want to make specific financial recommendations, then you’ll need to have an approached bachelor degree at the AWF7 level, a graduate diploma at the AQF8 level, or a master’s degree at the AQF9 level. You’ll also need supervised experience and then pass the exam.
A similar process is necessary if you want to work as a stock broker, rather than a financial journalist. Even then, having this background can give you more credibility and also help you relay complex financial information for the general public. To become a stock broker, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree in commerce, economics, finance, accounting or in actuarial science. Once you have, that you’ll need to complete the ASIC-recognised Professional Stockbrokers Program. Once completed, you can register in ASIC and earn the license.
Photo credits: Coworking London