City planners spend countless hours meticulously designing the best routes so they can lay out pathways as efficiently as possible.

Despite all this hard work, pedestrians often ignore the pavements and take their own routes instead, creating “desire paths”. These are areas where constant footfall creates a new path.

According to a study published on ScienceDirect, the city of Detroit had 5,680 desire paths, totalling more than 150 miles.

The reason for this is simple: when given the choice, most people take the path of least resistance.

Why walk the long way round when you could cut across the grass in a straight line towards your destination?

Unfortunately, you might fall victim to this tendency to take the easy option when writing financial planning content.

You aim to engage the audience, but taking the path of least resistance to get there could erode the quality of your content.

Here are four “easy” mistakes to avoid.

1. Leaning into sensationalism

The first hurdle is getting readers to click on your content or take the time to read your newsletter. If engagement is low, it’s easy to lean into sensationalism, especially during times of turmoil.

Take the current conflict in Iran, for instance. If you write headlines warning of devastating market dips that will halve the value of your clients’ pensions, you’re likely to get some clicks. The same is true in the lead-up to a Budget, when newspaper headlines use emotive phrases like “tax raid” and speculate wildly about legislative changes.

However, while this might encourage engagement, alarmist headlines don’t send the right message to clients. People want their financial planner to be calm and rational, providing reassurance amid uncertainty.

So, even though leaning into sensationalism might be an easy way to increase engagement, it’s important to handle sensitive topics with more nuance.

Liam’s recent article on this will steer you in the right direction.

2. Focusing too heavily on the technical elements

As a financial planner, you likely feel comfortable with the technical elements of wealth management. You might find it straightforward to write about how tax relief on pension contributions works, or how markets have performed in the past quarter.

It’s natural to focus on these familiar areas, as doing so makes the writing process easier.

Unfortunately, this could mean you bombard readers with technical information without discussing why it matters to them, meaning they switch off.

Successful financial planning content must build a narrative around the client, explaining how a certain issue affects their lifestyle and ability to achieve their long-term goals.

Instead of filling content with jargon, consider the human element of financial planning – connect with readers based on their wants and needs before introducing technical information.

3. Being overly optimistic

When clients read your content, they’re looking to understand how a problem affects them and what solutions you can offer.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of being overly optimistic to drive engagement and generate more leads. After all, if you promise clients that you can eliminate an Inheritance Tax bill or deliver unrealistic investment returns, they’re likely to get in touch.

However, this will ultimately lead to disappointment when they realise that financial planning is more complex and there are always risks involved in growing wealth.

Instead of promising the world, be realistic about the role you play. You can still describe the incredible benefits of working with a financial planner, but this must be balanced with a frank discussion of the challenges and risks clients might face.

4. Ignoring content altogether

The easiest way to avoid all the challenges associated with writing content is to ignore it altogether. This might make life easier, but it also means you’re missing out on valuable opportunities to connect with clients.

Regular content helps existing clients stay informed and encourages them to get in touch about pressing issues that might affect them. You can also use content to engage potential clients and grow your business.

As such, even though writing can be difficult, it’s important to maintain a regular content schedule.

Get in touch

If you need support with your strategy, our team can create high-quality, engaging content on your behalf.

Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300 to learn more.