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The Real Difference Between B2B and B2C Marketing in 2026

sign pointing one way to b2b marketing and the other way to b2c marketing

B2B companies often look at B2C brands and assume the gap is budget, creativity, or platform choice.

It is not.

The real difference between B2B and B2C marketing is not where you show up. It is how buyers make decisions, how risk is evaluated, and how trust is built long before a sales conversation ever happens.

In 2026, B2B buyers behave more like consumers when researching, but they buy like risk managers when deciding. That distinction is where most B2B marketing breaks down.

This guide breaks down how B2B marketing truly differs from B2C marketing today, why copying consumer tactics rarely works, and why organic content has become the foundation of high-performing B2B growth.

What Is B2B Marketing Today?

B2B marketing is the process of attracting, educating, and converting other businesses into buyers.

But modern B2B marketing is no longer just about demand generation. It is about de-risking decisions.

Most B2B purchases involve:

  • Multiple stakeholders with competing priorities
  • Longer evaluation periods
  • Internal justification after the decision is made
  • Higher perceived downside if the wrong choice is made

As a result, B2B marketing must do more than generate interest. It must establish credibility, demonstrate expertise, and answer objections before sales ever gets involved.

In 2026, B2B marketing succeeds when it supports how buyers actually evaluate risk, not when it chases visibility for its own sake.

What Is B2C Marketing Today?

B2C marketing focuses on selling products or services directly to individual consumers.

While B2C strategies have matured significantly, the buying environment is fundamentally different:

  • Decisions are usually made by one person
  • The emotional payoff is immediate
  • The financial and reputational risk is lower
  • The sales cycle is short or nonexistent

B2C marketing optimizes for speed, impulse, and scale. B2B marketing optimizes for confidence, validation, and internal alignment.

Both use emotion and logic. The difference is how much risk the buyer carries after saying yes.

The Real Difference Between B2B and B2C Marketing

The traditional comparisons still apply, but they are incomplete. Here is how the difference actually shows up in 2026.

Decision Structure

B2C marketing targets a single buyer.
B2B marketing targets a group, often silently and asynchronously.

Your content must work for executives, operators, finance, and compliance, sometimes all at once.

Risk Profile

A bad B2C purchase is inconvenient.
A bad B2B purchase can cost someone their job.

That changes everything about messaging, proof, and pacing.

Sales Cycle

B2C marketing drives transactions.
B2B marketing supports conversations.

If your marketing cannot stand on its own without a sales rep explaining it, it is not doing its job.

Content Expectations

B2C content entertains and persuades.
B2B content educates and reassures.

Buyers are not just asking “Do I want this?” They are asking “Can I defend this decision internally?”

Why B2B Brands Struggle When They Copy B2C Tactics

Many B2B companies fail not because they lack effort, but because they optimize for the wrong outcome.

Common mistakes include:

  • Chasing reach instead of relevance
  • Running ads before building trust
  • Prioritizing brand voice over buyer clarity
  • Measuring success by traffic instead of sales alignment

In B2B, attention without credibility does not convert. It creates friction.

Why Organic Content Is the Foundation of B2B Marketing in 2026

Organic content is no longer the slow alternative to paid marketing. It is the system that makes everything else work.

Strong organic content:

  • Shapes buyer understanding before sales is contacted
  • Answers objections before they are raised
  • Builds trust across long buying cycles
  • Improves paid performance by qualifying traffic
  • Supports AI-driven discovery and search visibility

In a world where buyers research anonymously, organic content is often the first and most influential sales conversation you have.

Paid campaigns amplify momentum. Organic content creates it.

Why We Focus on B2B Financial Services at Digital Storyteller

We work with B2B financial services companies because the stakes are higher and the margin for error is smaller.

Financial services marketing must balance:

  • Regulatory and compliance constraints
  • Long sales cycles and high trust thresholds
  • Complex offerings that cannot be simplified without risk
  • Buyers who value clarity over hype

Our approach prioritizes organic visibility, buyer education, and credibility before acceleration. Not because it is safer, but because it works.

When your marketing mirrors how decisions are actually made, growth becomes more predictable.

A Final Word

B2B and B2C marketing are not opposites. They simply solve different problems.

B2C marketing helps people decide faster. B2B marketing helps people decide safely.

If your marketing strategy does not reflect that reality, no amount of spend will fix it.

Interested in finding out more? Read on to learn about the ROI of organic digital marketing (yes, it can be measured!) Then, get in touch with our team to schedule your FREE Brand Storytelling Session.

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Case Study: How Digital Storyteller Helped Mirador Launch

Sometimes timing really is everything.

About four years ago, we had the opportunity to work with Mike Bourne while he was at Atéssa Benefits. At the time, he was exploring an idea that felt both bold and exciting, stepping away from exclusively serving massive employer groups and bringing that same large-plan expertise to small business owners.

With decades of experience in the retirement plan space, Mike saw a gap. Smaller to mid-sized businesses were not always getting the strategic, high-level guidance that large plans receive. He wanted to change that. We could tell from the beginning that he was energized by the possibility of doing something different.

As we do with all of our website and content clients, we started with a Brand Storytelling session. We dug into the passion behind the shift in demographic, the expanded services, and the long-term vision. From there, we began building a new site.

A year later, it was still in development.

Internally, not everyone shared the same enthusiasm for change, and the project stalled. It was the first time we had ever had a client not go live. It taught us an important lesson about ensuring all key stakeholders are aligned before significant marketing work begins.

Lesson learned. Relationship intact. We parted ways on good terms.

Until…

A year ago, Mike, Alison, and Rachel reached back out. They were launching a new brand, one that finally reflected the vision Mike had years earlier. A firm built specifically to serve small business owners. A firm focused on high-touch service, exceptional results, and doing things their way.

And we were genuinely grateful they came back to us.

We started fresh with a new Brand Storytelling session, this time with all three partners. They already had the name Mirador, but we collaborated on everything else: logo, brandmark, messaging, brand archetype, and the overall look and feel. We shaped how Mirador would show up in the world.

This time, the site launched.

From there, we moved into what we do best: organic digital marketing.

Blogs, video content, email campaigns, LinkedIn outreach, YouTube optimization, social posts, and backend SEO. Everything working together to tell their story consistently and authentically.

One year in, they are already seeing results. Clients have come directly from their outreach efforts, specifically from their videos. That matters.

Organic marketing takes time. It is not instant. But it compounds. It builds trust. And when your content is rooted in real conversations and real expertise, especially on video, it cannot be mistaken for something generic or AI-generated. It is clearly, unmistakably yours.

We wanted to highlight Mirador because they are doing meaningful work for small business owners. Because they are a collaborative, engaged client who invests in their own success. And yes, because backlinks matter too.

Most of all, it is a reminder that sometimes the first attempt is just preparation for the real launch. And when the timing is right, everything aligns.

Check out the Mirador Retirement Solutions Website here: https://miradorplans.com follow them on LinkedIn here: https://linkedin.com/company/mirador-retirement-solutions/ and reach out to tehm if your business wants to create the kind of retirement plan that attracts and retains the very best people while saving money for your own retirement. Check out Mike’s video on what a DB/DC plan is and how it works for Business owners here: https://www.youtube.com/@MiradorRetirement

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What is the ROI for Organic Marketing

ROI of organic marketing

ROi for organic content marketing

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Local SEO for Financial Services: 7 Tips to Drive More Clients to Your Door

Want more local clients? Of course you do! Local SEO, a powerful and often underutilized tool, can significantly boost your visibility to nearby potential customers. 

Imagine your potential clients Googling “best tax advisors near me” or “top financial planners in town.” You want them to find you, right?

Not sure where to start? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Here’s how you can use Local SEO to make sure your website gets noticed and more clients show up at your door.

What Is Local SEO And How Does It Work?

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is all about improving your online presence to attract more local customers. Think of it as a way to help your business get noticed when people search for services near them. For example, if someone types “best financial advisor near me” into Google, you want your business to pop up.

Here’s how it works:

  • Google My Business Signals: This is your business’s resume on Google. Make sure it’s up-to-date with your name, address, and phone number (NAP).
  • On-Page Signals: This is your website’s way of saying, “Hey, I’m local!” Include your NAP and sprinkle in some local keywords.
  • Online Reviews: Good reviews are like gold stars for your business. They help you climb the Google ranks and attract more clients.
  • Citations: These are like shout-outs about your business on other websites. Make sure they mention your NAP.
  • Behavioral Signals: Things like how often people click on your site or call you from their phones.
  • Social Signals: All the likes, shares, and comments on your social media help, too.

Why Local SEO Is Important For Your Business

Local SEO is a big deal because it helps your business shine in local searches. When people search for financial services nearby, they’re usually ready to pick someone fast. By getting your Local SEO game on, you’ll attract these eager clients, boost your foot traffic, and see those sales numbers rise.

7 Easy Tips to Master Local SEO

  1. Claim and Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
    • Claim Your Listing: If you haven’t done this yet, go to Google My Business and claim your listing.
    • Complete Your Profile: Add all relevant details like your business name, address, phone number, website, and hours.
    • Choose the Right Categories: Pick categories that best fit your services.
    • Add Photos and Videos: Visuals can make your listing more engaging.
    • Encourage Reviews: Ask happy clients to leave reviews and make sure to respond to them.
  2. Optimize with Local Keywords
    • Conduct Keyword Research: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find local keywords for your business.
    • Incorporate Keywords Naturally: Use these keywords in your site’s titles, descriptions, and content.
    • Create Location-Based Content: Write blog posts or create pages focusing on local topics.
    • Add Local Schema Markup: This helps search engines understand your business’s location better.
  3. Build Local Citations and Listings
    • Submit to Local Directories: List your business on directories like Yelp and industry-specific sites.
    • Check for NAP Consistency: Ensure your business details are the same across all listings.
    • Use Data Aggregators: Tools like Moz Local can help manage and update your listings.
  4. Create High-Quality Local Content
    • Blog About Local Events and News: Share insights on local happenings relevant to your industry.
    • Highlight Local Customer Stories: Feature testimonials or case studies from local clients.
    • Develop Local Resource Pages: Create guides or pages with useful local information.
  5. Optimize for Mobile and Voice Search
    • Ensure Mobile-Friendliness: Make sure your website works well on mobile devices.
    • Focus on Local Intent Keywords: Optimize for keywords used in voice searches, like “near me” queries.
    • Speed Up Your Website: A fast-loading site improves user experience and rankings.
  6. Leverage Social Media for Local Engagement
    • Engage with Local Audiences: Connect with local clients and participate in community discussions.
    • Promote Local Content: Share local blog posts and events on social media.
    • Use Location Tags and Hashtags: Tag your location and use local hashtags to increase visibility.
  7. Monitor and Measure Your Local SEO Performance
    • Use Google Analytics: Track how local search is driving traffic to your site.
    • Check Google Search Console: Monitor your site’s performance and fix any issues.
    • Track Rankings with Local SEO Tools: Tools like Moz or BrightLocal can help you keep tabs on your local SEO success.

Summing Up

Local SEO can be a game-changer for bringing clients into your financial services business. Follow these tips, boost your online visibility, and watch as more clients find their way to your door.

Need a Little Help With Your SEO?

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all this SEO talk? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. After all, if Google were easy, everyone would be ranking number one!

Enter Digital Storyteller (that’s us.)

Our outsourced digital marketing agency is here to help create content, optimize your site, and make you more relevant to search engines on all social fronts. To develop an organic content marketing strategy with the SEO you need to make your business thrive, reach out to our diverse team of marketing experts today!

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Outsourced VS In-House Marketing: What’s Best For Your Business?

Outsourced VS In-House Marketing: What's Best For Your Business?

So you’re wondering what type of marketing you should implement for your business? Well, you’ve come to the right place.
The two biggest types of marketing are outsourced and in-house. Both want to promote your business to the best of their ability, but they have a few big differences. Learn more about the differences between outsourced and in-house marketing below!

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Storytelling: What is it and Why is it Important?

Storytelling

It would feel morally wrong to write an article about storytelling and not tell you how our company came to be… Digital Storyteller starts with our Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Amanda Rogers.

In 1997, when the actors union was on strike, Amanda taught herself how to code from a book. (Yes, these were the days before WordPress, Squarespace, and WIX—scary times…)

Anyway, Amanda’s martial arts teacher was an 8th degree blackbelt teaching amazing Tang Soo Do in New York City—and had only five students. Amanda knew he needed a website—so she taught herself to write HTML, CSS, and Javascript to try to help him build a studio.

A year later when Amanda moved to Los Angeles, the studio was thriving. In fact, 80% of the students came to him through the website. She was hooked.

After a few twists and turns, Digital Storyteller was born—an organic digital marketing agency in Encinitas, California.

Today, the team has grown from one to nearly 15. On our team, we’ve got content specialists, social media experts, a client success manager, SEO team, as well as a website and graphic design team to continue what Amanda started.

That’s our story.
If you haven’t already recognized the importance of storytelling within a business, we’ll continue on for you. Better yet, we snagged the CEO and Owner of Digital Storyteller to chat about storytelling on camera, Andrew Marr.

What is Storytelling? 

At its core, storytelling is (you guessed it!) about telling stories. Yoast tells us that storytelling is “about using stories to engage your audience, or to make something more clear.”

As humans, we’re wired for story. From each of our early days, it’s likely we recall our parents and the people around us sharing and telling stories. We love to read books and see movies and musicals—why? Because people are addicted to stories.

But what does storytelling look like when it comes to marketing for your business? When it comes to marketing for financial services companies, we see storytelling as making what you do and the services you provide:

  • Relatable 
  • Easy to understand by your audience

Why is Storytelling Important in Marketing?

Storytelling builds trust. Here are some of the stories you can share in your marketing strategy as well as how you can share them:

  • Share your stories on your website
  • Share your origin story
  • Share how you’ve grown
  • Share the challenges your business has faced (How did you overcome these challenges? Did any positives come out?)
  • Share how you help your clients (A lot of companies don’t share how they help their clients. Come on, boast a little!)

As the old adage goes, sharing is caring… Communicating your story with your audience.

A Word of Advice from Our CEO and Owner

So, how important is it to share your company story with your digital followers? (i.e. prospects, people in similar industries, current clients, etc.)

According to Andrew, it’s extremely important if you want to build trust and if you want to build a following. We believe in the power of storytelling. In fact, we start all of our partnerships with a Brand Storytelling Session.

Picture this: You go onto a website. For ease, let’s say it’s a digital marketing agency. You’re looking at their services, considering partnering with this company but you don’t find anything about their story.

There’s nothing about their employees or how the company came to be. Does that make you want to partner with that company even more? No, of course it doesn’t. That’s not the way things go.

For those who feel like it’s weird to talk about yourself or what you bring to the table as a business, for fear of coming off as arrogant or boastful, think about it… It’s your website. That’s kind of the point! 

Let go of the taboo you were taught in grade school, that it’s bad to talk about yourself.

In business, it’s important that you share your success stories and tell people how you help them.

Lastly, share your company culture. People want to know what it’s like to work with you. People wanna know if your employees are happy. Are they going to do a great job for them if they decide to partner with you? Share stories, story after story.

Interested in learning how to build more trust with your prospects and clients? Check out this article on how pricing transparency builds trust.

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Social Media for Financial Services Companies

Social Media for Financial Services Companies

The use of social media in financial services is often disputed. Some believe that social media does not hold the same value for business-to-business (B2B) brands as it does in the business-to-consumer (B2C) market.

This, however, is not the case.

While it may be true that B2C companies are often more successful on social media than B2B companies, there are still a multitude of various reasons why building a social media presence benefits a financial services company.

Take it from our Social Media Team at Digital Storyteller: “A marketing strategy without social media is like a margarita without tequila. No one wants that!”

In this article, we’re detailing the key benefits of using social media marketing for financial services companies.

1. Strengthen Existing Relationships

One of the greatest benefits for all businesses to developing a social media presence is to strengthen their existing client relationships.

This may refer to:

  • Engaging with existing or past clients, or
  • Nurturing relationships with contacts that have yet to become clients

Either way, social media networks provide a platform to maintain relationships.

Email marketing and consistent calls are of course another option to nurture relationships! These methods, however, have the potential to get irritating rather quickly.

While blasting your clients’ inboxes with emails may lead them to the dreaded unsubscribe button, they may not feel the need to take such drastic measures when their level of engagement is the casual viewing of sporadic Instagram posts.

Social media provides a relaxed addition to your existing client nurturing process while additionally providing a platform to develop new relationships.

2. Build Trust 

In the same way that Google evaluates content for SEO purposes, viewers evaluate clients based on their authority and expertise. Developing a depth of content on social platforms provides potential clients an opportunity to review your level of expertise within your field.

Over time, existing clientele and prospective clients will likely begin to follow your accounts and engage with your content. Engagement with your content shows that you have a proven following and support system that trusts your business.

Read on to learn more about Instagram engagement.

3. Provide Customer Support 

Social media has turned into an easy, new line of communication.

It has become common for consumers to utilize social media to gain support and answers from companies rather than going through their traditional customer service channels. Various social media platforms provide space where clients are comfortable and familiar.

It is easier for a client to tag, tweet, or comment on a company’s latest post than it is to sit on hold with the customer service line for hours trying to solicit help… No, thanks!

Companies love to see their favorite clients and prospects engaging with them on a personal level through social media. Brands that engage and respond to their clients on social media have overall higher customer satisfaction ratings. 

It’s 2022, your clients are on social media—and your competitors are, too.

The truth of the matter is: Brands are expected to have a social presence.

Giving your clients an additional outlet to contact you offers them the support and guidance they’re looking for.

After all, your product or service already serves to solve a problem that they’re facing. Why not fix another one by making yourself more accessible?

4. Humanize Your Brand 

In a sense, this goes along with the previously mentioned need for customer support. Making your brand available on social media is like positioning yourself as their friend. Social media platforms were created to connect friends and share experiences, so why can’t the same be the case with brands?!

Social platforms allow your brand to share a behind-the-scenes look at the people that make your brand what it is. For example, our co-founders, Andrew Marr and Amanda Rogers, each have their series of relevant videos that we share weekly.

Not only do these videos “share the secret sauce” behind our brand, but they also give our viewers insight into the faces behind the brand! Plus, who doesn’t love a chardonnay review!?

The same may also be the case with your brand. Finding a way to interact with your clients on an informal basis allows them to consider you a friend or peer. It creates a relationship of trust and mutual respect: Two things you definitely want in your client relationships.

5. Gain Insight

Lastly, being engaged on social media allows your brand to gain insight. Be it consumer or competitive insights, social media functions as a reporting platform. 

The way that consumers engage with your social media account can tell you about their buying behavior, likes, dislikes, and needs.

Instagram, for example, has transitioned its functionality to operate similarly to a search engine for users. Tracking the views of your page, accounts reached, post likes, comments, shares, and saves can provide significant insight into how your brand is performing.

Read on for our article “What is Going on With the Instagram Algorithm!?”

Similar claims can be said about your competitors. One of the benefits of public social media accounts is that you can track insight into your competitors’ content. As they provide content for their followers, you have a front-row seat to see what they’re doing!

A Final Word

If your brand is already on social media, there are additional ways to ensure that you are optimizing your channels. This is particularly the case for financial services companies interacting on social media.

Check out this article for additional tips on the use of social media for financial services companies!

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Why Do You Need Video in Your Digital Marketing Strategy?

girl on video using camera on tripod to build her digital marketing strategy

Are you a business owner? If the answer is yes, please tell us you’re incorporating video into your digital marketing strategy… If you’re not, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. 

Why? Because video is crucial to showcasing your brand and ultimately, getting more clients. And what business owner doesn’t want more clients? After you’re done with this article, circle back to find out how to attract the right clients.

But for now, we’ve got Andrew Marr, Owner and CEO of Digital Storyteller on camera to discuss the importance of using video in your digital marketing strategy.

Let’s hear what this ranting Scot has to say.

Why is Video Important to My Digital Marketing Strategy?

So, why is video important? At Digital Storyteller, we love our metrics and statistics. (Our awesome SEO manager, Devin Aubert, however, is on another level when it comes to statistics love!)

This considered, we thought we’d demonstrate the importance and popularity of video with some stats from Techjury. Let’s take a look at the booming industry. Did you know…

  • “Video is the number 1 source of information for 66% of people.
  • Over 500 million people watch Facebook videos every day.
  • More than 75% of all video views come from mobile devices.
  • The global video market was valued at $39.61 billion in 2018…” (Imagine where it’s at now!?)
  • “YouTubers upload 300 hours of video content to the platform every minute.
  • 93% of businesses gain new customers as a result of branded video content.”

The point is so many individuals watch videos nowadays.

In fact, our owner and CEO Andrew admits to watching at least 50 to 100 short videos a day through Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Hey, it’s where his enjoyment sits!

But it’s not just cute puppy videos that grab his attention, Andrew reminds us.

“I learn from video. Most clients in the financial services world, the clients that we work with, have a hard time with video, and understandably so…”

Why? Truth is, it’s hard to sit in front of the camera and talk, especially about ourselves!

Today, Andrew says, your digital marketing strategy must include not only long-form blogs, newsletters, white papers, etc. but also videos. Why? If not, you’re missing out on a huge group of viewers, and therefore, prospects.

How Can I Get Started?

So, if you’re a business owner, you might be wondering… “How do I get started with this video stuff?”

Don’t worry, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

All you need in terms of video length is 30 seconds to a minute.

“But what do I talk about?!” Don’t worry—Think about the questions you receive over and over as a business owner.

For Andrew, these questions include the following:

  • Why should I outsource my marketing?
  • How long does it take to see an ROI when it comes to organic marketing?
  • Why does Digital Storyteller specialize in financial services?
  • How much does your marketing cost?
  • What is organic content marketing?

So, think: What are the five main recurring questions you get? Then, sit down and answer those questions.

Make your videos short and to the point.

If you’re not answering a question that you frequently get from clients, consider telling a story instead. You can tell a story about…

  • How your business helped a client
  • Someone on your team

You can even ask a client to record a video testimonial for you if you’re not quite ready to jump in front of the camera yourself! Here’s how to ask for a client testimonial.

Still Not Convinced?

Video is social media’s favorite form of content right now. By using video, you will increase your traffic, up your engagement, AND people will simply get to know you better by seeing your face, hearing you talk, and getting to know your personality!

Read on for more information about boosting your engagement via video in our article “Want to Connect with Your Prospects? Use Video.”

How to Record a Great Video

Need more guidance? Not sure what to wear in the video? Or, how to position your camera? Read our article “How to Record a Great Zoom Testimonial” for all the answers you seek.

PS: These tips apply just as well to non-Zoom video recordings! Happy recording!

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How to Ask for Client Testimonials

man using a phone

Frequently, our clients ask us, “Should I ask for testimonials?” or, “Do people even read testimonials?” and, “Should we do video testimonials?”

The short answer to all of these questions is… YES!

The bottom line is that we receive a lot of questions around the idea of other people (past or current clients!) talking about what you do as a business and how you help people.

So, how do you request a client testimonial? Listen to our CEO, Andrew Marr, speak more about how to ask for a video testimonial.

Why Are Testimonials Important? 

Don’t lie, you’ve spent time on Yelp or scoured Google reviews… The truth is, as we all know it, a review can make or break someone’s decision to partner with your business.

Use this fact to your advantage. This means you should showcase clients you’ve helped and those you’ve created great partnerships with (because your business is awesome!)

Collecting and displaying testimonials for the world to see helps prospects know how great it is to work with you. After all, Boast found that 72% of consumers say positive testimonials help increase their trust in a business.

Testimonials are powerful, and video testimonials are especially imperative to tell the story of how you helped people.

Many of us grew up in a culture of not asking for help and not talking about ourselves. Video testimonials, however, go against the grain.

When you ask a client to contribute a testimonial for your business, what you’re essentially asking is, “Please, will you talk about us? Will you talk about how we helped you?”

(Hint: These questions are super consequential to those reading—or watching—your testimonial!)

Different questions you can ask your clients to help guide the testimonial are:

  • How did we solve a problem for you?
  • How did we help you save money?  
  • What was working with us like?
  • Why do you like working with us?
  • How can others benefit from partnering with us?

If you ask your client for a video testimonial, remind them that it doesn’t need to be very long at all. Ideally, the video should be very short, 30 seconds to one minute. Keep it straight to the point.

The clients might need some coaching, but it’s very easily done.

Lucky for you, we have an entire article that you can send to your clients to prep them titled, “How to Record a Great Zoom Testimonial.” Check it out!

Once you have the video, put it everywhere. We recommend testimonials live on your website, in blog posts, on LinkedIn, and more. Tell the world how you help people. Hell, shout it from the rooftops!

We’re sure that the clients that you did help will be more than happy to do this for you. 

The Right Way to Ask for Client Testimonials

Don’t make things complicated. It’s just five simple steps.

  1. You have to ask for a testimonial to get one. Think about it… When was the last time you gave a testimonial unprompted? You can ask clients whom you’ve partnered with for years, a new client who is excited to partner with you, the list goes on!
  1. Create an easy form fill for your clients to fill out their experience with you. Strike while the iron’s hot and ask for the testimonial during or right after the conclusion of your partnership (these days you can also ask for a testimonial through a short text message).
  1. Offer an incentive. Think outside of the box of gifts! An incentive can be more brand recognition on your website.
  1. Post the testimonial (with a nice headshot) on your website. 
  1. Check out our testimonials page on our website for more inspiration. 
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How to Attract the Right Clients

How to attract the right client

So, you’re a business owner looking to get more clients? (Trust us, you’re not the only one!)

Every business owner ever:

But hold on – before you go all Heidi Klum on us and start looking to get MORE clients… Have you taken a minute to consider how to attract the right clients? Yes, the right clients. After all, you don’t want to be marketing your products and/or services to every person you walk by…

Not sure where to start? Lucky for you, we’ve got Andrew Marr, CEO and Owner of Digital Storyteller on camera to chat about how to attract the right clients.

Let’s see what he has to say.

Who is Your Ideal Client?

Clients, for any business owner, are obviously extremely important. Without clients, you’d have no business! (But you already knew that).

This considered, building a successful business and getting more clients is most likely one of your primary goals as a business owner.

Before we jump the gun and talk about getting more clients, however, it’s important to first discuss who the right clients are for you. How can you attract the right clients to your business?

Identifying the Perfect Client

The question isn’t, “Do you want more clients?” Of course, you do! The number one thing is, have you identified your perfect client?

Then, after you’ve identified your ideal client, think: Are you willing to create strategies around that particular client?

Our Perfect Client at Digital Storyteller

At Digital Storyteller, we focus on marketing for financial services companies. The realm of financial services ranges from commercial insurance to wealth advisories, commercial real estate firms, the list goes on.

While we love whisky, chardonnay, puppies, and tacos, we don’t market for companies that have anything to do with these elements. Why not? Because we’ve identified our perfect client (financial services clients) and unfortunately, whisky, chardonnay, puppies, and tacos have nothing to do with this industry (a little sad, right?)

We know it’s difficult not to accept whatever business walks through the door. It’s important, however, to hone in on who your ideal client is and not accept anyone else apart from this target audience.

So, to attract more clients, you have to first, figure out who your perfect client is. Put your energy and resources into that.

Interested in meeting one of our ideal clients? Check out this spotlight we did on our client Frank Crivello, founder and CEO of SBMA Benefits.

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How Do We Help Our Clients Shorten Sales Cycles?

Woman conducting a work meeting

At Digital Storyteller, we market for financial services companies. This can encompass a lot of different types of businesses that offer different products or services. Think law firms, HR consultants, commercial real estate firms, wealth advisories, commercial insurance, and more.

We know, a little bit random… but we love it! Read on to hear more about why we chose marketing for financial services (hint: this industry is wildly underserved).

Working in the financial services industry means helping our clients might look a bit different from your typical B2C marketing agency. So, how do we help our clients?

Today, we’ve got Andrew Marr, CEO and Owner of Digital Storyteller answering that very question. It’s your lucky day.

But what is the main goal of a digital marketing agency? We’re going to hand things off to Andrew.

What is the Main Goal of a Digital Marketing Agency?

There’s one major goal, and it’s simple. That is to shorten the sales cycles of our clients.

What is a Sales Cycle?

A sales cycle is defined as “the repeatable and tactical process salespeople follow to turn a lead into a customer.”

This includes everything from the first encounter a client has with your business (whether it be through seeing your posts on social media or through receiving an email) to closing the deal and follow-ups.

sales cycle seven steps
A great illustration demonstrating sales cycles, courtesy of Snov.io.

How Do We Help Our Clients Shorten Sales Cycles?

Well, there are a lot of things we do to achieve a shorter sales process at Digital Storyteller. This might look like:

As you can see, there are a lot of different branches that come off of that tree.

The number one goal, however, for any marketing agency, is to use their toolkit to shorten sales cycles for their clients.

Want to hear some more of this Scottish lad ranting? Visit this page on our site that’s decked out, head to toe, with Andrew reviewing chardonnay. (We know, it’s kind of ridiculous—but we promise it’s entertaining!)

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Why We Focus on Marketing for Financial Services Companies

Marketing for Financial Services Companies

“At Digital Storyteller, we focus exclusively on [marketing for] financial services companies in the B to B space.”

Above is the text you’re faced with when you first visit DigitalStoryteller.io. Some of you might be thinking, “Great!… But what the heck is a financial services company?”

Most marketing agencies work with brands (think: restaurants, fitness centers, influencers, beauty companies, the list goes on). At Digital Storyteller, we’re a bit different… Here’s why.

Why Do We Focus on the Financial Services Industry?

So, why do we focus on financial services at Digital Storyteller? Well, aside from the fact that our team thinks financial services are wildly sexy (kidding… kind of?), we recognized a need and a gap in industry offerings.

But first, before we go into more detail, what is the financial services industry?

What the Heck is Financial Services?

We’re glad you asked.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the financial services sector “covers many different types of transactions in such areas as real estate, consumer finance, banking, and insurance.”

At Digital Storyteller, we have clients ranging from law firms to HR consulting firms, commercial real estate firms to wealth advisories, and commercial insurance. (Geez, that’s a mouthful, isn’t it?)

Anyway, when we say financial services, that’s really the realm we’re talking about.

Marketing for Financial Services Companies

So, back to why we market for financial services, at Digital Storyteller, we feel like that level of business, and that community of businesses, are underserved from a marketing perspective.

There are plenty of agencies out there who spend their time on biotech, startups, and influencer marketing—but not a lot who spend their time with financial services.

A Quick Aside

How did all of this come to be? In 1997, Amanda Rogers, Chief Creative Officer and Founder of Digital Storyteller taught herself how to code from a book when the actors union was on strike. 

She taught herself to write HTML, CSS, and Javascript before WordPress, Squarespace, and WIX existed. Although Amanda believes a lot has changed in the “how” of creating online presences for people and their businesses, the why is still the same… Tell the world what you do better than anyone else and the right people will be able to find you.

Why is Marketing Important for Financial Services Specifically

The financial services industry is a competitive and unique industry to market for. We know that those in the financial services industry navigate the difficult terrain of regulatory and compliance hurdles while seeking to successfully market their products and services.

Moreover, when it comes to financial services, you must build trust and authority through consistent content that is:

  • Reliable
  • Informational
  • Educational
  • Engaging

This considered—its difficulty—it’s essential that financial services companies seek out the right marketing for their businesses. Interested in learning more? Read on in the importance of digital marketing for financial services companies.

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What are the Benefits of Pricing Transparency?

Pricing Transparency

Imagine this: You’re on a family trip, searching for a restaurant to grab dinner. You find a restaurant on Yelp that looks great and go to scan their menu… There are no prices listed anywhere.

Chances are, this restaurant will lose your business immediately.

Let’s talk about pricing transparency. Better yet, Andrew Marr, CEO and Owner of Digital Storyteller is here to answer the question: What are the benefits of pricing transparency?

Let’s see what he has to say in the video below.

Why is Talking About Pricing Awkward?!

So, as a business owner, the question about pricing always comes up. There’s no way around it.

We recognize, however, that there are many reasons why you might be scared to openly talk about your pricing. These fears could range from thinking:

  • Your services are overpriced
  • You’re not qualified or experienced enough to be charging your rates (Helloooo, imposter syndrome!)
  • That you don’t want to face rejection (or acceptance…)
  • That your prospect will raise an objection about your pricing
  • It’s “mean” or you “feel badly” to charge a fair price

Or, you could just be plain shy! Or, you might have grown up with the idea that talking about money is taboo.

Regardless of what your fears are, as a business owner, you need to be willing to discuss your pricing—out in the open.

Our philosophy here at Digital Storyteller is to tell your prospects and/or your clients how much you charge. The fact of the matter is that they’re going to find out anyway.

Not convinced yet? Below, let’s discuss the main benefit of pricing transparency.

Pricing Transparency Leads to Trust

There are many benefits to being open about the pricing of your products and/or services.

Think back to our family trip dinner scenario… You can’t find any prices listed on their site or Yelp.

Chances are, within the course of a couple of minutes, this restaurant will have lost the potential for your business. The same rings true with your business if you fail to disclose your pricing.

Did you know that when a business voluntarily discloses its costs—regardless of what they might be—the prospect is more attracted to the brand?

Why? Because pricing transparency builds trust.

Try Your Best

Now’s the time to ask yourself: How transparent is my business? Be honest. If you were a prospect in your target demographic, who stumbled onto your site, would you be happy with the level of transparency there is (or lack of)? Or, as a result, would you start to look elsewhere for your product or service?

Did you know that, according to a recent survey, 86% of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) felt that a clear statement of pricing or costs was very or extremely important? Moreover, 38% of SMBs felt it difficult to build trust without pricing transparency.

We know, it’s not always possible to give a flat-out number as far as your services go. There’s a lot that can factor into what you charge.

At the very least, however, provide a range. Create articles and landing pages that explain to your prospects, “Even though we can’t give you an exact number, these are the factors that go into what we charge for our services. Here’s what XYZ clients typically pay for XYZ services.”

So, be transparent, it builds trust.

Our Pricing at Digital Storyteller

At Digital Storyteller, aside from our homepage, guess what page on our site is most visited? You guessed it—OUR PRICING PAGE! (See, analytical proof that people admire pricing transparency).

Again, in an effort to practice what we preach, here’s a breakdown of our prices for both ongoing content and website builds.

Speaking of including pricing on your website, interested in learning more about the qualities of a good site? Read on to learn how often you should redesign your website (and why…)

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Why is Organic Marketing Great for Financial Services Companies?

Why is Organic Marketing Great for Financial Services Companies?

When you think of ‘marketing,’ what do you think of?

Chances are the first place your head goes is to advertising—billboards, television commercials, magazines, Instagram ads, the list goes on.

We don’t blame you! We are bombarded by ads every day. In fact, did you know research shows every day the average person encounters between 6,000 to 10,000 ads? This is a massive jump, considering that back in the 70s, “it was reported that the average person saw between 500 to 1600 ads per day.”

But remember, advertising is just a small piece of the marketing pie. Although paid ads have their time and place there’s a better way to market yourself. (Psst… It’s called organic marketing).

Amanda Rogers, Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Digital Storyteller, talks about why organic marketing is great for financial services companies (and all companies for that matter!)

Let’s get into it.

The Mistake Many Business Owners Make

If you’re in the business-to-business (B2B) space and are trying to get more clients under your belt (as one does!), your thought process about doing so might go something like this:

  • “I’m going to put out some ads and tell people what I do.
  • Then, they’ll come to my website.
  • Then they’ll give me a call.
  • And BOOM! I’ll get clients.”

Sigh… if only it were that simple! In today’s world, paid advertising alone is not enough to attract the right clients. So, what else do you need in addition to occasional paid advertisements? Enter, organic marketing.

Paid vs. Organic Marketing: What’s the Difference?

Let’s make this simple.

Ads are about building awareness; organic content is about building trust. While different, BOTH are important to building a successful digital marketing strategy for your business.

As Amanda shares, there are often situations in which the two overlap even. “There are elements of organic content that also build awareness.” For example, integrating boosted posts into your organic social media strategy.

What Does Organic Marketing Actually Do?

Most importantly, you need to know the primary benefit of organic marketing: building trust. Organic marketing might include email marketing, a thought-out video strategy, blog content, etc.

The greatest benefit of all of these things, however, is that organic marketing increases the feeling that people have of knowing and trusting your brand.

Don’t get us wrong, there are certainly strong benefits of paid ads (which you can read more about here) but it shouldn’t be the only marketing effort your business is focused on.

However, as Amanda puts it, “If and when you do decide to do ads, [if] you’ve been doing a strong organic digital marketing push,” the benefit will be much greater.

  • Your domain authority will be higher
  • Your ads will show up in the top three search results
  • And most importantly, your ads will be supported by showing up on that first page of Google with an organic result

“This reinforces in the viewer’s mind, not only do I see their ad, but I also see that they are legitimately what I’m looking for,” says Amanda.

And the best part of all? If you’re paying less for ads, you have more money left over that you can spend on wine! What better motivation is that?

So, are you ready to save money on ads so you can spend it on wine? Us too. At Digital Storyteller, we specialize in organic marketing for financial services companies. If you’re looking for a digital marketing agency that will grow your business better than just pushing paid ads, contact our team today.

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Your Digital Marketing Budget: Cha-ching!

Marketing Budget

How Much Should You Allocate?

What if we told you that you can have your cake and eat it, too? Well, today’s your lucky day—because you can! While the world might tell you that you need to pay an arm and a leg for good marketing, at Digital Storyteller we say no thanks! Here’s how much you should really allocate to your digital marketing budget.

The Average Marketing Budget 

At this point, you might be asking yourself, “What’s considered a ‘good’ marketing budget?” or “What percentage of my profits should I allocate to marketing?”

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), “small businesses with revenues less than $5 million should allocate 7-8 percent of their revenues to marketing.”

However, there is no one size fits all approach when it comes to digital marketing budgets. Allocation depends on several factors according to the SBA:

  • The industry you’re in
  • Business size
  • Growth stage
  • Profit margins

Most importantly, however, your marketing budget should never be an afterthought, “based on just what’s left over once all your other business expenses are covered.”

Setting Your Marketing Budget

Crafting your marketing budget no longer requires the guesswork it used to. Here are six steps you can take, thanks to OutboundEngine, to set a successful marketing budget for your small business.

  • Step One: Identify where you are in your business journey
  • Step Two: Outline your sales funnel
  • Step Three: List operational costs

(Psst! At this point, you should know how much money is coming in and how much money is being expensed, which is a huge help).

  • Step Four: Set goals
  • Step Five: Identify competition in your industry
  • Step Six: Craft your marketing plan using all your research!

Something to remember: Don’t cling to your plan year-round! It will (hopefully!) change annually and could also be susceptible to change if something shifts in the market or if you launch a new product or service!

You’re Wasting Money on Facebook Ads…

At Digital Storyteller, we will not deny that having a marketing budget is important. It is, of course! But frankly, we’re just seeing too many companies spend ridiculous amounts of money on paid advertising, like Facebook ads.

In fact, did you know that companies spend an average of $200 to $800 on Facebook ads per month? An enterprise, however, may invest up to $5,000 per month on Facebook ads… Holy moly is all we can say!

And this is just on Facebook ads alone. One singular platform. For many companies, if not all, Facebook ads alone cannot carry your business and the success of your digital marketing strategy. (Sorry not sorry, Zuckerberg!)

For companies to succeed, it’s typical to expect both a blend of paid and organic initiatives in the marketing melting pot.

The Affordability of Outsourced Marketing

At Digital Storyteller, we believe that fragmented marketing wastes money and time and reduces impact. We also believe that you should be able to have your cake and eat it, too. Hell, you can go on vacation and still afford quality, effective marketing! 

(We should know since we market for ourselves the way we would any other client AND *cough cough* our owners just spent two weeks at the five-star Chileno Bay Resort in Cabo San Lucas—woot woot!)

At Digital Storyteller, we strive to be transparent, and we don’t think pricing should be a secret. This is why all of our pricing is broken down in full on our website for you to see.

For those in a pinch, here’s what we offer:

Our STARTER tier, priced at $3,000 a month, is perfect for the small business owner who needs marketing support to maintain or build an online presence.

Our most popular package, titled GROWTH, is priced at $5,000 a month and includes content creation, a social media strategy to align online presence with your current business identity, as well as sales enablement workflow assistance.

Lastly, our ENTERPRISE tier is for companies whose growth has outpaced their marketing. We are your outsourced marketing department focused on building your business with you. The enterprise package is priced at $8,000 a month.

We also offer a ​​stand-alone website design product starting at $8,500.

From SEO analysis to organic content creation, from sales enablement workflow creation in Hubspot to online reputation management and social media, we do it all at a fraction of the cost that hiring marketing in-house would be.If you couldn’t already tell, organic content marketing saves you money. In fact, content marketing is 62% less expensive than paid marketing and three times more effective. So, what are you waiting for!? For more on why digital marketing is important for your financial services company, read on.

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