3 Financial Blog Ideas for April

Normally in April, we suggest new spins on tried-and-true blog ideas for Financial Literacy Month and tax season. But this is (obviously) not a normal April. 

This is a difficult time for everyone, but also a tricky time to be a content marketer. Finding the right thing to say, striking the right tone – it’s all tough right now. But your audience wants to hear from you. They’re looking for guidance and reassurance—and as a financial marketer, you’ve got a lot of value to add.

Here are a few blog ideas that can help you connect with and care for your audience this month.

Topic #1: COVID-19

COVID-19 is all anyone is talking about right now—understandably so. Your messaging and content will vary based on how the crisis relates to your products or services, but the bottom line is that in a crisis, you should be communicating more than usual.

You may be struggling with getting the tone right as you roll out your updates. Our best advice is to get into the shoes of your audience as much as possible before you write a single word. This may sound obvious, but we’re seeing a lot of company-centric content in the financial space right now, and this is not the time to navel-gaze.

User-centric content always wins, and this is true now more than ever.

The Angle

• If your products/services have been impacted, address your company’s efforts transparently, kindly, and head-on. Lenders, for example, are you providing hardship assistance, offering deferred payments or forgoing interest payments? Make that information readily available on your homepage to build trust.
• Federal relief efforts like the $2 trillion CARES Act can help millions of Americans, from small-business owners to the recently unemployed. You can’t go wrong with helping people navigate their way to getting some help (check out Benefits.gov for resources).
• Even if they still have their jobs, your audience may be grappling with the new normal of working from home, juggling kids, and missing their friends and loved ones. Content that helps them cope with feelings of grief and uncertainty can be a welcome light in the fog of these run-together days. Remember, you can always interview an outside expert if the topic is outside your team’s wheelhouse.

Hashtags: #COVID-19 #Coronavirus #covid #stayhome

Blog Inspiration

• Coronavirus Effects (Moody’s)
• Resources to Help You Navigate the Market (Robinhood)
• How COVID-19 May Affect Your Money (Chime)

Topic #2: Recession is coming here

Just 10 days into widespread shelter-in-place orders, Fitch Ratings’ 2020 view went from “slow growth” to “deep global recession,” predicting world economic activity to decline by 1.9%. Bank of America Global Research predicts we’ll see the “deepest recession on record, nearly five times more severe than the postwar average.”

The Angle

• No one knows what the long-term outcome of a near-global shutdown will be, and consumer fear indexes are high right now. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), often used to measure consumer anxiety, is on track to outpace numbers seen in the Great Recession.
• 10 million+ people have filed for unemployment since the pandemic closures started nationwide. BofA predicts 16 to 20 million job losses—15.6% unemployment.
• Recession can be a tricky concept to understand. Explainers (like the difference between a ‘V-shaped’ recession and an ‘L-shaped’ one) and honest thought leadership can help ease the anxiety. 
• Worry is high right now, and we may not have seen the peak of our collective anxiety yet. In the coming weeks, you can be a force for good in your audience’s lives by providing honest, timely communication. Need inspiration? We’re loving the money hubs provided by publications like The New York Times.

Hashtags:  #recession, #Recession2020

Blog Inspiration

• Safeguarding Your Retirement in Turbulent Times (BlackRock)
• Roaring Into Recession (Goldman Sachs)
• How to Prepare for a Recession (Acorns)
• 5 Tips for First Time Investors During a Market Dip (Betterment)

Topic #3: Hope for the future

The heroes of today—health care workers, local officials and experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci—all say we still have a tough road ahead. But there will be another side, and many in our audience are keen to think about what’s next.

The Angle

• After weeks of heightened anxiety, it’s natural for people to want a break from the bad news. Try solutions-oriented guidance/industry news—or even a good news roundup.
• Right now there’s a lot of speculation about when we’ll return to business as usual, but we all know that the economy, markets, and world as we know it won’t be the same. If your company has insights about what the ‘new, new normal’ might look like when we finally emerge from this cocoon, your readers will be grateful to hear from you.

Hashtags: #GoodNewsOfTheDay, #Solutions

Blog Inspiration

• What Should You Do With Your Stimulus Check? (Ellevest)
• Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently—Here’s How (Politico)

Look Ahead: May Topics

• Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting (May 2) – Virtual meeting with Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. Live-streamed on Yahoo
• Mother’s Day (May 12)
• National 529 Savings Day (May 29)

What are you blogging about this month? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments section!