AMA with Araminta Robertson on starting an agency and niching down

It's AMA time with Araminta Robertson, founder & MD at Mint Studios, a content marketing agency for fintech & financial services companies. They've been around since 2019, experiencing the ups and downs of the content marketing agency world.

Araminta's also a co-director and board member of the Fintech Marketing Hub—a community for fintech marketing. Araminta will be here for the next hour to answer your questions about running an agency, fintech marketing, and more!

I've got a question about niching down. We talked about that on the podcast, but you mentioned downsides to being niche. Could you expand on that?

Sure! We're niched both horizontally and vertically:

• Vertically: Fintech/financial services
• Horizontally: Content for lead generation

The two main downsides are:

1. Educating Prospects: Many want general content, but we focus on lead gen/BOFU content. It requires educating clients on our niche, often leading to reconnecting later once they understand our approach better.
2. Training Team Members: Because BOFU content in financial services is rare, we invest time and resources in training our writers, which I hadn't anticipated.

If I could go back, I might start with just vertical niching.

If a customer comes to you and says they just need content for a fintech company, do you say no?

Not exactly. I spend time understanding their motives. If they want mass content production without a lead-gen focus, we're likely not the best fit. But if they aim to generate leads, we educate them on BOFU content benefits over TOFU content.

You went from an in-house marketing job to having your own financial literacy website, then podcast, then agency. Were you ever a freelancer, or did you jump straight to an agency?

My LinkedIn isn't entirely accurate! From 2019 to 2022, I was freelancing under the Mint Studios name and website. The agency officially started in early 2022.

Can you share about building your niche website and scaling that into your agency?

After working in-house, I freelanced and launched the Mint Studios website. In early 2022, it transitioned into an agency.

As a freelancer, I got tired of creating ineffective content and shifted to BOFU strategies. After achieving good results, I realized a team was necessary to scale, leading to the agency's creation. Our content drives most inbound leads, highlighting its importance.

You mentioned BOFU content is your focus. What's typical high-performing BOFU content for fintechs?

BOFU content is essential for results. We begin by interviewing the client’s sales team to understand:

• Best customers
• Pain points

This helps us craft a BOFU-focused strategy. High-performing BOFU articles include:

• Comparison posts
• Pain point-focused posts
• Use case posts
• Pricing/money-related posts

For instance, we helped a client in the corporate expense card space by writing about a cheaper alternative to Amex, which brought in leads.

Do you have standard discovery questions for a sales team?

Yes, we have a list of questions but are flexible to explore interesting responses further. Some key questions are:

• Who are your best customers?
• How do they currently solve X and its cost?
• Is it possible for prospects to solve their problems without X?

Check our full list here: Research BOFU Content Marketing

You talked about tracking content ROI in HubSpot on the podcast. Can you share metrics to track?

Definitely! Check this article: Content Lead Quality. It outlines six HubSpot reports for tracking. I’m happy to discuss further if needed. We're also setting this up in Salesforce.

Regarding hiring writers with subject matter expertise, do you look for expertise or train them?

We focus more on writing skills, such as:

• Clarity of thought
• Conciseness
• Understanding features vs. benefits and pain points

We train writers on fintech topics, as knowledge is teachable, but writing skill is harder to instill.

What is unique about the fintech audience?

In B2B fintech:

• Advanced buyers: They have experience and require advanced content.
• Time-poor: They seek concise answers, not entertainment.
• Late-stage buyers: BOFU content must discuss the product for decision-making.

I've written more about this here: How to Write Product Content

What would you recommend for freelancers wanting to break into fintech writing?

Dive deep into the sector:

• Subscribe to fintech newsletters
• Follow experts on LinkedIn
• Engage with the fintech community

Consider joining the fintech marketing Slack group for opportunities: Fintech Marketing Hub Slack

Has demand for fintech content wavered recently compared to other industries?

Yes, fintech was hit hard recently, with content budgets often cut first. This makes advocating for BOFU content challenging, but we provide education to align client expectations with lead generation goals.

What's been the most unexpected aspect of running an agency vs. freelancing?

The sales process was surprising. Agency contracts are larger, requiring a robust sales strategy to differentiate and set client expectations. It's been fascinating, and I discovered a love for sales.

Any sales advice from your experience?

Read April Dunford's book! Obviously Awesome. Her advice on understanding prospects’ needs and comparing your solutions effectively is invaluable.

How important is ops in running an agency?

Ops are crucial. I learned as I went, initially overemphasizing SOPs. Focus on new business early on, as processes can evolve later.

Thank you, Araminta Robertson, for sharing your insights! Although I don't work in fintech, your answers provided many ideas for BOFU content. Everyone, give Araminta a big thanks! 👏