The Marketing Play That Got Millions to Finally Write a Will

Descripción

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2592686/fan_mail/new] Why Humor Is the Secret Weapon in Fintech Marketing... What if the most effective way to get people to do the thing they have been avoiding is to make them laugh first? In this episode, Roland sits down with Trust & Will CEO Cody Barbo to unpack how one fintech company took one of life’s most serious and uncomfortable topics, estate planning, and turned it into a high-performing, humor-driven growth engine. From viral commercials and memorable characters to a brand strategy built on being approachable instead of intimidating, Trust & Will is proving that humor is not just a creative choice. It is a conversion strategy. We break down: •Why laughter creates trust faster than logic •How Trust & Will built a category-defining brand in a space with no clear leader •The role of partnerships with banks and fintechs in driving massive distribution •Why giving away wills for free can actually increase AUM and retention •How AI is reshaping the future of estate planning and what it means for fintech •The behind-the-scenes startup grind, including printing thousands of wills in a coworking space If you are building in fintech, marketing to consumers, or trying to stand out in a “boring” category, this is a masterclass in turning tone into traction. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro and how Trust & Will’s ads first caught attention 00:37 – Making estate planning funny (yes, really) 01:49 – Why humor works in a traditionally serious category 02:34 – The origin of their marketing strategy 04:40 – Super Bowl ambitions and brand positioning 05:26 – Why banks and fintechs are key partners 08:40 – Estate planning as a retention and AUM strategy 10:34 – The power of co-branded distribution 14:14 – The origin story of “Trust & Will” 16:32 – Early startup days and finding product-market fit 20:34 – Scrappy operations (the “unlimited printing” hack) 21:56 – AI’s impact on the business 23:51 – Rebuilding the company AI-first 25:36 – Will creation in the age of AI 28:39 – Navigating compliance with financial institutions 29:47 – The surprisingly tricky question: who gets the kids? TL;DR: In fintech, the brands that win are not always the most serious. They are the most memorable. And sometimes, the shortest distance between a customer and action is a well-timed joke. Want to work with Propagate Fintech? Fill out a contact form at www.propagatefintech.com

The silent executive problem: how fintech brands are losing trust before the first sales call

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2592686/fan_mail/new] Most fintech brands are pouring budget into pipeline — but their executives are completely absent from the places buyers are actually paying attention. Roland breaks down why executive thought leadership is one of the highest-leverage, lowest-cost growth levers available, shares real examples of fintech leaders doing it right, and delivers a three-speed content playbook any team can start using today. Timestamps [00:00] — The problem: your best asset is invisible Your senior leaders are having genuinely interesting conversations every day — with customers, prospects, and their teams — and nobody knows because it's not being shared publicly. [01:15] — Who's doing it right: four fintech leaders worth watching * Jason Weida (Candescent) — relatable, funny, posts hot takes as himself. The brand gets warmer every time he shows up. * Brett King (Breaking Banks) — built the world's #1 fintech podcast, 7 million listeners, 180 countries. By being loud, opinionated, and everywhere. * Alex Johnson (Fintech Takes) — sharp voice, real engagement, consistent cadence. People wait for his next post without realizing it. * Ron Shevlin (Cornerstone Advisors / Forbes Fintech Snark Tank) — combines original research with humor. Proof you can be an executive, a researcher, and a personality at the same time. [03:10] — The stat that should wake everybody up 95% of B2B buyers are more receptive to outreach from companies whose executives publish thought leadership. (Edelman + LinkedIn research.) In fintech — where trust is everything and CAC is enormous — that is a competitive advantage. [04:30] — The reframe: this is not about becoming an influencer Not about posting every day. Not about going viral. It's about building one simple, repeatable system that makes content feel like a business asset instead of a chore. [05:15] — The playbook: crawl, walk, run [05:30] — Crawl: one post, once a month One LinkedIn post per month on something you actually have an opinion about. Use this formula: 1. Hook — stop the scroll with a specific moment or observation 2. Your take — what do YOU actually think? 3. Evidence — one stat, story, or example 4. Takeaway — one thing to do or think differently [08:00] — Walk: expand your surface area Get on a podcast at least once a month — your own or someone else's. Run bi-weekly or monthly content syncs with your team. Engage within the first hour of every post going live. The LinkedIn algorithm is watching. [10:45] — The repurposing flywheel: one post, five outputs 1. Pull the strongest sentence → next week's post 2. Main insight → newsletter paragraph 3. Record a 60-second video riffing on the same topic 4. Turn the takeaway into a question post 5. Repeat — before you create anything new, ask: did I get everything out of what I already made? [13:00] — A note on ghostwriting Ghostwriting isn't cheating. Your competition is using it. The execs you admire are using it. A good ghostwriter pulls the ideas out of your head and shapes them into content that sounds exactly like you — with zero extra lift on your end. [14:20] — Run: multi-voice, coordinated, on purpose Multiple people across your org posting consistently, connected to a single narrative. A content calendar built a month in advance with clear topics, clear ownership, and a predictable cadence. Active PR, media relationships, and stage time layered on top. [16:00] — The executive voice capture system A monthly 20-minute recorded conversation. Three questions every time: * What's one thing you observed in the market this month that surprised you? * What's one thing a customer or prospect said that you keep thinking about? * What's one thing the industry gets wrong that you see differently? Want to work with Propagate Fintech? Fill out a contact form at www.propagatefintech.com

16 de may de 202615 min

The Marketing Play That Got Millions to Finally Write a Will

Descripción

Comentarios

Empieza 7 días de prueba

Todos los episodios