For the fourth year in a row, Gregory FCA is heading to FinCon, an annual conference bringing together the financial media’s finest thought leaders including those who have made their name via traditional media and those who have emerged as new media stars. The conference started in 2011 as a way for financial bloggers to network, but has since grown exponentially to attract prominent media outlets and industry influencers, like Michael Kitces.
Its origins as a personal finance blogger and social media conference has given way to the financial industry’s realization that this community of power users, thought leaders and influencers have a lot of power. So financial services firms, big and small, sit up and take note – there should be a lot of useful information coming out of #FinCon17. For those of you attending or planning to follow along on social media, we put together four things we think the financial services industry should know about this conference:
1) There’s an opportunity to shine – and you don’t need a booth to do it
Every year, FinCon draws some of the biggest names in financial media. 2017 is no different with Ron Lieber of The New York Times, Liz Weston of NerdWallet and Diane Harris of NextAvenue on the speaking schedule, just to name a few.
Advisors have a unique opportunity to stand out to journalists and influential bloggers at FinCon. Because the conference isn’t heavily dominated by advisors like an RIA-focused event, it’s easier to make inroads with the media and spend ample time telling them about your specialties, experience and how you can serve as a resource for future stories.
2) An entire track of the conference is dedicated to financial advisors
Because of FinCon’s tremendous growth over the last several years, conference breakout sessions are now funneled into seven different tracks. One of them is now exclusively focused on financial advisors. These specialized sessions will go beyond traditional blogging and media workshops to include topics such as finding your firm’s niche, integrating digital advice and creating optimal content for mobile social media feeds.
3) Q&A offers a glimpse at what’s on consumers’ minds right now
One thing we love about FinCon is the ample Q&A time baked into the end of every session. Oftentimes, the conversations that ensue from panels and keynotes contain some of the most compelling takeaways from the conference.
We see great value in sticking around for these conversations because a lot of the financial bloggers are very much in tune with the consumer audience. What better way to get a glimpse of trending consumer concerns and questions related to money than from someone who speaks their language?
4) It’s a major draw for many promising fintech startups
For the past three years, FinCon has hosted a fintech competition where startup companies present their products and services to compete for future conference support and cash prizes. In the past, competitors have included mobile apps, stock analysis tools and DIY investing platforms.
While the entrants are in their early stages of growth and development, they must have seed or limited angel funding in order to qualify. This means the competitors are serious and whether they win the competition or not, you’re getting a front row seat to the future of fintech, not to mention potential partnership opportunities.
For live updates from #FinCon17 in Dallas, please follow my colleague Jess Emery and me this week.