Designing Your Content Strategy for Finance & Business Creators: Mastering Evergreen & Trending Topics

Zhiqi Shi
Zhiqi Shi

CEO @ Recap

Content StrategyFinance MarketingInvesting TrendsPersonal FinanceAI in Finance
2025-06-25 · 8 min read

I. Understand Market Trends and User Behavior

To identify high-potential topics, you first need to analyze current trends, what users are actively searching for, and how they search. Understanding the financial planning needs and wealth mindset of your audience is paramount.

1. Popular Topics & User Psychology Finance content thrives on addressing core user needs for control, security, growth, freedom, simplicity, clarity, fear mitigation, trust, and relatability. It often taps into the desire for financial freedom.

  • Evergreen Core Topics (consistently popular): Budgeting & Saving, Investing Basics (including Investing 101for beginners), Debt Management, Emergency Funds, Credit Scores. These are fundamental pillars of personal financial planning.
  • Trending Topics (current high interest, e.g., mid-2025): Inflation Hedging strategies, High-Interest Savings Accounts (HISAs), the impact of AI & Investing (and AI in Finance more broadly), Sustainable/ESG Investing, and navigating Market Volatility.

A content creator is building personal branding.

2. Aligning Content Formats with Creator Strengths Match topics with formats that best amplify your "Pragmatic Financial Guide" persona. Your ability to simplify complex financial concepts and offer actionable advice is key to effective financial planning.

  • Video (YouTube, Reels, TikTok): Excellent for step-by-step guides, visual explanations (charts, demos), and simplifying complex topics – leverage your ability to simplify and use real-world examples, especially for investing basics or debt payoff strategies.
  • Audio (Podcasts): Ideal for in-depth discussions, expert interviews, and market commentary – build trust through calm, measured insights, perhaps discussing the impact of AI on finance or global market trends.
  • Image/Text (Instagram, LinkedIn, Infographics): Great for quick tips, stats, and summaries – distill complex ideas into actionable advice for quick budgeting & saving tips or explaining High-Interest Savings Accounts.
  • Long-Form Text (Blogs, Newsletters): Best for detailed analyses, comprehensive guides, and SEO – reinforce your grounded, pragmatic advice with well-researched breakdowns, perfect for detailed guides on inflation hedging or comprehensive financial planning.

II. Learn from What’s Working

Studying top-performing creators offers powerful shortcuts. By reverse-engineering their success, you can spot patterns that consistently work across personal financial planning and broader business finance topics.

Creator / ChannelNichePlatformStyle & Format StrengthKey Takeaways for Your Content Strategy
Graham StephanPersonal finance, real estateYouTubeHigh energy, breaks down financial strategies in detailConsistent long-form content, deep dives, relatable storytelling, clear CTAs for investing basics.
NerdWalletAll-around personal financeBlog, YouTube, PodcastData-driven comparisons, product explainers, expert tipsAuthority via research, evergreen guides, strong SEO, simplified comparisons (e.g., for HISAs).
The Plain BagelInvestment educationYouTubeClear analogies, simple visuals, no hypeClean, visual breakdowns, consistent educational focus, vital for explaining AI & Investing.
Ramit SethiMoney psychology, wealth mindsetBlog, Podcast, YouTubeBold takes, behavior-driven, wealth-focused strategiesOpinionated, psychology-based insights, high-value upgrades, fostering a wealth mindset.
Common Cents (Kristin Myllenbeck)Sustainable, value-driven financeTikTok, Instagram, YouTubeFast, engaging tips, values-based contentAdapts serious topics to short-form trends, builds community around beliefs, relevant for Sustainable/ESG Investing.

Strategy Lessons:

  • Audience segmentation: Niche down by demographic or belief (e.g., millennials, sustainable finance).
  • Visual storytelling: Simplify complex ideas with graphics and analogies (like The Plain Bagel) – especially crucial for topics like inflation hedging or the complexities of AI in finance.
  • Practicality: Viewers want advice they can use now (like Graham Stephan’s how-tos) – focusing on actionable steps for debt management or budgeting & saving.
  • Consistency & credibility: Show up regularly with solid, helpful content (NerdWallet’s strength) – building trust for your financial planning advice.
  • Multi-platform fluency: Adapt your message to fit formats—from 60-second Reels to 10-minute YouTube essays – covering everything from quick market volatility updates to in-depth investing 101.
  • Psychological insight: Understand why people make money choices to stand out (Ramit Sethi’s advantage) – this is where the wealth mindset truly comes into play.

III. Build Your Content Topic Library

Combining your creator strengths, audience insights, and what’s proven to work, you can now build a high-leverage content library. This ensures comprehensive coverage across financial planning and wealth-building topics.

1. Evergreen Core Topics (Attract long-term organic traffic)

  • “The Only Budgeting & Saving System You’ll Ever Need”
    • A simple, downloadable template + practical walkthrough for effective budgeting.
  • “Investing 101: Your First Step to Building Real Wealth”
    • Intro for beginners. Focus on passive, long-term strategies like index funds, covering investing basics.
  • “Debt Demystified: How to Pay It Off Without Sacrificing Everything”
    • Covers debt snowball/avalanche, real-world application for effective debt management.
  • “Emergency Funds: Your Financial Superpower (And How to Build One from $0)”
    • Emphasizes safety and step-by-step methods for all income levels, crucial for personal financial planning.

2. Trending/Timely Topics (Boost relevance and engagement)

  • “Inflation-Proofing Your Savings: What Actually Works in 2025”
    • Compare TIPS, I-Bonds, practical advice à la NerdWallet, focusing on inflation hedging.
  • “What’s the Deal with High-Interest Savings Accounts (HISAs)? Are They Right for You?”
    • Clear explainer + examples of current best rates and banks, addressing a key current financial product.
  • “AI & Your Investments: A Realistic Look Beyond the Hype”
    • What practical investors need to know—not just tech speculation, covering AI in finance.
  • “Mid-2025 Market Outlook: What Smart Investors Should Focus On Amidst Market Volatility”
    • Calm, grounded analysis with a long-term lens, crucial for navigating current economic shifts.
  • "The Rise of Sustainable/ESG Investing: Making Money While Making a Difference"
    • Focus on ethical and impact investing strategies, reflecting growing interest.

3. Differentiated Topics (Show off your unique value)

  • “The Psychology of Saving: What’s Actually Holding You Back from a Wealth Mindset?”
    • Behavioral finance insights with practical solutions for achieving financial freedom.
  • “Real-World Wealth: Case Studies of Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things”
    • Inspiring + relatable financial journeys, showcasing diverse paths to financial freedom.
  • “Beyond the Stock Market: Alternative Investments for Regular Folks”
    • Real estate trusts, small biz investing, pragmatic breakdowns.
  • “Financial Freedom without Deprivation: A Realistic Path to Wealth”
    • A counterpoint to extreme FIRE. Practical, balanced, life-positive financial planning.

A content creator is building personal branding.

Conclusion

No matter your niche, building a strong content strategy means combining data analysis, emotional insight, successful creator models, and your unique voice. This approach ensures your content is relevant, actionable, and differentiated—giving you a long-term edge in the crowded creator space, helping your audience achieve their financial planning goals and cultivate a strong wealth mindset.

References