Want to Break into Fintech Marketing? Here’s How to Get Past the Gatekeepers and Join the Team 👮♂️
No Fintech Background? No Problem.
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Harvard Business Review: Marketers are slashing social media spend—it’s overcrowded, ROI is weak, and retail media is rising fast. Consumers are fatigued, and tracking impact is tough. The fix?
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TL;DR
Want into fintech marketing? Forget the MBA. You don’t need a degree—just curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to learn. Understand fintech, learn digital marketing and content creation. Leverage your existing skills, start small, and network like crazy. The door's open if you're ready to push through.
Want to Break into Fintech Marketing? Here’s How to Get Past the Gatekeepers and Join the Team 👮♂️
Lately, I keep getting the same question:
“How do I break into fintech marketing?”
Here’s the good news:
You don’t need a fancy finance degree or insider connections.
I didn’t have either.
Yet here I am—leading marketing teams for fintech startups in Dublin and Dubai, scaling Ireland’s first digital bank to 100k customers, and snagging every major marketing award along the way.
Think there’s some secret sauce you’re missing?
There isn’t.
If you’re interested, you’re halfway there.
Here’s what I’m about to cover:
My unconventional journey into fintech marketing (no finance degree required)
Step-by-step guide to get your foot in the door—even with zero experience
Key fintech players by region (know the names, know the game)
The Rabbit Hole - For those who want to explore more
My Unconventional Journey into Fintech Marketing 🚣♂️
I wish I could tell you I had a master plan.
I didn’t.
No marketing degree, no finance qualifications.
What I did have was a background in digital media, a relentless curiosity for new tech, and a "let's give it a shot" attitude.
It all started when I saw an ad for a digital bank called RaboDirect.
Their mission?
Disrupt Ireland’s bloated banking sector, rife with fees and bureaucracy.
I was hooked.
I applied for their Head of Digital Marketing role—totally unqualified.
So, I crammed a $50 Google certification course on SEO, Google Ads, and analytics the week before my interview. That crash course turned out to be more useful than five years of college.
Today, it would be like getting certified in OpenAI or machine learning.
And guess what?
They hired me as their Digital Marketing Manager.
I stayed for 8 years, eventually becoming Head of Marketing. We won every major marketing award in the market, scaled to 100k customers, and hit $5 billion under management.
Turns out, you don’t always need the “right” experience—just the right mindset and a bit of audacity.
That’s how my fintech journey started.
Here are some of the ads I created:
This ad from the financial crisis—definitely not your typical bank ad.
These are two more ads I created to reposition the bank as a savings specialist. Again, waaaaay different from the traditional bank ads at the time.
Step 1: Understand What Fintech Actually Is (Because No One Else Will Explain It to You)
Fintech is what happens when finance meets Silicon Valley.
Fintech is financial services for people who’d rather face a zombie apocalypse than go to a bank. I’m not exaggerating—there are studies showing millennials would literally rather visit the dentist than their local bank.
Fintech is all about making finance fast, easy, and digital. Think of it as the Netflix of money.
No more standing in line at a bank. Instead, you’re using apps to manage everything—from paying bills to investing in stocks—while lounging in your pajamas.
Fintech is transforming traditional finance with innovations like:
Mobile payments: Think Apple Pay
Robo-advisors: Apps like Betterment
Peer-to-peer lending: Platforms like LendingClub
Crowdfunding: Kickstarter and the like.
After the 2008 financial crisis, big banks got bogged down by regulations and forgot how to innovate.
Fintech startups saw the gap—and jumped in.
Step 2: Why Fintech Marketing is a Different Animal
Marketing fintech isn’t like selling sneakers or apps.
People are nervous.
You’re asking them to trust a faceless app with their money—and most people aren’t exactly excited about that.
Trust is everything.
Fintech moves fast, but strict regulations can’t be ignored.
Marketing strategies must comply with local laws like KYC (identity verification), AML (fraud prevention), and data privacy (GDPR in Europe).
In regions like MENA and Asia, central banks may control product launches, so positioning your product as secure and compliant is essential.
Your job as a fintech marketer is to convince people that putting their money into an app is not only safe but better than the bank they’ve used for years.
Not so easy, right?
Here’s what you need to focus on:
Building Trust: People are nervous about fintech. You have to reassure them that their money is safe. Use security features, testimonials, and be transparent.
Transparency: No hidden fees. Fintech customers expect honesty. If there’s a fee, tell them why. They’ll appreciate it—and trust you more.
Speed and Convenience: Fintech is all about "now." You’ll market services that let people send money instantly, open accounts quickly, and do everything from their phone.
Your job is to make people realise they deserve better.
Your fintech product is the answer.
Step 3: The Skills You Need (No MBA Required)
No MBA required, but you do need:
Digital Marketing Skills: Social media, content, SEO, PPC, email—you need it all. Can’t run multi-channel campaigns? Time to learn.
Data Nerd: Fintech runs on data. If you can’t crunch Google Analytics, Excel, or CRM tools, you’re behind.
Customer Obsession: Features are nice, but solving problems sells. Understand your customers pain points and speak to them.
Tech-Savvy: APIs, blockchain, payment systems—get familiar. You don’t need to code, but you should understand the basics.
Step 4: Getting Your Foot in the Door (Even if You Have Zero Experience)
Here's how:
Leverage What You Know: Transfer your existing college or marketing skills into fintech. Companies value fresh perspectives over specific finance knowledge.
Start Small: Join a startup. They're hungry for talent and less fixated on formal qualifications. You'll learn fast and wear many hats.
Network Like Your Life Depends on It: Fintech is a close community. Attend events like Money20/20 or FinTech Week (nearly every major city has one), join LinkedIn groups and make connections. One good contact can change everything.
Step 5: The Fintech Marketing Career Ladder
Here’s how you climb:
Digital Marketing Specialist: Manage social, email, and campaigns. Learn the ropes across multiple channels.
Content Manager: Got storytelling skills? Use them to explain fintech in simple, engaging ways. Blogs, videos, whitepapers—you’ll be the go-to person for educating the audience.
Product Marketing Manager: Launch new products and features. You’ll be the bridge between marketing and product development.
Growth Marketing Manager: All about numbers. You’ll focus on user acquisition, engagement, and retention—testing, tweaking, and scaling.
Head of Marketing/CMO: Lead the entire strategy. You’ll oversee the brand, manage teams, and shape the company’s direction.
Step 6: Know the Key Players
To break into fintech marketing, you need to know the heavyweights:
North America: Stripe (payment processing), Square (POS systems for small businesses), Robinhood (investment for retail investors)
Europe: Revolut (digital banking), N26 (mobile-first banking), TransferWise (cross-border payments)
Asia: Ant Financial (payments and finance), Paytm (mobile wallet), GrabPay (super app services)
MENA: Tap Payments (MENA payments), Tabby (buy-now-pay-later), Sarwa (investment platform)
Step 7: Practical Tips to Break into FinTech Marketing
Want to stand out?
Here’s what you need to do:
Start a Fintech Blog or Newsletter: This is an excellent way to learn about the industry. Network by interviewing key players in fintech startups.
Set Up Google Alerts for Fintech Startups: Be the first to know when a startup gets funded. Startups with fresh funding need marketing talent.
Monitor AngelList (now Wellfound): One of the best platforms to find fintech startup roles. Get insights into company size, funding, and founders.
Read TechCrunch: Stay informed on the latest trends and funding news.
Remote Work Opportunities: Many fintech startups embrace remote work—check sites like Remotely and Remote OK.
Engage in FinTech Communities: Join discussions in Reddit’s fintech thread. Networking on Reddit is underrated but effective.
My Final Thoughts
There’s no single path into fintech marketing.
Fintech is a high-growth, high-reward sector.
The hardest part is getting your foot in the door. Once you do, the possibilities are endless. Start with the skills you have, network like crazy, and always be ready to adapt.
Before long, you’ll find yourself leading marketing for the next big fintech disruptor.
The Rabbit Hole - For Those Who Want to Go Deeper
Check out these hand-picked resources:
This is one of the classic must-read books.
"The PayPal Wars" is a no-fluff, insider look at how PayPal survived the dot-com crash and overcame huge obstacles to dominate online payments.
How to get a job in fintech in 2024: If you want a job in fintech (not just fintech marketing), this article breaks down everything you need to know—from understanding the industry, navigating job roles, and what skills you need, to how to stand out in a competitive market.
r/fintech: This is a Reddit thread to discuss how technology is changing financial services. It’s a community of fintech enthusiasts bubbling up new tools, technologies and platforms in various industries, including (but not necessarily limited to) banking, payments, insurance, investing, and lending.