Key Article Takeaways
- The Rise of Fintech Space and Media Transformation Are Interconnected
- Non-Traditional Media Channels Are Redefining Industry Narratives
- Trust, Transparency, and Community Drive Audience Engagement
- Brands Must Vet and Strategically Engage with New Channels
- Fintech Marketing Must Evolve Toward Personalization and Community
Why Non-Traditional Media Are Growing in FinTech
A niche disruptor a decade ago, today financial technology drives how people and businesses interact with money. Global fintech funding in H1 2025 recorded $44.7B with 2,216 deals and continues to show strong, sustainable growth. Fintech, which encompasses a broad range of products and services, including mobile banking apps, digital payment systems, online lending platforms, and cryptocurrencies, to name a few, has been reshaping the infrastructure of finance and redefining how brands are reaching their target audiences to build recognition and loyalty.
Meanwhile, the media landscape as we know it has evolved tremendously. Traditional media outlets are no longer the only ones shaping fintech industry narratives. Widespread layoffs and budget cuts forced some journalists to go independent and carve out their own following and audiences. In 2023, at least 8,000 news media job cuts, while in 2024 there were around 4,000 journalism industry job losses in the UK and US. Simultaneously, trust in traditional media outlets has been declining. About two-thirds of Americans in the 1970s trusted the mass media, such as newspapers, TV and radio. Last year that number plummeted to 31%. Information overload, misinformation as well as political bias all have played a major role in that decline. Finally, with smartphones and internet access becoming nearly universal, consumer expectations have been evolving as more readers have been consuming news on their own terms, often expecting on-demand and app-based access to information.
The explosion of the fintech sector and the dynamically changing news environment have led to establishing non-traditional news and information channels for those seeking deep-dive interviews and analysis of the increasingly complex financial technology landscape. Developed and managed by seasoned individuals often with in-depth financial reporting expertise, these new spaces tend to be more authentic and increasingly better at building trust-based communities.
However, this new ecosystem requires a refreshed playbook. Fintech brands need to experiment, adapt, and learn how to establish relationships rooted in trust to develop genuine connections with their audiences.
What Are Non-Traditional Media Channels
Non-traditional media channels are digital and mobile, and leverage streaming services and influencer marketing to engage with audiences in a direct way while delivering personalized messages and content spanning thought leadership, POV, and proprietary data. They include:
- Podcasts and audio platforms, including social influencers, vendors in the space that have developed influence and former media and content producers. Examples to explore are FinTech Business podcast hosted by Jason Mikula, a fintech influencer and a writer of a Substack newsletter, Fintech Business Weekly. FinTech Business podcast offers a quick overview of the latest news and trends in the industry; Fintech Insider podcast developed by a fintech consultancy, 11:FS, which covers fintech, banking, and financial services; and FINTECH.TV, a media platform focused on digital and impact investing. FINTECH.TV earlier this year acquired Breakout Audio, an audio-based social network, to expand its multi-platform distribution to digitally native audiences.
- Influencer-driven finance content on social media. Examples worth following are Alex Johnson, a former credit expert turned full-time fintech writer and a founder of Fintech Takes, a media brand focused on the intersection of financial services, technology, and public policy; and Efi Pylarinou, a renowned global fintech thought leader with 200K+ followers on LinkedIn, who regularly publishes articles, weekly videos, and podcasts.
- Newsletters & Substack publications founded by former journalists, for example: Julie VerHage-Greenberg, who, as a former Bloomberg reporter, co-founded Fintech Today newsletter on Substack. It offers deep insights to paid subscribers that have grown from Julie’s reporting background; as well as Alex Konrad, a former senior editor at Forbes, who established his own news brand and newsletter, Upstarts Media, where he covers tech, fintech and VC topics.
- Niche fintech blogs and forums are emerging platforms, such as This Week in Fintech, a newsletter with 10K+ subscribers and a community created by Nik Milanović who covers media-worthy fintech narratives; and Finextra, community-driven blogs in which 40K+ contributors write about regulation, open banking, CBDCs, ESG in finance, etc.
Opportunities and Considerations with Non-Traditional Media Channels
The new digital information landscape offers a tremendous opportunity for fintech brands to reach key decision makers, buyers, thought leaders and peers in a direct and authentic way. These platforms offer democratized access allowing early stage-startups to engage target audiences without allocating big budgets for advertising and marketing with traditional media outlets. The community aspect of non-traditional media channels has viral potential for ideas to spread quickly, helping companies build strong brand recognition and credible thought leadership. Also, these spaces emphasize trust and transparency allowing companies and experts to foster deeper conversations and stronger brand alignment.
However, given the sheer number of contributors and creators and the new process for creating and distributing content in this new ecosystem means that these resources might be at risk for delivering misinformation or biased information. And, since the fintech sector is a high-trust, highly regulated industry, brands need to strategically vet those channels before engaging:
- Explore credibility and reputation of the creator and the channel.
- Evaluate whether the content is high-quality and it aligns with the company’s brand and messaging.
- Investigate compliance around disclaimers and disclosures. (Are they transparent about whether content is promotional or sponsored?)
- Investigate engagement patterns across several social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.
- Research influence against community feedback and peer recognition (e.g., on forums like Reddit).
FinTech Brands Need to Fundamentally Shift How They Market Services
The emerging media and new channels focused on the fintech industry continue to make strides in reaching mainstream users and as well as small businesses and low-income individuals which are increasingly becoming large portions of the customer base. To embrace and leverage the current trends effectively, fintech marketing and PR teams should continue to:
- Focus on AI-driven personalization of messaging and narratives.
- Grow presence on decentralized social platforms.
- Put emphasis on community-led conversations and engagements.
To effectively reach the desired audience, companies will need to balance authenticity, transparency, and compliance while experimenting with new formats and building genuine, lasting connections with both creators who can become brand ambassadors and advocates, and their target audiences – potential customers.
In a space where trust is paramount, fintech brands that lean into credibility and authenticity will have an opportunity to break away from the pack and gain and sustain a loyal customer base.