Kelly Waltrich, CEO of the finserv growth consultancy Intention.ly, works with some of the fastest-growing companies in the industry.

From her vantage point advising and supporting fintech marketing and executive teams, she sees the clear patterns that stall firm growth.

We asked Kelly to share the 10 most common fintech marketing mistakes she and her team at Intention.ly see, and what firms should be doing differently to reach their growth potential.

1. Not investing in brand early enough

Too many fintechs wait until “later” to build a brand, developing the written and visual identity that’s unique to their firm alone.

But brand is performance. It shortens sales cycles, improves trust, and builds momentum. The longer you delay it, the harder growth gets

2. Failing to align messaging with what your audience needs

You can’t build trust if you don’t speak your audience’s language or understand what their challenges are. Too often, firms conflate “messaging” with features and technical language, but for it to be effective, it needs to be grounded in your audience’s real pain points, motivations, and goals.

3. Overlooking the role of relationships in financial services

Connection still drives conversion, especially in wealth, asset management, and advisor tech. Firms that invest in relationship-building win faster and stick longer.

What does that look like in practice? Being consistent and authentic on social media, building communities of product advocates, and using your marketing to educate, inspire, and provide valuable information (not just sell).

4. Underutilizing executive and founder personal brands

People follow people. Founders and leaders who show up consistently build trust that no logo can match. These are the people who should be your firm’s biggest brand ambassadors, regularly sharing insights on LinkedIn, speaking at industry events, and being visible in the conversations that matter to your target market.

5. Neglecting martech and data infrastructure

A messy marketing ops foundation leads to missed opportunities, unclear attribution, and wasted spend. Think of martech as a powerful growth enabler, not an afterthought. Invest early in clean data practices, proper tracking implementation, and integrated systems that give you a single source of truth for measuring what’s working.

6. Applying SMB marketing tactics to enterprise sales cycles

Enterprise buyers need education, reassurance, and multi-touch strategies. That requires a different motion than self-serve SaaS. Approach enterprise sales with a long-term mindset and take the time to understand what your audience needs at each stage of the nuanced, complex buyer’s journey.

7. Relying too much on paid acquisition

Paid media has its place, but firms that neglect organic channels, SEO, PR, and thought leadership limit their long-term efficiency and visibility. Think about it: buyers that resonate with your paid advertising are still going to do their due diligence by researching your website, leadership, client testimonials, and social media accounts. Putting in the organic effort is like adding jet fuel to your paid media fire.

8. Overcomplicating product messaging

If you can’t explain what you do in one sentence, it’s time to simplify. Clarity is your most powerful asset. Often, messaging becomes word salad because too many stakeholders weigh in. Rather than focusing on what you think you do best, talk to your best clients. They’ll tell you in clear and simple language how you’ve changed their lives.

9. Going to market without the right foundation

A strong launch needs more than a product. It needs a defined ICP, differentiated positioning, and a coordinated GTM plan. We see fintechs rushing to launch because they’re excited about their product or want to be first to market, but without these foundational elements, even the best solutions struggle to gain real traction after the initial buzz.

10. Creating content without a distribution strategy

Even great content will flop if no one sees it. The strongest fintechs invest just as much in distribution as they do in creation. Build your distribution channels before you need them. Email lists, social followings, and media relationships take time to develop but are essential for amplifying your message.

Kelly, what’s the takeaway for fintech leaders?

Great marketing isn’t just about getting louder. It’s about getting sharper. The fintechs that win are the ones who align their marketing with how their audience actually makes decisions, and who treat marketing as a strategic and necessary function, not just a support department.

That’s what we do every day at Intention.ly, and why we build marketing engines that scale with intention.

Kelly Waltrich, Co-Founder and CEO | LinkedIn Profile

For 20 years, Intention.ly Co-founder Kelly Waltrich has been championing the role of marketing in the financial services industry. As former Chief Marketing Officer at eMoney Advisor and Orion Advisor Solutions, she proved time and again that there is no better driver of an organization’s growth and overall success than a well-run marketing and communications team. At eMoney and Orion, Waltrich built powerhouse marketing teams from the ground up, developing the engines that would fuel the highest periods of growth for both companies.

She designed the strategy behind several successful rebrands, acquisitions, and product launches—including spearheading the development of two advisor marketing products—while creating unmatched overall brand visibility and helping to turn company executives into industry thought leaders. Through forward-thinking demand generation, PR, and product marketing, Waltrich created a consistent inbound pipeline for both firms, driving CAC down and SOV up

Intention.ly is the culmination of every lesson Waltrich has learned thus far in her tenure as a marketing disruptor, born from her passion and persistent belief that when it’s done right, marketing is the accelerant financial services firms need to transform their growth trajectory.

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