In a hyper-competitive sector like finance, where customer trust, speed to market, and digital visibility are paramount, knowing what your competitors are doing is essential.
Competitor research for finance marketing gives your brand the intelligence to move strategically rather than reactively, improving campaign outcomes, positioning, and long-term market share.
From pricing strategies and campaign messaging to channel selection and content formats, competitor analysis arms marketers with data that supports smarter, faster decisions. But what should you analyse, and how can you turn that data into action?
This guide explores what to examine, which tools to use, and how competitor research has helped real-world forex brands sharpen their marketing edge.
Why Competitor Analysis is Critical in Finance Marketing
Financial services, including sectors like forex trading, digital banking, and payments, are crowded with lookalike offerings and aggressive customer acquisition tactics. In this environment, visibility is currency, and differentiation is survival.
A well-structured competitor research strategy helps you:
- Identify untapped customer segments
- Understand what’s working (or failing) for others
- Avoid duplicating costly mistakes
- Spot emerging trends and tech
- Benchmark your performance realistically
- Shape your positioning, pricing and narrative
- Justify budget allocations with evidence
Put simply, it reduces guesswork and provides a strategic edge.
Read more on how to conduct market analysis for your finance brand.
What to Analyse in Competitor Research
Effective competitor research for finance marketing requires looking beyond surface-level branding and into the operational tactics behind it. Here’s what to focus on:
1. Products & Services
- What are their core offerings?
- Are they pushing derivatives, crypto CFDs, AI-based investing, or micro-savings tools?
- Are new features launched frequently?
- What’s the user experience like?
Tip: Compare product onboarding journeys and feature stacks. Tools like BuiltWith can reveal tech used (e.g., CRM, payment gateways, security layers).
2. Pricing & Fees
- Are competitors charging lower spreads or promoting zero-commission trading?
- Do they advertise these fees transparently?
- Are there account tiers, and what do they include?
Pricing is a direct influence on conversion. Use competitor pricing models to reassess your own positioning, especially if customer acquisition is slowing.
3. Messaging & Brand Positioning
- What emotional hooks or USPs are they using?
- Are they appealing to safety, speed, technology, or low costs?
- Is the tone formal, aspirational, tech-first, or rebellious?
This insight helps align your copy, value proposition, and tone to either match the market or deliberately contrast it.
4. Marketing Channels & Formats
- Are they investing heavily in YouTube pre-rolls, Google Search, or influencer marketing?
- What topics dominate their blog or LinkedIn?
- What’s their social engagement like?
Check out our guide to market research for forex brokers.
Tools That Power Smart Competitor Research
Today’s competitor research is not about guesswork, it’s driven by data. Here are three essential tools for finance marketers:
1. SEMrush
Ideal for SEO and paid search insights. You can discover:
- Which keywords competitors rank for (organic and paid)
- Their backlink profile
- Display ad copy and frequency
- Content gaps you can fill
Pro tip: Use the “Traffic Journey” feature to see how people are finding their sites.
2. Similarweb
Provides an overview of:
- Total monthly web traffic
- Traffic sources (direct, search, social, referral)
- Visitor demographics
- Top referring sites
This is especially useful for evaluating demand generation strategies and content success.
3. BuiltWith
Great for tech stack analysis. See:
- CRM, analytics tools, hosting providers
- Payment platforms
- Security tools (SSLs, firewalls)
Knowing a competitor uses advanced CRO or analytics software might inspire your next tech investment.
How Competitor Research Helped this Forex Broker Pivot
This is a case-study of a mid-tier forex broker in the Middle East that had noticed a decline in demo signups and a rise in CPA (cost per acquisition). Instead of ramping up budget, they decided to invest in research.
Using SEMrush, they analysed top-ranking content from global competitors like eToro, FXTM, and IG. They found these firms were:
- Focusing on educational hubs and SEO
- Running YouTube ads targeting “how to trade forex” searches
- Building communities on Telegram and Discord
- Offering beginner-friendly content in multiple languages
They also saw a competitor retargeting ads promoting no-fee deposits and bonuses at key calendar points like NFP weeks.
What they did next:
- Translated and localised core site pages for Arabic, Hindi, and Urdu
- Built a 6-week content plan around low-competition forex keywords
- Switched budget from Facebook to YouTube and added a “Learn Forex” series
- Implemented site chatbots based on UX tools used by competitors
The result:
CPA dropped significanlty within three months, demo accounts rose and organic traffic increased.
Actioning the Insights: Turning Data into Strategy
Data is only powerful when it drives action. Here’s how to turn competitor research into marketing decisions:
1. Refine Your Positioning
If everyone’s promising “tight spreads,” shift to something deeper: trust, transparency, or trader education. Avoid swimming in the same messaging pool.
2. Improve Content Relevance
Identify the gaps your competitors aren’t addressing. Are they ignoring mobile traders? Women investors? Islamic finance? Create content clusters that address those gaps, and use their missed keywords.
3. Optimise Paid Campaigns
Adapt your media buying based on what’s proven effective elsewhere:
- If a competitor gets 40% of traffic from YouTube, test video ads
- If they run seasonal bonus campaigns, analyse timing and format
- Reverse-engineer ad creatives using SEMrush or Meta Ad Library
4. Evolve Your Product
If your competitors offer unique features (like automated risk tools or gamified trading), evaluate how hard it would be to build similar ones, or better yet, innovate beyond them.
Final Thoughts
Competitor research for finance marketing is no longer optional. It’s a strategic imperative for brands that want to stay visible, relevant, and profitable. By dissecting what others are doing well, or poorly, you can spot trends early, improve your positioning, and make evidence-led marketing decisions.
Need Help with Finance Competitor Research?
Whether you’re a forex broker, fintech firm, or payments provider, our team can help you uncover competitive insights and turn them into revenue-generating strategies. Contact our team now and let’s get started.
FAQs
Q: How often should I conduct competitor research in the finance sector?
A: Quarterly is a good baseline, but you should monitor SEO rankings, ads, and major campaigns monthly, especially during high-volatility periods like central bank meetings or geopolitical events.
Q: Can smaller finance brands compete with big players using competitor research?
A: Absolutely. In fact, competitor research levels the playing field by showing where big players are vulnerable or slow to adapt.
Q: What’s the difference between market analysis and competitor research?
A: Market analysis is broader, focusing on industry trends, customer needs, and opportunities. Competitor research zeroes in on what specific rivals are doing.
