Trader-funded firms (TFFs), commonly mistaken for prop trading firms, enjoy a broad spectrum of marketing strategies and tools due to their classification as non-financial entities. This status grants them more accessible access to marketing, especially paid advertising, since there are minimal restrictions on significant platforms like Google Ads and Meta (Facebook and Instagram)—dedicated Forex cloud solutions with stable and fast cross-border connections capable of high-demand scenarios.
Exploring the Viability and Impact on Prop Firm Risk Management
Despite the competitive and often costly nature of paid marketing campaigns, these challenges are relatively minor compared to the advertising restrictions imposed on retail forex and contracts for differences (CFDs) brokers.
The legal and customer success teams at Google Ads often need a deeper understanding of FX and CFD regulations. Marketers in the FX and CFD sectors, both B2B and B2C, frequently encounter issues with Google Ads over seemingly trivial matters.
The rise in TFFs coincides with the decline of start-up brokerages, hindered by legal and technological barriers. Consequently, marketing for TFFs often mirrors the chaotic early days of binary options and FX.
The Importance of Marketing Strategy for Prop Trade Firms
Due to the highly competitive nature of the industry, a solid marketing strategy is vital for the success and growth of proprietary trading firms. Withing potential traders and generating leads becomes challenging without a well-defined markeasier
A marketing strategy provides a roadmap for reaching the target audience and achieving business goals. It helps identify a firm’s unique value proposition, differentiating it from competitors. An effective marketing strategy enhances a prop firm’s credibility in the industry. This can be achieved by providing educational content, sharing market insights, and showcasing expertise in proprietary trading.
Additionally, a marketing strategy allows a prop trading firm to measure the success of its efforts and make data-driven decisions. By tracking and analysing marketing activities, firms can identify areas for improvement and adjust their strategies to reach their target audience better.
The Tactics of Heavy Bot-Spamming
Every business should commit to a proper, long-term marketing strategy. However, many TFF founders need more patience, and concepts such as building awareness, capturing interest, establishing trust, and demonstrating vital performance records are frequently overlooked in favour of quick spam campaigns. These include bot-driven Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp campaigns and fake groups that impersonate established TFF influencers and companies.
Heavy bot-spamming does work, but only for a maximum period of 1-2 months and in certain regions. The biggest downside is the damaged reputation and the inability to sustain future growth, as these spammy techniques are short-lived. The same applies to large, short-term paid Google campaigns that are often discontinued within the same 1-2 months because they are not sustainable in the long term.
Overall, the need for more planning is widespread among retail FX and CFD brokers, and this issue is even more prominent with TFFs.
Looking at the Data
A simple domain overview of TFF websites can uncover a wealth of data about their marketing tactics, although retail traders rarely conduct these checks. An example of an established TFF shows consistent organic growth.
For newly created TFFs, the reliance on paid efforts to spur business growth is evident. Most of these firms invest heavily in paid ads to generate organic traffic.
Newly created TFF 1: For a few months, this firm made a substantial investment in paid ads, which, along with other marketing campaigns, triggered organic growth. This firm continues to invest in paid marketing at a more sustainable pace.
Newly-created TFF 2: This company had both successful paid advertising campaigns. The latter was strategically timed to boost organic growth when it was plateauing.
The Prominent Trends and Effective Marketing Strategies for TFFs
The trends in these charts are so clear that even non-marketers can quickly identify the differences.
Effective Marketing for TFFs
The TFF industry is crowded, making organic growth challenging for new entrants. Paid ads are effective when strategically planned and coordinated with organic growth efforts.
Essential Marketing Strategies for Newly-Created TFFs:
- A mobile-optimised website with live support
- CRM system
- Mass emailing tool
- Non-spammy content for Twitter and Discord (or Instagram, depending on the region)
- Experienced and energetic community manager
Additional Common Marketing Strategies:
- Video Reviews: Video reviews have the highest conversion rates, especially when influencers earn a percentage from sales. TFFs should produce YouTube ads and organic educational videos.
- Influencer Marketing: Structured around paid dedicated content, including short and long-form videos, reels (Instagram, YouTube), and written posts. TFFs should explore these avenues.
- Traffic Routing and Partnerships: Collaborate with FX-focused educational portals to drive traffic and build partnerships.
- Vital Referral Programs: The average referral rate among 100 TFFs is 15%. While many TFFs aim to onboard retail IBs as referral partners, rebates are often unattractive compared to retail FX.
- Community Building/Social Selling: Develop communities around socially active founders who are traders, as this is a crucial marketing channel for TFFs.
Common Mistakes in TFF Marketing Efforts
No marketing efforts are free from errors, and TFFs are no exception. The most common mistakes observed in TFF marketing are:
- Neglecting Basic CAC Analysis: Failing to conduct a fundamental Customer Acquisition Cost analysis.
- Lack of Pre-launch Trader Community: Not establishing a trader community before launch, mistakenly relying on paid ads to attract 500+ clients in the first month (which is unrealistic in 2024).
- Absence of Retention Programs: There are no retention programs in place. The average trader maintains at least three funded accounts with competing companies.
- Inadequate Investment in Educational Content: Relying on AI-generated blurbs, often copied from established firms’ websites, and using outdated, flashy 80s-style images, videos, and slogans instead of investing in quality educational content.
- Dependence on a Single Trading Platform: Relying entirely on one trading platform is a costly mistake many released earlier this year.
YouTube and TikTok have shown the best organic growth results. Additionally, several TFFs have experienced organic growth due to their founders’ active presence on Twitter and TikTok, leveraging their trading experience to produce engaging content.