Financial Cents is a fast growing software tool for accountants and book keeping firms. As Head of Marketing, Tosin leads messaging, reach, and performance.
Can you take us on the windy path from your first role towards your current role?
I studied biochemistry in college and initially aimed for a career in healthcare. My dad was a medical doctor, and my mom is a nurse, so it seemed like a natural path. However, after college, I struggled to find a job in the field. Eventually, I got a recommendation to a cosmetics company that produced hair creams and other products. They were hiring graduate trainees, and although it wasn't strictly medical, they had a lab, so I thought it might be a good fit.
To my surprise, I was hired directly as a digital marketing officer instead of a trainee. I had never heard of digital marketing before and had to look it up online. The recruiter saw potential in me because I had an active blog and social media presence. That’s how I started my career in marketing, and it has been an interesting journey for the past eight years.
How did you transition to Financial Cents?
My husband and I were planning to move from Nigeria to Canada, and I started applying for jobs. I saw a job ad from Financial Cents for a contractor role, which I believe was for a content marketing manager or lead. I applied and got an interview invite the next day. During the interview with the CEO, I was confident and conversational, discussing how I could make an impact at the company.
When it came to negotiating the salary, I suggested hiring me as a full-time employee instead of a contractor. I pointed out that hiring a contractor might not be the best long-term solution and proposed a full-time role so I could dedicate 100% of my time and efforts to the company.
The CEO agreed on the spot, increased the salary offer, and hired me full-time. That’s how I got the job and eventually became the head of marketing, managing a team of six.
I love the before and after section on your website. Did you make that?
My team made that, in collaboration with the CEO. Our designer, Charlotte, did a fantastic job, especially with the before-and-after photos. Those designs were actually inspired by customer interviews.
We've seen an increase in engagement and conversion rates on our homepage since making these changes. We also use these designs in our ads because they resonate well with our audience.
How do you prioritize what's going to move the needle as a startup with limited resources?
We focus on our best-performing channels and scale those. We're currently running "Operation See Us Everywhere" to expand our reach. My team is focused on community partnerships, SEO, and broadening our content’s visibility.
What strategies are you currently focused on that are working well?
For our audience, Facebook groups are incredibly effective because accountants and bookkeepers rely heavily on peer recommendations. They frequently discuss tools and services in these groups, and our customers often advocate for Financial Cents. This kind of organic, peer-driven marketing is invaluable. So yes, Facebook groups are definitely a banger for us!
For top-of-funnel, we often host webinars on broad topics that provide value to any accountant or bookkeeper. For example, a recent webinar on scaling firms through niching, pricing, and automation was co-hosted with another app, which helped us reach a new audience.
For middle-of-funnel, we have webinars led by influencers who discuss specific pain points and introduce Financial Cents as a solution. At the bottom-of-funnel, we have “demo day” webinars targeted at prospects who have shown interest in Financial Cents. These webinars are highly engaging and often lead to scheduled demos and conversions.
We also offer webinars in partnership with an educational institution that provides CPE credits, which has been a significant source of new business for us.
Can you share a significant achievement or big win that you've had during your time at Financial Cents?
Absolutely! One of the achievements I'm most proud of is the introduction of our signature brand conference called WorkflowCon. We held the first one last year in October, and for a maiden conference, it was a tremendous success.
We had almost 2,000 registrations and almost 1,000 attendees each day over the two-day event. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. People were so engaged and provided valuable feedback, which really validated the need for a conference focused specifically on accounting workflow.
We had noticed that while there were various conferences on different aspects of firm management, none focused on workflow. This niche focus really resonated with our audience, and we're already seeing high interest for this year's edition, even before announcing the speakers or topic
Any advice for someone just starting out looking to work in Marketing?
- It's a very easy question because I say it all the time - work for a startup.
- It's one of the best ways if not the best way to grow your career quickly, get an hands -on experience and be creative. It's also important to find a supportive team, that's willing to take risks. I'm really appreciative of the management team at FC, especially the CEO, Shahram Zarshenas who is just amazing and fully supportive.
- The second thing I would advise is keep on learning. Like never stop. I recently got like five new marketing books that I want to read because I want to learn, I want to get better. I'm always reading blogs. I'm always reading, listening to podcasts. I'm always taking courses.
Speaking of learning, what is something that you've learned recently that made an impact on you?
I started reading a book called 'Your Next Five Moves' by Patrick Bet-David.
It's a business strategy book, not necessarily about marketing. I've gained a lot from it, but one of the most impactful insights for me, even though I haven't finished it yet, is the importance of deciding what you want. Based on that clarity, you then create a plan to achieve your goals and visualize yourself achieving them.
The book distinguishes between two paths: being an entrepreneur or an intrapreneur. Not everyone is suited for starting a business, but you can choose to excel within a company by setting career goals and building a strategic plan around them. Personally, I thrive with clear goals. For instance, if our goal is 60 registrations for a webinar, I outline steps like emailing our newsletter list and running targeted social media ads to reach that goal.
This approach resonates deeply with me because I'm driven to make a significant impact in the companies I work for and to witness the tangible results of my efforts. It's not about being just another marketer; I aspire to be an entrepreneur within my career, constantly pushing boundaries and achieving meaningful outcomes.
Any final advice for marketers working in startups?
Stay adaptable and focused. Always be willing to learn and adjust your strategies based on what works best for your audience and your company's goals. And don't be afraid to think outside the box—sometimes the most unconventional ideas can lead to the biggest successes.
That's a wrap!
Follow along on Tosin's journey via Linkedin!
