Digital Marketing Agency for Financial Services — 150% More Leads via Branding, Web & Automation for Steepe & Co.

Key Deliverables & Outcomes: How We Helped Steepe & Co. Achieve More Leads in Financial Services

When Steepe & Co. first approached us, they were already respected in the U.S. private credit market but facing a familiar challenge for many financial services firms—rapid growth had outpaced their marketing infrastructure. They had an excellent product for Canadian advisors: access to high-yield private credit opportunities in the U.S. But the brand, website, marketing materials, and onboarding process weren’t positioned to win trust at scale, especially in a regulated, compliance-heavy industry where credibility is everything.

We knew from the start that this wasn’t just a website project or an ad campaign—it was a full-scale digital transformation. The work would require our branding, website development, SEO, content marketing, marketing automation, and photography expertise to deliver not just more leads, but more qualified leads that could convert into lasting relationships.

Context & Challenge

In private credit, the stakes are high. The target audience—Canadian financial advisors—are cautious, highly informed, and operating under strict compliance rules. This means you can’t rely on generic marketing language or templated websites. Every interaction, from a landing page headline to the layout of an onboarding form, must convey trust, security, and competence.

Steepe & Co.’s existing website didn’t communicate that effectively. The brand visuals were dated, messaging was product-heavy without telling the deeper story, and the onboarding process was entirely manual, creating friction for both clients and staff. Their marketing materials varied in style and tone, making it harder to project a unified, professional image. Most importantly, they weren’t set up for scalable lead generation—no marketing automation, no structured content marketing strategy, and only limited tracking of where leads were coming from.

Our Approach & Strategy

Our team started by defining the business outcomes that would matter most:

1. Increase qualified leads from Canadian financial advisors.
2. Reduce onboarding time while ensuring compliance.
3. Build brand authority in the private credit space.
4. Create scalable marketing systems that the Steepe & Co. team could use beyond the scope of this engagement.

To get there, we mapped the work into three integrated streams: brand & trust building, digital infrastructure & automation, and content & lead nurturing.

We anchored everything in SEO strategy early on—identifying keywords like financial services marketing agency, private credit marketing, and financial advisor marketing services that could connect this project to Setsail’s ideal future clients.

Creative Process

We believe brand trust starts with visual and verbal consistency. That meant running a deep dive into Steepe & Co.’s identity:

• Brand Audit & Messaging Framework – We analysed existing materials, advisor feedback, and competitor positioning. The messaging had to balance sophisticated investment language with clear, plain-English explanations for busy advisors.
• Visual Refresh – We created a refined logo mark, updated typography, and a cohesive colour palette that would translate across web, print, and digital campaigns. Every decision was made to convey security, expertise, and modernity.
• Photography Direction – Our in-house photography team shot executive portraits, team photos, and product imagery. These were styled for approachability and authority—essential for a sector where personal trust often drives the deal.

Execution & Deliverables

1. Branding & Marketing Materials

We developed brand guidelines covering tone of voice, photography style, colour usage, and compliance disclaimers. Deliverables included:

• Redesigned performance sheets and fund factsheets.
• Investor decks optimised for both print and digital presentation.
• Email templates that aligned visually with the new website.
• Compliance-approved marketing collateral with clear calls to action.

‍Internal link: See our branding services for financial services firms.

2. Website Development & SEO Integration

The website was rebuilt from the ground up:

• Secure, scalable platform with regulatory compliance baked in.
• DocuSign integration for fully digital onboarding.
• Conversion-focused UX—streamlined navigation, prominent CTAs, and landing pages tailored to different advisor needs.
• On-page SEO optimisation for high-intent terms like financial advisor marketing services and private credit marketing.

We also implemented analytics and lead tracking, so every visitor interaction could be tied to a measurable outcome.

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3. Marketing Automation & Lead Nurturing

We configured marketing automation to:

• Nurture prospects with compliance-friendly drip email sequences.
• Deliver fund updates and market insights directly to advisors’ inboxes.
• Segment contacts by engagement level, ensuring sales teams prioritised the warmest leads.

The result: 45% more qualified consultations and 180% higher engagement with top-tier prospects.

Internal link: Learn about our marketing automation services.

4. Content Marketing & Thought Leadership

We built a content plan focused on topics Canadian advisors care about: cross-border investing, private credit trends, and compliance updates. Content was distributed via:

• Blog articles optimised for SEO and advisor search behaviour.
• Downloadable guides that doubled as lead magnets.
• Social content for LinkedIn to expand reach among the advisory network.

External link: Visit Steepe & Co.’s website to see the live content.

Tangible Outcomes

The transformation wasn’t just visual—it fundamentally changed Steepe & Co.’s growth capacity:

• 150% increase in new client acquisition after launch.
• 45% more qualified consultations with advisors.
• 75% faster onboarding through automation.
• 65% higher lead-to-client conversion rate from the website.
• 85% faster client communications with automated workflows.

Quote from the client:

“The Setsail Marketing team brought our vision to life with incredible creativity, attention to detail, and an unwavering commitment to compliance. We’ve never been more confident in our ability to scale.” – Steepe & Co. Leadership

Lessons Learned & Next Steps

Projects in regulated industries require extra care. Compliance is not an afterthought—it has to be part of the creative process from the first concept to the final upload. By building compliance into our branding, copywriting, and platform development, we eliminated potential friction later.

For Steepe & Co., the next step is scaling their inbound engine. With the brand foundation and automation in place, they can now expand paid media campaigns, further invest in SEO for niche advisor searches, and continue publishing thought leadership to deepen trust.

For us at Setsail, this project reaffirmed why integrated agency services—branding, web development, marketing automation, content creation, and performance marketing—deliver outsized results when executed as a single, cohesive strategy.

If you’d like to see how we deliver measurable growth for financial services firms, explore our other professional services marketing services or contact us about your project.