The following is a guest editorial courtesy of Charlotte Day, Creative Director at Contentworks Agency.

The proprietary (prop) trading space has exploded in recent years. With low barriers to entry, high-volume digital campaigns, and the allure of funded accounts, the sector has become a magnet for retail traders.  At Contentworks Agency, we work with leading financial brands globally, and we’ve compiled 10 essential things every financial marketer should know when promoting prop trading firms.

#1 Know the Prop Trading Model Inside-Out

First things first. Marketers must understand the prop trading model. Unlike brokers, prop firms make money from performance fees, challenge fees, and sometimes, trader failures. The language, objectives, and mindset of the target audience differ from standard retail brokerage marketing. Study your firm’s specific model — two-step challenge, one-phase, instant funding, payout policies, and reflect this accurately in your messaging.

#2 Regulation Is Grey, but Compliance Is Crucial

Many prop trading firms operate in regulatory grey zones, but this doesn’t exempt them from compliance best practices. Misleading claims, guarantees of profit, or vague risk disclosures can trigger regulatory scrutiny. In 2024, several prop firms were flagged by EU regulators for marketing materials that resembled broker promotions, without appropriate licensing. Include clear disclaimers, avoid promising profitability, and ensure fair representation of performance metrics. Unlike brokers, prop firms don’t offer trading bonuses, leverage promos, or spreads. Avoid phrases like “trade for free” or “instant profits,” which may mislead traders and draw regulatory attention.

#3 Prop Traders Aren’t Beginners (But Not Always Experts)

Many prop trading leads are intermediate traders. Not complete novices, but not professionals either. They know how to place a trade, but need guidance on risk management, psychology, and meeting prop firm conditions.

68% of prop traders said they failed their first challenge due to risk rule violations, not poor strategy. Create content that bridges the gap and explain concepts like “max daily drawdown” in simple, relatable terms.

Tip: Offer step-by-step tutorials for:

• Understanding profit targets
• Avoiding max drawdown breaches
• Trading within time limits
• Managing over-leverage

These reduce support queries and increase pass rates.

#4 SEO Is a Long-Term Investment

The prop space is saturated with PPC-heavy campaigns, but organic content is a sustainable advantage. Targeting high-intent keywords like “best prop firms for scalpers” or “how to pass FTMO-style challenge” can yield strong traffic. However, this needs to be a professional and consistent effort.  We use tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs to identify low-competition long-tail keywords relevant to your model. We then incorporate these through trending and evergreen content to build out your SEO.

#5 Video Drives Serious Engagement

Short-form video like explainers, walkthroughs and testimonials are a game-changer for prop firms. They educate the audience and increase time on site. Plus, they can alleviate pressure from busy support teams. Produce animated explainers of your challenge phases and payout structure. Keep it compliant and clear.

Tip: Challenges Are Complex, Simplify the Messaging: Funded challenges may involve multiple rules: profit targets, drawdowns, time limits. Break these down into digestible, visual formats including videos, charts, timelines, FAQs. You could also create a downloadable Challenge Cheat Sheet with branded visuals.

#6 Community is Currency

A vibrant community helps build credibility and retention. Encourage engagement via Discord groups, Telegram, or Reddit forums. But be mindful of compliance and moderation. Weekly “Funded Trader Spotlights” or “Trader Q&As” can drive community-led content. As with any marketing activity, be sure you have the resources to properly maintain it and remain consistent. If not, look to outsource to a financial marketing agency.

#7 Segment Your Audience

A scalper, a swing trader, and a crypto trader have different needs. Different regions, age groups and nationalities will also require tailored education and communication. Create segmented content: blog series, videos, even landing pages that cater to each key audience type. Ideally you will retain traders and therefore providing beginner through to advanced education will help to keep them in your funnel.

#8 LinkedIn Is Underused — Use It

Prop trading isn’t just retail focused. Many firms also seek partnerships, white labels, or B2B integrations. As of 2025, LinkedIn stands as the premier professional networking platform, boasting over 1 billion members across more than 200 countries and territories. LinkedIn hosts approximately 180 million senior-level influencers, with 63 million identified as decision-makers. While these figures encompass various industries, finance professionals constitute a significant portion, reflecting the sector’s active engagement on the platform.

Build a LinkedIn content strategy targeting investors, fintech integrators, and potential partners. Publish whitepapers, host webinars, and become a trusted voice in the prop trading space.

#9 Build a Content Hub, Not Just a Blog

Centralise resources like blogs, videos, webinars, FAQs and calculators into a Content Academy or Trader Education Centre. Make it the go-to hub for anyone curious about prop trading and structure the learning for different interests and abilities. You should aim to add fresh content each week and share it to your social media channels to maintain web traffic.

Tip: Define the Goal of Your Education Centre

• Is it to help traders pass your challenge?
• Is it to attract SEO traffic?
• Is it to onboard funded traders effectively?

Align the structure and content types with clear business goals (e.g. reduce challenge failure rates by 15%).

#10 Work With a Finance-Savvy Content Agency

Generalist marketers often miss the nuances of financial compliance, trader psychology, or regional regulation. Partner with an agency that understands finance and speaks the trader’s language.

Shameless plug: Contentworks Agency is trusted by top financial brands for compliant, high-converting content that educates, engages, and converts.

Prop trading is one of the most exciting frontiers in the financial world but it’s also risky, misunderstood, and heavily scrutinised. Content marketing for this space demands a careful mix of creativity, compliance, and strategy. At Contentworks Agency, we bring deep financial experience, regulatory knowledge, and content innovation. Whether you’re launching a new firm or scaling globally, contact us to get started.