Building out and scaling fintech products for younger consumers can be exciting and meaningful—but also high-stakes. On the one hand, young people often lack financial education, and can benefit significantly from targeted and sensitive solutions that help them build healthy financial habits and wealth. But on the other hand, young people are a notably protected group from a regulatory perspective, requiring adult consent and specific marketing practices.

Fintech marketing teams that see the pros outweighing the cons invariably solve for three core variables:

Adhering to regulations

One of the core rules affecting online marketing to children is the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Passed in 1998, the Act instructs operators of commercial websites that knowingly collect the information of children under the age of 13 to notify parents how this information is used, obtain consent from parents for these practices, allow parents degrees of control over how information is collected and used, and build out protection protocols for this information. The Federal Trade Commission also requires marketing for young people to adhere to truth-in-advertising standards.

As a result, a core part of marketing youth-oriented fintech solutions inevitably involves treating parents as a core stakeholder in these decisions and building out content that addresses their needs and concerns.

Educating, not selling

Given a regulatory and ethical obligation to comply with truth-in-advertising standards—and, in general, given how information can be a powerful marketing tool—many youth-focused fintechs opt for selling through education rather than direct sales strategies.

In December, for example, Atlanta-based Greenlight launched an initiative in December to help expand financial education in public schools. The fintech saw a social gap, given that teens score an average of 64% on the National Financial Literacy Test, even as 93% of them recognize the need for financial knowledge as a life skill. Greenlight’s initiative offers a free online financial literacy library for schools; the program helps address acute social needs while also establishing Greenlight as a leader in this space—recognizable to educators, students, and parents alike.

Picking the right media

Finally, speaking to young people and their parents requires meeting them where they’re at. That might mean investing in social media channels like TikTok or parenting blogs, but it can also involve brick-and-mortar outreach, such as at schools and community centers.

Fintechs should strike a balance between tailoring their messaging for specific audiences and ensuring brand consistency across channels. Marketing and sales teams should establish explicit branding and editorial guidelines to ensure a healthy middle ground between these two variables