High profile Chartered Financial Planner Martin Bamford FPFS is to launch a new media business to help Financial Planners reach clients with podcasting, social media and publishing.

He has set up Bamford Media in Surrey to focus initially on ‘audio marketing’ within the financial services profession.

Mr Bamford says that following his successful production of Festival Radio at the PFS Festival of Financial Planning last year, attended by over 3,000 Financial Planners and Paraplanners, his new venture has ambitions to become a “leading financial services creative agency and publisher.”

He said: "These are exciting times for the Financial Planning profession, with opportunities abounding for forward-thinking firms who embrace the latest marketing innovations. We are particularly interested in the marketing applications for audio podcasting and smart speaker briefings as a way of engaging new and existing clients."

“Our primary market is Financial Planners to help them use new media to better communicate and engage with their customers. We will also be working with other professional services businesses; one of our first clients is a large accountancy firm with offices in Surrey and London.”

He is opening new offices in Surrey in May for the business launch, complete with a dedicated podcasting studio.

He will continue with his role as a Chartered Financial Planner at Informed Choice, chairing the in-house investment committee and working in the business for several days each month, dedicating the rest of his time to developing Bamford Media.

He added: "At first, Bamford Media will focus on podcast production and smart speaker briefings for Financial Planners and other organisations in the retail financial services sector. As a practising Financial Planner with a passion for marketing innovation and experience producing more than 400 podcast episodes, we are well-placed to deliver services in these areas."

Other services available from Bamford Media on day one include blog writing, social media management, development of brand standards, client magazine publication and authoring white papers.

In time, Bamford Media has plans to provide online and face-to-face training for Financial Planners, publish its own magazine and develop products for consumers, which Financial Planners will be able to white label.