How To Make Digital Marketing Your Asset Raising Saviour – Part Two – Great Content
This is the second in a series of articles about how you can make digital marketing your asset raising saviour.
In the first piece I talked about building a relationship with your prospects and investors through digital content.
That’s vital, as we’re in a relationship business.
But for this strategy to be effective it’s got to be good content.
Sadly, so many firms fall down in this regard.
And perhaps the biggest mistake they make is to just produce content that bangs on about performance. There is obviously a place for performance-related content, but investors aren’t stupid – they know you’re only going to talk about it when your numbers are up. So, you must provide more.
To paraphrase Ray Dalio, you should first talk about your attitude to risk, then talk about your investment strategy, and only after that talk about your performance.
The fact is that potential investors are far more interested in how you’re going to handle and invest their money, than hearing about your latest success. Also, don’t forget that numbers can look too good to be true. And they make people suspicious, as – quite rightly – many will think they could be on the cusp of a fall, so will avoid investing when a fund is doing particularly well.
A good rule is to always try and do at least one of three things in every piece – enlighten, entertain and educate. So, the mainstay of your content should be thought leadership based – content that provides expert views on pertinent topics and explains your own investment philosophy.
That’s how you cut through and build a relationship with people. Nobody makes a big investment decision on a whim. They choose a home for their money on the back of months, if not years, of consistent and quality content, so your marketing strategy must reflect that.
And, whatever you’re writing about, you should always try and be yourself. Especially as this is something bigger firms can’t really do, as they are largely faceless.
But if you’re a smaller asset manager then you have a more direct relationship with your clients and prospects, which gives you a big advantage – so be honest and personal, as this will make you stand out. The big boys with legal armies looking through and sanitising every communication can’t do this.
And don’t be afraid of adding some of your life and interests into your emails and articles. The investor Stefan Nilsson – owner of Terrasias Capital Ltd and friend of ProFundCom – tells the story of securing two meetings through a LinkedIn post about the heavy metal group Megadeth. People buy from people, so showing some personality and telling stories can work well, as it connects with them.
Think of the relationship with your prospects and clients as a friendship. If, when you met with your friends, all you did was boast about how much money you’re making, you would rapidly become a loner – as nobody would want to talk to you.
But many managers do rely on performance-based content. This is good news for you, as – by concentrating on thought leadership and sharing stories and the odd personal anecdote – you’ll stand out in a crowded market.
