Content marketing for investment managers has yet to become an accepted practice within the industry.
I think the reason why is three-fold:
- There’s an inherent conservatism in the industry that, culturally, discourages deviation from long-accepted practices;
- An omnipresent fear of “talking too much” and running afoul of the SEC; and
- Commitment issues, as in, “Will we have the discipline to blog once or twice a week, every week… forever?”
These issues aside, I believe that the industry eventually will HAVE to embrace content marketing as a cornerstone practice.
Remember – not long ago many, many investment management firms believed the costs of launching a website far outweighed its benefits – it was considered too risky a proposition for many in the industry.
Clearly, times have changed, and now even the most conservative, old-school investment management firms have recognized that websites are a vital component of doing business in the 21st century. They are necessary, if for no other reason than simply keeping up with the Joneses in the industry.
I tend to view content marketing for investment management firms in a similar light.
Eventually, even the least progressive firms will be forced to embrace content marketing, as prospects and clients will increasingly come to expect content from the firms with whom they do business.
But not just any content… great content. Content that addresses the problems, pain points, obstacles, desires, and needs of a firm’s buyer persona, or ideal client type.
Great content, insofar as content marketing is concerned, has little to do with the clear articulation of a firm’s value proposition, philosophy, process, or sensibility. Those things are all important, but are evergreen bedrock principles that are better left to what sits on the website month after month with little or no revision.
Great content, like great client service, puts the needs and wants of the client and prospect first. Eventually, firms that are unwilling to create blogs, eBooks, video, white papers, and newsletters will find themselves competing with those that do.
And if performance and the general investment strategy are equal, clients will always choose to do business with the firm whose practices demonstrate their commitment to their clients.
And great content, regularly created, will very quickly come to be seen as the gold standard of a firm’s commitment to their clients and prospects.
