5 Key Ways Asset Managers can Capitalise on Social Media

When it comes to social media the asset management industry was slow on the uptake, but that’s all changing now. We recently carried out research that found that of the managers in our study, 94% are on LinkedIn, 80% are on Twitter, 70% are on YouTube, 56% are on Facebook, and 33% are on all these social networks. So, we know that asset managers are on social media, but the question is, how can they use it to their advantage?

1. Identifying and connecting with investors

Investors are a notoriously tricky bunch to get hold of, and with new GDPR regulations protecting privacy, contacting prospects has just become a whole lot harder. However, using platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter is a great way to connect with your target audiences. On LinkedIn you can look into the organisational structure of the firm and ascertain who the decision makers are. You can then build up a useful database of contacts that you can talk to via LinkedIn messenger. On Twitter you can engage with a prospect’s content, see what they like talking about and start a conversation.

2. Content distribution

Getting your research and thought leadership in front of the right audience is a key part of any marketing strategy and pushing it out through social media is a free and effective way of doing this. You can also get your content in front of investors who don’t even follow you by running sponsored content campaigns. On LinkedIn these campaigns can even target specific companies, job titles, industries and institutional investor groups.

3. Brand building

Much like having a well-designed and impactful website, logo, business cards and marketing material, having social media accounts which have a large following, consistent branding, and interesting content that adds value to your audience’s feeds can be a great way to build your brand, and build trust with investors.

4. Networking

When you attend industry conferences, awards and events everyone you meet will most likely have some form of social media. After the event you can find out their preferred platform and continue the conversation. You can also connect with speakers, attendees and panellists who you didn’t get the chance to meet in person. This works both ways, as having a professional LinkedIn profile can serve as a good first or second impression.

5. Control your Google Page One

Social media is one of the ways in which you can control your Google Page One, which is the first thing an investor is likely to see, and if managed correctly can serve as your online corporate brochure. By having your website and all your social media channels on your Google Page One, you ensure that the content up there is content you’ve created and can control. If you don’t do this, Google will use whatever coverage or web page it rates as most popular. This could be favourable, but it might not be, as negative news coverage tends to get more clicks, and therefore has a higher SEO.