Ready to Make a Content Marketing Strategy Top Priority for Your Private Equity Firm?
What follows is the Ultimate Guide to Private Equity Content Strategy – your definitive roadmap to take your firm’s expert insights in front of the right people at exactly the right time. When you’re done, you’ll be able to reach, nurture and convert your partners and prospects in a more efficient way than ever before.
Your content will in effect allow you to connect with potential portfolio companies in a way that facilitates deal flow.
Within the pages of this guide, we’ll show you exactly what you need to strategize, create and deliver compelling digital content on a consistent basis. But first, it’s important to get a better idea of exactly what we mean when we say “content strategy.” We’re talking about the capabilities of your brand to provide high-value information to your inbound audiences, which are in most cases intermediaries and existing and prospective portfolio company contacts. Content strategy is many things – but it is also a commitment, first and foremost. Our hope is that by the time you’re done with this guide, you’ll also see that it’s a worthwhile one.
When you associate great, high quality content with your name, it will increase your power to cultivate and nurture quality contacts – truly, it doesn’t get much more straightforward than that.
Who is this guide for?
Simply put, if you are involved in marketing or investor relations at a private equity firm, this guide is for you. However, at the end of the day, it’s for absolutely anyone who needs direction on how to market and grow their private equity firm tomorrow, next week, five years from now and beyond. Before we get into implementation, let’s take a look at the marketplace and overall guidelines.
A Growing Trend in Private Equity
For many years, thought leadership had been seen as the new frontier – a way to be viewed as the choice firm to do business with in the world of private equity. Over time, the industry has come a long way and more of your peers have embraced this strategy with open arms.
But the key thing to understand is that in no way does this put you out of the running to cover the topics you know will serve your audience best. You have a unique voice and specific insight that you can bring to the conversation. Your content strategy is how you do it.
Regardless of where you stand, this guide will empower you to take action and keep up.
According to one recent study conducted by the experts at BackBay Communications, there has been an increase in private equity firms that regularly produce thought leadership materials. About 49% of those content producers have committed to producing new thought leadership pieces on at least a quarterly basis. A full 24% publish new pieces monthly or even weekly.
In 2020 alone, the industry saw a major uptick in email open rates. At one point, 25% was considered to be a solid number. Flash forward to today, and 40% or even 50% isn’t as uncommon as it once was. People are consuming content now more than ever.
That’s what we mean when we say this is going to be a commitment. Your content strategy isn’t something you “do once and forget about.” It’s something that you return to, time and again, figuring out what is working and, more importantly, what isn’t. It’s the long game approach – this is chess, not checkers, to paraphrase the great Samuel L. Jackson.
To that end, there’s no time like the present to develop the type of content strategy needed to take your firm to new heights – and now, we’d like to show you how to do it.
Private Equity and Content Strategy: The Perfect Match
“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.” – Andrew Davis
Trust drives deal flow! One of the most crucial things to understand about the current climate is that intermediaries, entrepreneurs and management teams are not choosing a partner by Googling “private equity firm near me” and going with the first hit. Other industries may work like that, but this one certainly doesn’t.
Instead, they strike deals with firms that have earned their trust. As you know, trust earning requires a long term outlook. So what to do now? It’s simple – you provide your expertise and advice and make sure your intended audiences are locating it.
What will a Content Strategy do for your firm?
All told, a content strategy can help you accomplish a number of important goals, all at the exact same time. The right, thoughtfully developed content strategy can:
- Connect you to decision makers at prospective portfolio companies by providing as much value to them as possible.
- Keep you “top of mind” when you become known for reaching out with helpful resources.
- Prove that your business consists of real people who understand the real needs of those you serve.
- Position you as a thought leader, which in turn can help garner you a reputation of prestige that is actually built on substance.
- Give you a better understanding of your audience, all so that you can make better and more informed marketing decisions.
- Enhance your ability to foster relationships with companies that may not meet your investment criteria now, but who absolutely will in time.
Conquering the Dilemma
More often than not, the private equity firms that we work with are those who want to be in the content strategy game, but who just aren’t sure where to start. It seems too demanding of an undertaking right now, but they’ll get it going “someday”.
Believe us, we get it. Your existing team shouldn’t be forced to amp up over writing blog posts, white papers and eBooks – they have more than enough on their plates.
This is what inspired us to put together a very comprehensive road map and guide to help organizations like yours develop the right private equity content strategy to meet their needs. Although it will require some initial elbow grease, we’re guiding you toward a system that will prove manageable over the long haul – regardless of the size of your team or how your business continues to grow and evolve over time.
The 9 Foundational Rules for Using This Guide
In order to get the absolute most out of this guide, you’ll need to truly believe and buy into the following nine elements:
- Make a Commitment to Quality Content – Creating thoughtful, useful, content that engages your audience is your number one aim. Frequency also matters, and for now once a month should be the minimum commitment.
- You are Building a Machine – Once in place, your strategy will hit a stride. Coming up with ideas – along with writing, publishing, and measuring them – will be far less painstaking.
- Understand Tools & Best Practices – We will cover all the available content creation tools and methods that will help you begin your content strategy journey.
- It’s All Actionable – We want to see your firm embrace content strategy. No time for conjecture, the information is here to begin using today!
- Everyone Has Their Own Road – Many, if not all, parts of this guide should help you. This is especially true if you are a small to mid-sized firm. However, I’m not going to try to cram your firm into a “one size fits all” approach to private equity content strategy because, in my opinion, such a thing doesn’t really exist.
- You Don’t Have to Write, You Have to Codify Your Expert’s Knowledge – Don’t fret about who will be writing content – it won’t actually be your subject-matter experts. Confused? Don’t be. We will tell you exactly how this works.
- It Doesn’t Matter Where You Are – You could currently be in the midst of implementing a content strategy, already a well seasoned pro or maybe you’re completely new to the game. Newbie or seasoned, it doesn’t actually matter -you will be sure to learn new tips, processes and tools from the pages that follow.
- Content Spurs Conversation – We are here to help you learn – period. A conversation with you is an opportunity for us to learn as well. Hit us up with any questions or input, and we will be sure to get right back to you!
- You Can Start Without a Complete Team – Your content strategy is a living thing that will grow and breath, evolving over time as your business does the same. Because of that, simply begin it with who you have now. Everything else will fall into place over time.
Without further ado, let’s get into the steps to create and implement your content strategy:
The 5 Steps of This Guide
- Building your Team, Themes & Headlines
- Choosing & Preparing Your Tech Stack
- Content Creation
- Distribute & Promote
- Measure & Adapt
We are here to help you build the machine with a fleshed out plan dedicated to leading your firm to new heights in your market. And we’re not simply telling you what to do, but empowering you along the way!