Asset managers today face the challenge of adapting to the rapidly evolving landscape of digital technologies, prompting many to outsource certain marketing functions to keep up with the pace of change. However, selecting the right digital marketing agency from a crowded field of providers can be a daunting task.
In this blog, we will explore four key factors—collaboration, onboarding, coaching, and competence—that are crucial in evaluating digital marketing agencies for asset managers.
Collaboration
Effective collaboration is the foundation of a successful partnership between an asset manager and a digital marketing agency. It is important to assess how well your agency understands your firm's goals, values, and target audience.
At GK3 Capital, we employ a consultative approach, taking the time to understand your business goals thoroughly so our digital marketing strategies align with your specific needs. We also employ an Agile approach that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, customer focus, and iterative progress.
Shared ownership
Our teams are cross-functional, where members from various departments come together to work on a single project. That level of collaboration fosters creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. There is also a shared sense of responsibility for the success of a project as well as accountability and commitment to accuracy and efficiency for the best possible outcome..
Transparency
Our team provides weekly updates keeping clients informed of progress and providing an opportunity for feedback and questions. We hold bi-weekly client calls to assess performance, review client priorities, and make adjustments as neededto ensure future results. Similarly, our clients provide feedback, and direction throughout the process to ensure deliverables align with expectations and objectives.
At GK3, we let the data inform the success of our digital startegies. By reviewing performance reports and analytics together, we help you make informed decisions and optimize your marketing campaigns. As your trusted advisor, we have your best interests in mind and equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to enhance your online presence and achieve measurable results.
Onboarding - Ready, Set, Already Going
Onboarding can’t be an afterthought — we consider it a critical aspect of partnership.
At GK3, we don’t treat the first 90 days as onboarding or a “before we get started” period at all. Rather, we think of it as taking you from zero (or wherever you are) to launching multi-channel campaigns for your idea prospects, not zero to our first deliverable.
We start by building a foundation and the shell of what will become a strong strategy while executing initial campaign elements. We use the first three months to learn as much as we can about your business, create fictionalized representations of your ideal clients - known as buyer personas, brand messaging, a content strategy, and other key deliverables that will serve as the building blocks for your digital marketing strategy.
With your 90-day goals at the forefront, we operate in 30-day sprints to ensure we prioritize deliverables with the greatest impact toward achieving them while also remaining on time and within scope. This Agile approach allows us to adjust as necessary so we remain nimble and continue to add value as priorities shift.
Coaching - Evaluating Performance Under a New Lens
Ongoing coaching and support from your digital marketing agency can significantly contribute to the success of your firm's marketing initiatives.
Throughout our partnership, we will train you on how to automate your marketing and sales processes to close more deals, raise more capital and grow AUM. We will teach you how to use content throughout the sales cycle to nurture your sales qualified leads, turn them into clients and ultimately advocates for your firm. We will also deepen your knowledge as to the effectiveness of inbound marketing and how using online signals to understand where a prospect is in the buyer’s journey and providing content that answers their questions along the way will be the key to your success.
At GK3, our ultimate goal is redundancy. By training your marketing and sales teams to use all of the tools we have built for your CRM and sharing all of our best practices and proven strategies, we hope eventually you simply won’t need us anymore.
Competence - The Marriage of Digital and Industry Expertise
Agency experience and industry expertise are paramount factors to consider when interviewing agencies, as these characteristics will largely determine the degree of success you’ll have with your marketing programs and campaigns. But when considering a firm's experience and expertise, what should you care most about?
At GK3, we believe your agency must be able to speak digital and distribution fluently. Unfortunately, while many agencies have the digital skills they lack the financial services industry experience.
The Best of Both Worlds
Our award-winning success as a digital marketing agency is rooted in the fact that we have deep roots in both digital and distribution, and only partner with clients in the financial services industry. A closer look at each discipline reveals the extent of knowledge required to execute effectively:
Digital
To truly claim digital expertise, your agency must demonstrate excellence in automation, sales enablement, SEO, SEM, content strategy, design, website engineering, digital advertising, email marketing, CRM and database management, offers, embedded forms, landing page conversions, and more.
Distribution
Our CEO worked as a wholesaler and ran national sales teams for years before tiring of the pain points and opting to open his own digital marketing agency specializing in financial services. He hired a team of financial industry professionals with experience across major distribution channels, including independent broker-dealers, registered investment advisors, banks and trust companies, retirement plan and insurance advisors.
By overcoming your top concern with outsourcing - lack of industry knowledge - we make it easy for you to access the talent you need to take your asset-raising program to an entirely new level. We know your business, your clients, your competition, your advantages and limitations, your opportunities, and we know how to position you to grow AUM.
Conclusion
Choosing the right digital marketing agency is a critical decision for asset managers seeking to thrive in the digital age. Evaluating agencies based on collaboration, onboarding, coaching, and competence helps ensure a fruitful partnership. Look for an agency that excels in each of these areas and you will be able to navigate the digital landscape with confidence, drive engagement, and achieve your sales goals.
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