Welcoming the New Era of Hedge Fund Marketing

We’re well into a promising new era of hedge fund marketing that began when the SEC ended an 80-year-old ban in 2013 that prevented private funds from broadly advertising their services.Hedge funds used to be limited in how they promoted themselves online. But if you’re running a hedge fund or in the process of launching one, you now have the internet at your disposal to better communicate your message and connect with investors.If you think your current digital strategy could use some work or if you’re on the fence about having a website at all, here are some important points to consider.

Build credibility and trust

If you’re focused on institutional investors, allocators or other well-informed groups, they’re no doubt researching funds online before meeting with you. In fact, 61% of B2B customers start their analysis with a general web search and 56% start directly on specific company websites.1Having a professional website is your opportunity to immediately express who and what is behind your fund and, in turn, build a level of trust that’s essential with sophisticated audiences.Related: The Marketing of Your Marketing: 5 Tips to Gain Credibility

Be noticed and stay above the fray

If your peers have tapped into the power of search engine optimization (“SEO”), then you need a well-constructed site that can be found too.This can mean the difference between being noticed or buried by a host of other competing fund messages. Case in point, 75% of users don’t bother clicking the second page of search results, so staying above the fray with a compelling, searchable site is critical.2

Enhance your brand and sales efforts

Aside from pitches, a great website may be the most important way to tell your story. A well-designed website will help you distinguish your value proposition, team expertise and the strength of your investment process. It will set you up for better conversations with investors and help you explain the benefits of your fund.

Simply be there for investors

Simply being accessible and making it easy to contact you with questions and concerns is important. Having a website that highlights key team members and their contact information provides transparency and legitimacy.1 Demandbase, Demand Gen Report’s 7th Annual B2B Buyer’s Survey, 20172 ImFORZA, 8 SEO Stats That Are Hard to Ignore