Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of asset managers regard content marketing as their most effective marketing tool with 65 per cent planning to increase their investment in the content marketing space in the coming year. That’s according to the latest annual survey by Kurtosys which seeks to find out how marketers at asset management firms are reacting to changes in the digital landscape. The survey reveals that social media is considered equal in importance with email campaigns, both, at 42 per cent. Despite the rise of social media, ‘traditional’ web presence remains a top priority too, with an overwhelming 70 per cent of marketers planning to invest more into their websites, displaying the growing interest in the need for asset managers to substantiate the quality of their digital output. The most important factors for a website’s design are considered to be ease of navigation (71 per cent) and user experience (61 per cent). Many asset managers still use in-house talent to build their websites rather than outsourcing (69 per cent). Other focuses for investment included security issues (49 per cent), which dwarfed the interest in paying for MarTech or cloud solutions (37 per cent). In terms of challenges, almost half (48 per cent) of respondents cited regulation as the most disruptive force to the asset management industry, even more so than the likes of fintech startups and developments in blockchain technology. The incoming MiFID II directive, for example, had a significant influence on those surveyed; its requirements for firms to increase the transparency of fund literature and investment research has caused many companies to adopt new strategies, and fast. However only 50 per cent of respondents said that their company has invested in regulatory technology. Kurtosys CEO, Mash Patel (pictured), says: “The survey results reflect the growing influence of content marketing within the finance industry, and precedence placed on user experience. Considering half of the survey respondents have not invested in regulatory technology, it will be interesting to see if increased regulation will make this number increase in future years.”
Nearly two-thirds of marketers (63%) at asset management firms believe content marketing will be key to the future of their business, while almost two-thirds are set to increase their budget for it in annual, according to an the coming year survey by Kurtosys. It revealed 70% of asset managers will invest more in their websites, with 69% preferring to keep the work in-house. Social media was regarded as just as important as email campaigns. The survey also found almost half of respondents saw regulation as the biggest disruptor to the industry, particularly the Mifid II directive.