Standing out from the crowd: 7 ways to effectively market your strategies and reach your goals

As a manager, your success hinges not only on the strength of your strategies but also on how effectively you communicate and market them to potential clients. Standing out from the competition is paramount to success, but how do you emerge from the pack in a crowded marketplace? 

Marketing is a critical component to positioning yourself and your firm as a leader in the industry. So, without further ado, let's dive into seven key ways to market your strategies:

1. Do your research:

It's not enough to have a great strategy, you need to understand how it’s differentiated. Who are your competitors? How do they show up in the market? Who is your target buyer? What keeps them up at night? What are their pain points, challenges, and aspirations? Identify ways your product can address those pain points in a differentiated way and you have a compelling story waiting to be written.

2. Positioning is key:

Positioning is critical to building your narrative and lays the groundwork for all of your marketing efforts. What makes your product unique? What makes your brand different and valuable? Answering these questions can help you determine the angle you should take to communicate the true value you’re bringing to the market. This is the foundation of your story and should inform all of your communications. 

3. Craft a compelling story:

A good story is sticky. Weave a narrative around your business that captivates and engages your audience. Share success stories, lessons learned, and the journey behind your strategies. Make it relatable and memorable. As a manager, you are entrusted with the hard-earned dollars of your clients, and with that trust comes a certain level of responsibility. It's essential to convey competence, reliability, and integrity in all your communications. This means presenting your strategies with clarity and transparency, providing thorough analysis and research to support your decisions, and always putting the best interests of your clients first.

4. Create the right collateral:

Building competitive marketing materials to support your go-to-market strategy is critical to winning business. Having proof points on hand with data to back it up builds authority and trust with prospects and can go a long way to support meaningful conversations. This is where you can start to operationalize that narrative you’ve built and lean on your competitive positioning. 

5. Embrace the power of social media:

In today's digital age, social media is your best friend. Your audience is likely on social platforms and meeting them where they are is critical. Use platforms like LinkedIn to amplify your message, connect with potential clients, and showcase your personality. Share insightful content, engage in meaningful conversations, and showcase your successful client stories. Social media is a great way to engage with your clients, build loyalty, and drive new business.

6. Prove yourself:

It’s one thing to say you’re effective, it’s another thing to show you are. Show prospective customers proof points with data to back it up. Databases can be a critical statement of proof and should be prioritized accordingly. Are you completing your profiles in a timely fashion? Are you on the right databases to reach your targets? Completing your data submissions in a timely manner (no later than 2 weeks after month-end) and in a comprehensive way can give you more visibility and uncover opportunities to build AUM. 

7. Stay Agile and Adaptive:

The industry is constantly evolving, so you need to be nimble and adaptable to stay ahead of the curve. Keep an eye on industry trends, regulatory changes, and emerging technologies that could impact your strategies. And don't be afraid to pivot when necessary. Stay agile, embrace change, and never stop innovating.

Effectively marketing your investment strategies in the institutional marketplace is paramount to staying ahead of the pack. By understanding your audience, crafting compelling stories, leveraging collateral, embracing social media, and showing them proof, you can set yourself apart from the competition and win over potential clients. Cheers to your success!