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Hedge Fund Digital Marketing

We talk with a number of Private Equity firms each month and the one thing that comes up about 50% of the time in our conversations is “Should their firm being doing SEO?” and “Does SEO even work for Private Equity?”

The other half believe that SEO for Private Equity works but needs to better understand how so they move forward on getting the results they need it to produce.

Here we explore how your firm can increase exposure, acquire new investors, increase deal flow and attract talent to your firm all using SEO tactics specific to the Private Equity space.

 

Does SEO Work for Private Equity Firms

Yes. Private Equity firms are actually in a position to capitalize on SEO better than many other industries. The reason being that the majority of firms aren’t actually doing it. Many firms just don’t think about it or they don’t think it’s necessary, but this is old school thinking that you see across a lot of industries (manufacturing as an example) that hang on to only the tactics of the past and keep out any of the new methods to market and attract investors, deals or talent.

The basic logic of how SEO works alone makes sense for all firms to be doing it. If someone searches for your firm, searches generically for a private equity firm or searches for a private equity firm specializing in a specific industry you would want your firm to show up.

Some would argue that no one is searching for private equity firms online but that is simply untrue.

Take a look at the Keyword Chart below that shows almost 10,000 searches per month for Private Equity Firms, 720 searches per month for Dallas Private Equity Firms, 2,900 searches per month for Providence Equity Partners and 90 searches per month for Private Equity Firms Energy.

seo for private equity keyword chart

This example shows that people are searching for firms in different ways, in specific areas and in specific verticals.  So Yes, SEO does work for Private Equity firms.

 

Build Awareness for Your Private Equity Firm Using SEO

By implementing an SEO Strategy for your Private Equity firm it will immediately bring you new visibility that you previously did not have. Image showing up in the search engines for a variety of different searches with different intents. This exposure is building awareness for your firms brand that otherwise wouldn’t have been gained.

This result is a longer term, brand building benefit but it comes regardless of your primary objective. We speak about it as a positive byproduct of doing the SEO work.

 

SEO Strategy for Private Equity Firms

Something that is grossly overlooked by most agencies who say they do SEO is mapping the SEO Strategy to the firms goals and targets. What you’ll find much of the time are agencies showing you how many times the term Private Equity is searched on Google, but the problem with that is it isn’t focused.

Your firm is involved in acquiring investment, raising capital, and deal origination. So the SEO strategy is going to focus on content that speaks to the questions potential investors or target business owners are searching that relate to your firm.

For example: Investors might be searching for a specialized private equity firm OR a new investor might be searching for a way to diversity their investment portfolio in something other than securities or bonds. For the latter you would do keyword research on and optimize for answering that exact question.

Another Example: A business owner may be searching for alternative financing options to purchase new equipment so they can expand production. Your firm could do keyword research and optimize an article on doing exactly that but using your private equity firm as a way to capitalize the business.

Thinking about what your target investors, partners, owners or new hires are asking will give you the foundation for creating an SEO rich content strategy for your private equity firm.

 

SEO Tactics for Private Equity Firms

Again this is where most agencies go to immediately when talking about SEO to firms like yours. The problem is this is the part you care about least. You want results. Results like acquiring new investors, increasing deal flow and recruiting top financial talent.

But the reality is that these tactics must be executed (and we at Acumen Studio do this very well), so we’ll briefly share with you the things that need done to ensure you are technically and strategically optimized for the search engines to get visibility, build awareness, build authority, generate traffic, leads and close more of everything.

Develop Your SEO Strategy

We talked about this earlier in the article, but you need to start here. Do this first! Define your targets and create content based on their needs and how you meet those needs.

Do Keyword Research

This is done once you’ve defined your targets to ensure the Keyword Research is being done from the correct perspective. Without the right target or intent while doing this research you’ll end up with an unfocused set of results.

Technical SEO

This the implementation of SEO tactics that include things like optimizing your firms Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, H1 tags, increasing page speed, creating a sitemap, etc.

On-Site SEO

This the implementation of updates to the copy on your site to include keywords, complimentary keywords that support the primary keywords, as well as adding elements related to conversion optimization such as submission forms, click to call phone numbers, etc.

Off-Site SEO

This the implementation of tactics that are not done to your website directly. Most commonly this is optimizing your Google My Business listing and then doing other tasks such as getting your firm listed on directories, backlinking, running PR campaigns to get off-site exposure, etc.

*At Acumen Studio we don’t run PR campaigns, do backlinking or directory listing. We encourage the firms we work with to do this, but PR is a completely different skill set and backlinking being done by an outside agency has an imbalanced ROI

 

Doing all of these SEO related tasks for your Private Equity firm are guaranteed to generate more attention from investors, increase your deal flow and allow you to be found more often by new hires looking to join a firm.

 

If You Are Looking to Close New Investors, More Deals or Have Questions, Call Us at 866-357-7422

Or Submit your information below

    Commercial Real Estate Funds have HUGE opportunity to grow with so many deals to be made in the market.
    The great news for funds like yours is that investors are clamoring to find reputable firms who are engaging in profitable deals and developments.
    The question that most commercial real estate funds have though is, “How can I find new investors?”.

    In this post we share two of the easiest ways to connect with these new investors.

     

    Competition in the Real Estate Fund Space

    Competition online from platforms like Fundrise, Crowdstreet are real competitors that are crowding the space, but real accredited investors aren’t using these platforms. Private Accredited Investors, Institutional investors and family offices are all looking for the expertise of successful / proven firms & funds that can the get job done with deals that will pay off big.

     

    How Commercial Real Estate Funds Can Increase Investor Leads Online?

    Most real estate funds simply reach out to their existing network. Previous investors, partners, colleagues, friends and family are all strong sources for raising funds. And while that will bring success there is the obvious limit our how much liquidity exists within that network.

    But what if you want to go bigger by raising more capital and closing larger deals?

    To increase capital you have to expand to outside of your current network and using digital marketing will get your there. Advertising to investors online is literally the most effective way to scale your visibility and generate new investor leads. Here are a couple strategic approaches to how this will work.

    1. Investor Acquisition Online using LinkedIn Advertising
    2. Advertising on Investor Networks and Publications to Increase Awareness & Investor Leads

     

    Finding New Commercial Real Estate Investors for your Fund using LinkedIn Advertising

    Most fund managers know that LinkedIn is a great network to connect with and directly reach out to commercial real estate investors, but what most don’t know is how to run successful campaigns on LinkedIn that are efficient and scalable which deliver a consistent flow of eager accredited investors.

    Running these ad campaigns get you in front of those investors and makes it easy for them to see your message and connect by calling, messaging or getting more information to start the conversation on investing with in your fund.

     

    Increase Visibility for Your Commercial Real Estate Fund by Advertising on Investor Networks & Publications

    This is similar to the LinkedIn ad campaign strategy but different in that you aren’t targeting individuals but instead making your firm / fund visible on the finance, real estate, and investment websites and publications those investors are reading.

    By sharing the message on your ability to drive big returns for investors, you’ll have a consistent flow of opportunities that will fuel your funds growth.

     

    If You Want to Talk With Us About How You Can Increase Your Investor Leads or Have Questions, Call Us at 866-357-7422

    Or Submit your information below

      The two things every firm needs to grow and thrive are Investors and Deal Flow. They both have to exist and can’t live without the other.

      So in this article we are going to address how your firm can increase it’s Deal Flow by using digital marketing tactics that most firms aren’t doing.

       

      How Can Private Equity Firms Increase Deal Flow?

      Most firms have been doing this by tapping into their personal and professional networks which works well but has it’s limitations built in to the reason that it is so successful for them / you. Your Network!

      Digital marketing strategies focused on deal acquisition are the most effective way to scale your visibility and generate new leads on prospective deals. Let’s look at a couple strategic approaches to how this works.

      1. Deal Acquisition Online through LinkedIn Advertising
      2. Investor Network Advertising to Increase Awareness & Deal Flow

       

      Increase Deal Flow for Your Private Equity Firm through LinkedIn Advertising

      Most deal origination teams know that LinkedIn is a good place to connect with and gain direct access to brokers, owners or partners, but what most don’t know how to do is take the strategies that are successful in connecting & sourcing deals on LinkedIn and turn that into a scalable ad strategy on the LinkedIn ad platform.

      These ads get you in front of the exact people you want to connect with and those same people who have assets that fit your deal criteria will see your message and connect by calling, message or getting more information to start the conversation on making that acquisition.

      It really is that simple!

       

      Increasing Deal Flow for Your Private Equity Firm by Advertising on Investor Networks

      Similar to the LinkedIn strategy but different in that you aren’t targeting individuals but instead making yourself visible on the finance, real estate, or commodity websites and publications those brokers, owners and partners are reading.

      By sharing the message on your ability to drive returns for the deals you acquire, you’ll have a consistent flow of opportunities that will fuel your firms growth.

       

      If You Want to Talk With Us About How You Can Increase Your Deal Flow or Have Questions, Call Us at 866-357-7422

      Or Submit your information below

        The Question: “What should I include in my content marketing?”

        Here are the things that YOU SHOULD be including in your content marketing efforts.

        You don’t just need content, you need Awesome Content!

        Developing relevant content does not have to be a difficult. It doesn’t require any special tools, secret or magic. It all begins with understanding who your prospects & customers are, how they behave and what they crave.

        The formula:
        Useful x Consumable x Inspired = Innovative Content

        This process begins with the creation of a piece of a REAL IDEA, Not some 2,000 word “evergreen” piece or ebook. Something Awesome.
        Many marketers will tell you this should be a 50 to 100 page ebook or massive how to guide. The problem is most people can’t handle it. Big = Overwhelming.

        Everyone wants to believe there is a magic bullet. So create the Magic Bullet!

        Highly valuable & easily consumed content is the gift that keeps on giving. This content will attract links, generate traffic and build brand awareness.

        Once your content is created, blast it EVERYWHERE: Company pages, email, blog, sponsored updates, Display ads, SlideShare, PPC, Twitter, etc.

        Simple Execution
        In many cases it is easy to develop a set of goals, but a plan is specific, executed over time and measurable. After determining what your Big Idea is going to be, write that out into a series or digestable snapshots that can easily be distributed over time. This can include videos, infographics, blog posts, 3rd party posts, podcasts, etc.

        Week 1: Publish & Schedule Your Content
        Week 2: Conduct a Webinar
        Week 3: Run a Contest
        Week 4: Lead a Twitter Chat
        Week 5: Do an interview: On TV, Online, At a Conference, etc.

        While all of this is running your content is being promoted though influencer outreach, promoted posts, email, sponsored updates, paid search, retargeting, organic social, organic search, etc.

        Everything gets tagged and tracked for performance evaluation and follow up.

        Your Blog
        Make your blog content diverse, relevant and structured.

        Monday: Case Studies, Statistics / Infographics, Industry (35% time spent)
        Tuesday: Strategic Research & Analysis, Points of View, Thought Leadership (20% time spent)
        Wednesday: How-To Posts, Guest Blogging, Peer Content (25% time spent)
        Thursday: Bold Points of View / Strong Opinion, Challenger (5% time spent)
        Friday: Light-hearted, Cultural, Funny Amusing (15% time spent)

        A Quick View
        SEO – Lays the groundwork
        Social – Fuels the content
        Content – Fuels the demand

        Winners:

        • Consistently deliver content that their target wants to consume & share
        • PR efforts guide their vision as a leader in the space
        • Deliver amazing experiences on and offline
        • Build a thriving community

        Make a plan, make it Asesome, deploy, track & measure, optimize, close new business and WIN!

        And this is why we are considered the best content marketing agencies in St. Louis.

        The job of marketers is becoming more and more complicated.
        We now have access to so much data on customer insights via analytics tools and are expected to know how to measure and what the data means.
        Recently a study from Forrester shows how organizations successfully use marketing analytics tools to develop relevant & compelling customer experiences.

        Consumers expect to find what they want from their smartphones, tablets and laptops at any time from anywhere. These behaviors and commonly referred to micro-moments give marketers more opportunities to connect and engage. They also allow marketers to identify valuable insights about consumer behavior.
        Effective marketing measurement is is the key to success here.

        To understand the challenges we marketers face in measuring performance and creating the technology & tactic recommendations, Google commissioned Forrester to perform a survey of 150 marketing, analytics and information technology executives. The research shows how successful marketers are able to leverage analytics tools effectively so they make the most of consumer interactions.

        Key findings

        • Marketers must be able to link marketing performance to business results. Of the survey respondents who were identified as “sophisticated marketers”, 53% said they adhere to well-established KPI’s & metrics that tie directly to business objectives. These marketers work with companies that are at least 3X more likely to hit their goals than other organizations.

        • The right tools are critical to success. 26% of marketers surveyed believed that their marketing analytics tools are well-integrated & work seamlessly together. Contrast that with marketers with well-integrated tools who are more likely to outperform revenue goals.

        • Marketers that employ complete itegrated marketing analytics platforms see an increase in performance and results. Smart marketers who deploy a complete integrated marketing analytics stack of five or more tools are 39% more likely to see improvement in the overall performance of their marketing efforts.

        To Download and learn more about improving marketing performance with analytics, check out the full study, “How Marketing Analytics Increases Business Performance” by filling out the form below.

        Download "How Marketing Analytics Increases Business Performance"

        * indicates required



        A 2013 study calculated that over 500 websites are created each minute.

        That is a HUGE number.

        Let’s be conservative and say that today in 2016, 75 of those new websites are being created and are scheduled to replace an existing website every single day.

        That is a very large number of sites putting themselves at risk!

         

        How are they putting themselves at risk you say?

         

        Well, let us give you an example.

         

        Imagine you have a website that looks so 2005.

        You want to update the look, the copy and make it responsive.

        All with the goal of turning more visitors into customers.

        These are Awesome goals!

        Let’s say your site has an average conversion rate compared to the industry and 75% of your site traffic comes from Organic Search.

         

        HERE IS THE THREAT!

        When migrating your website in most cases, your URL structure will change.

        This will make all of your old URL’s or links to your site break and generate either a 404 error or some other server error.

        If that happens:

        • Visitors are very unhappy and will leave your site

        • Google will penalize you for a bad user experience

        • Your rankings will drop

        • You could be dropped from the search engines completely for a while

         

        What can you do to FIX This?

        Map your current website URLs to your new website URLs

        Create 301 redirects (using .htaccess or a plugin or whatever you use choose to create this)

        Test the redirects to make sure they are correct

        Submit a new Sitemap to the search engines

        This is the Number 1, Most Critical Step in Preserving Your Website’s Current Authority, Visibility and Integrity.

        If you don’t, then you will most definitely use the acronym FML in a tweet, text, post, etc. soon after.

         

        I recently posted an article on the History of Snapchat, What it means for us Today and direction on How to Use it Well.

        I’ve been experimenting with posting on different platforms, so you can the full article on…

        Medium – https://medium.com/@johnbracamontes/the-history-of-snapchat-how-to-use-it-well-9a28db7eb8e7

        or

        LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/history-snapchat-how-use-well-john-bracamontes

        Below are a handful of GIF tutorials on how to use the platform

        Snapchatting a Video vs. Photo

        How to Add Filters and Double Filters on Snapchat

        How to Use Snapchat Video Filters

        How to Save a Photo or Video on Snapchat
         

        Accounts to Follow on Snapchat

        This is just a short list of people who are killing it on the platform. There aren’t that many yet because people still aren’t taking it seriously. So get on it now.

        DJ Khaled: @djkhaled305
        John Bracamontes: @acumenstudio
        Casey Neistat: @caseyneistat
        John Bracamontes: @johnbracamontes
        Diplo: @diplo
        Kate Hudson: @khudsnaps
        Gary Vaynerchuk: @garyvee
        Eva Longoria: @realevalongoria

        Google released a paid search update recently.  It is a second line of structured snippets that can be inserted into PPC ads.

        This new update gives ads more space in the search engine results pages and allows companies to callout different things about their business. Below, a shutter company, uses the headers “Styles” and “Services,” to highlight unique product offerings.

         

        updated_snippet_imageThis new ad format looks great, but what it will do to help your marketing and ultimately your business?

        Below are a few tips, benefits and structured snippets tests across PPC & SEO channels to highlight how this update will help drive more qualified conversions to save your business time & marketing spend.

        Utilize categories to show unique product offerings

        While PPC experts like us were initially loving the news of new structured snippets, our smiles began to fade as we read the fine print. There are a limited number of headers you can choose from for your snippets and there are only a few industries. The following headers are available:

        • Amenities
        • Brands
        • Courses
        • Degree programs
        • Destinations
        • Featured hotels
        • Insurance coverage
        • Neighborhoods
        • Service catalog
        • Shows
        • Styles
        • Types

        Industries that really benefit from this category extension are those that have a high cost per click. Insurance keywords are responsible for 24% of Google advertising revenue, which is most likely why “Insurance Coverage” was added as a distinct header. On the same note, 4 out of the 12 headers are related to travel, which also have historically high CPCs.

         

        better_image

        In the future Google will expand the number of header options, but until then, advertisers have to get creative on ways we can utilize them. For instance, financial institutions could use the “Types” structured snippet for No-Fee Savings, High Interest Savings or list out the types of certificate of deposits they offer (3 month, 6 month, 12 month, etc).

        Raise awareness for additional service lines

        Your business may have one very well known product or service, but it’s struggling to get the word out about the additional items it offers. By adding structured snippets into your PPC ad account, you can use the new headers to bring attention to the business’ additional offerings.

        An example of this is Drexel Online. Many people know that they offer online bachelor’s programs, but everyone may not know that they also offer master’s programs and certificates. By utilizing structured snippets, Drexel can inform searchers about other aspects of their business.

        Create more effective call to actions

        PPC continuously has the ability to test call to actions within search ads. With the new snippet feature, PPC ads can test more specific styles and service lines to hone in on the language and format that best connects with consumers. From these tests, your marketing team can vet the call to actions that convert the most, to identify what phrases and styles to use within SEO content, such as meta descriptions, headers, and call-to-action buttons.

        Google may still choose to create their own meta description based on the search term, but in many cases your well crafted meta description will now show up with an even better chance to convert due to the PPC tests.

        Save money & avoid a negative brand experience

        This extra PPC snippet will enable searchers to be better at self-qualifying themselves for your business. Let’s say you own a wedding dress company. If customers are looking for a specific type of wedding dress, for example, A-Line, Mermaid, Ballgown, Trumpet, etc. and it’s not listed in your snippet, they know not to visit your website. Great! One less unqualified person potentially filling out a contact form asking your team about it.

        There’s also a big cost-saving here. By having better pre-qualified leads coming to your site, it saves the call center or whomever reads submission forms time. If the call center charges per minute, every call – whether it’s profitable or not, costs your business money. However, if more incoming calls were qualified, the more profit you could get out of those calls.

        In addition, setting the expectation of what your site contains before the person clicks, will help ensure that customers never have a jaded customer experience. As structured snippets give you more room to discuss your business’ offering, it could prevent shoppers from leaving a poor/mediocre review because your site doesn’t have what they’re looking for.

        For example, when conducting a quick search on reseller.com ratings for “limited selection,” “small selection,” and “didn’t have,” we found time and time again that customers left mediocre reviews because the store did not carry the products that they had expected.

        updated_review_ss


        By using structured snippets, www.reseller.com could have set better expectations up front about what they do, and do not, carry, to avoid these negative ratings.

        Learn & test for organic SEO

        From Google’s past PPC tests, we predict that Google will measure the success of the new category PPC snippets, before rolling out additional rich snippets to organic SEO category pages. Currently, as the example shows below, Google indicates only the following for organic product specific pages:

        • Ratings by star
        • Number of people who rated
        • Price
        • In-Stock
        • Number of stores nearby

        rollout_for_organic_

        Before I click on the product in the SERPs, I already know if it’s in stock, within my price range, how many people loved or hated it, and if a store is located nearby.

        In organic results, Google also has sitelinks, although these don’t show up for everyone and don’t include all styles:

         

        updated_moto._

        Right now, these sitelinks indicate some categories, but do not touch upon all of business’ product offerings. It would be great to see a Style snippet in the SERPs before I click, indicating that RevZilla offers Motorcycle Touring, Half, Hi-viz neon, or race helmets as well as the categories pulled in through sitelinks.

        In the future, as Google aims to improve user experience, it seems very likely that Google will roll out a style snippet for organic results. If it does, you’ll already have PPC data to work with to know which Types or Styles convert the best for users interested in your products.

        Increase your paid search real estate

        While there are pros for both PPC and SEO with the new structured snippets, there is one aspect that makes organic SEO practitioners not so happy. With this additional line of structured snippets, paid search gains a new way to obtain more real estate in the SERPs, while simultaneously pushing organic results farther down the page.

        Contact us Today if you want to get your Paid Search up to date in 2016.  Fill out the form on this page or give us a call!

        Make 2016 The Year of Marketing Intelligence.
        Understand what your marketing dollars are producing for you, identify waste & optimize your marketing efforts!

        Here John Bracamontes discusses what Acumen Studio does and how we can help you generate greater visibility online, generate new customers and more revenue.

        Digital Marketing
        Digital Strategy
        Content Marketing
        Content Strategy
        SEO / Search Engine Optimization / Organic Search
        PPC / Pay Per Click / Paid Search
        Social Media
        Email Marketing
        Analytics, Analysis and Inisghts

        The Connected World, Now commonly known as the Internet of Things is a large and growing area of M&A.
        M&A activity in the Internet of Things grew 45% from 2012 to 2013 and those numbers will continue to rise.

        The Internet of Things is a web of physical objects and appliances that use the Internet to connect with other machines as well as the external environment.
        Connected Home, Connected Auto, Connected Everything!

        Check out the video below which speaks to Investor Activity in the space:

        M&A Finance and the Internet of Things

        Not only are VC’s in the IoT space, but Strategic Investors are also present, knowing that they need to be here now to capitalize on these massive opportunities later.

        Check out more information on our Private Equity Marketing Services.