Google is testing out a new search engine feature on the organic search results called “Quick Read”. You may have seen it, but it’s very likely you have not since it’s so new. But we as digital marketers find it too interesting not to investigate further and find out what this could mean for user experience and how it impacts SEO. In this article we’re doing just that, defining what Google’s Quick Read is and talking about what it means for you and your company.
What is Google Quick Read?
Quick Read is a Google Search featured callout placed as a label at the bottom of individual organic search results to signal that the content is a “Quick Read”.
Like many of the things Google does, they don’t fully explain how they choose which pages will get the Quick Read label or what the criteria is within the content of a page to make it more likely to get the Quick Read designation. But again as digital marketers with a history in the space we can deduce what the most likely factors are and what importance it plays for companies online.
What Factors Get You the Quick Read Label?
Something that we’ve done for years when it comes to creating content is structure it so that the content can actually be read quickly if a visitor chose to. Even if the content is actually long you can include visual components to a pages copy that make it easier to read and easier to read it quickly.
So using these elements is a way to give yourself the best chance of getting Google’s Quick Read label.
Listed here are a number of those structural elements
Big & Bold Headlines
Big & Bold Sub Headlines
Bulleted Lists
Numbered Lists
Space in Between Elements & Copy Sections
Visual Graphics (such as charts)
By writing like this a reader can easily skim the content and get a cursory understanding of what the content is intended to deliver, which may be enough for the reader, but it also serves as check for that reader so they can decide if they want to read it in-depth to get all of the detail.
What Does “Quick Read” Mean for SEO?
The reason Google is even using a Quick Read label is because readers have shown a tendency to want quick, short and to the point content. By alerting searchers to content that they can “quickly read” it will increase the number of clicks your page gets in the search results, and since clicks are a factor to ranking higher in the search results you will in turn move up in the search results overall getting you better position, rankings and the most clicks from searchers.
What we can’t say right now is what content this will most apply to in the future, but it’s likely that it will always apply to content that lives in the “middle”, or content that has the potential for both being long and detailed, but can also be understood and consumed if skimmed. Look, some people want all the details and others want just enough. So content like this will be the best candidate for having the Google Quick Read label applied.
Features like this are tested all the time, some stay some go, but what never changes is a digital marketers need to be investigating them and building a strong foundation for content and SEO. If you are in need of more visibility, traffic and leads then consider reaching out to us here at Acumen.
If You Are Looking to Get More Traffic, Leads or Have Questions, Call Us at 866-357-7422
Every firm is looking to raise capital, but not all firms are looking for new investors (at least right now). If you’ve been a part of the industry for a while or are familiar with it, then you know that many firms that have been around for more than a couple of years typically have an existing investor base that they rely on for fund rounds or perpetual investments into new projects or opportunities presented by the firm.
Additionally a lot of firms don’t have a plan to expand that investor base because they are comfortable with what they have now and the logic is that if the firm makes their investors more money then those investors will put even more into the firms projects or shared investments over time.
Are firms like that trying to get in front of new investors? No.
But are those same firms wanting to get in front of their existing investors? Yes.
We’ll talk about how to do this well later in the article.
For the investment firms that are looking to get in front of investors or be found by new investors who are looking for a firm to invest with, then we have a lot to share with you in this article about how to do that efficiently and effectively.
If you go looking online for ways to get in front of new investors most of the articles are focused on startups finding these investors and pitching them. This is why we felt compelled to create an article that was specifically tailored to give private equity firms, real estate investment firms, hedge funds and investment groups a simple way to find and get in front of new investors.
What are the Best Options for Getting in Front of New Investors?
For those firms who are actively looking to get in front of new investors we’ve broken it down by a few different channels and give our practical advice on how you can ensure they take notice.
Find New Investors Online
Getting in front of investors online is actually much easier than people think. But that usually isn’t the issue. Many firms don’t believe that trying to get in front of new investors online even works, that they aren’t “there” or won’t engage. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Investors ARE online and they will engage you if the offering makes sense.
Let’s look at a number of effective ways you can get in front of investors online
Finding Investors on LinkedIn
When it comes to getting in front of investors on LinkedIn there are two categories for doing this. You’ll either pay for ads or do it organically. Let’s look at both of them.
Here’s a video where our President, John Bracamontes talks a little about getting in front of investors on LinkedIn
Investor Ads on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has one of the most accurate and effective methods of targeting for investment firms, other financial institutions and B2B.
You have the ability to target investor groups, investor job titles, specific companies that would serve as intermediaries, family offices, and more.
Ads have a number of different types of delivery such as Message Ads (that send directly to the inbox), sponsored posts (which show in the main feed) and carousel ads (which are more creative and look like ads) as an example.
Running ads to target investors on LinkedIn is efficient because it allows you to get in front of thousands of investors quickly at scale.
Organically Getting in Front of Investors on LinkedIn
To effectively use LinkedIn organically / manually (without ads) you’ll need to purchase the Sales Navigator product offered by LinkedIn. This will allow you to search for investors, message those who aren’t connected to you and it gives you a number of other features as well.
The main difference between running ads to get in front of investors vs organically doing it is that it takes more time to do it. But by doing this outreach manually you are able to only get in front of the very specific targets that you want to speak with. For example if you target list of investors has only 150 names then you are better off reaching out to them manually / personally.
But you can also get significant reach by writing articles on LinkedIn about your firm, its strategy, its performance and share those in groups. Another thing to do in groups on LinkedIn is simply engage there. Answer questions that investors have and participate in the conversation.
Retargeting
This method is pretty straightforward. Retargeing investors or Remarketing investors (they are the same thing) is basically getting back in front of investors. They have already seen you, engaged with your firm in some way, now you are reaching back out.
This can also be done using ads or be done manually.
Retargeting Investors Using Ads
This can be done on almost every ad platform. Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram, Twitter Ads, and more. Your most successful retargeting to get back in front of investors is using Google Ads (or the Google Display Network, GDN for short), LinkedIn Ads and even Facebook Ads if you’ve got the budget (FB ads are the least effective here, but can still be worth the visibility).
The targeting criteria is going to be on a specific engagement behavior of your choosing. We recommend using visitors to your website. But there are a number of other targeting criteria that you can use instead of that or in combination with it as well.
Retargeting Investors Manually
This method requires some technology to be in place such as a CRM that is tracking the behavior of investor contacts in your database. Once this is in place you can define what actions you will track to use as triggers for reaching out to investors either by phone or by email.
Similar to ads you can track who visited the website, but also look at engagement such as who opened an email, who clicked through the email, how many times an investor has visited your website over a specific period of time, see what they have downloaded from your website, etc.
For you it will be important to define what matters most and incorporate the context of the engagement into your retargeting outreach to investors.
SEO & Content that Will Bring Investors to You
Another contentious area of marketing within the investment space is whether or not to create content & optimize it for SEO. Some firms believe this is valuable and gets them much needed visibility, while others think that it isn’t worth the time.
The truth is that content on your website that is either relevant, engaging to your target investors or will get your visibility in the search engines for valuable searches (or all 3 combined ideally) will be extremely valuable and worth the time.
Investors are looking for information on the marketing, investment opportunities, researching firms, researching Managing Directors & Partners, and more so having that content online for them to find will… “Get You Found by Investors”.
The most successful type of optimized content that you can create, control and publish is using blog posts on your website. We aren’t discounting the press releases that get syndicated or social content posted to your online profiles, but Blogs will generate a lot of traffic from new investors online at a much higher volume and frequency than most other channels (that aren’t paid).
Contact + (remarketing leads tech)
We added this channel to the list because it’s one of the most innovative & breakthrough technologies in regards to marketing for private equity, marketing for commercial real estate investment firms or marketing for any type of fund or firm in general.
Contact + is a proprietary technology delivered only by Acumen Studio that captures the personal information of anonymous visitors who come to your website. 9% to 10% of all visitors to your site can be identified and captured including their First Name, Last Name, Street Address, and Email Address. About 50% of those will have Phone Numbers.
This is done by utilizing the tracking technology and databases of companies like Google, Facebook, Experian and other credit reporting agencies.
This contact information of these anonymous visitors are delivered directly into your database so they can be marketed to and followed up with.
Attend Events & Conferences that Investors Go To
Wealth events, industry events for high earners, ceo conferences
To be honest we don’t think that we really need to go too in depth on this section because it’s what most investment firms have been doing for decades to get in front of investors. Every year there are tons of events that cater to investors.
Wealth Events
Industry Events for High Income Earners
CEO Conferences
And more
As you know these in-person events are very powerful because you have the ability to not only share information about your firm, but also connect with investors in a very human way. You can put on the charm and build relationships in a way that non face-to-face channels simply can’t replicate.
Capitalize on Relationships with Intermediaries
Again, this is yet another example of a way you can get in front of investors that has been proven to work for decades in the investment space. Firms of all types benefit from strong relationships with intermediaries that serve as trusted referral sources for investors. The best types of intermediaries are those who compliment your firm and make sense strategically.
A short list of trusted intermediary referral sources are…
CPAs (both individual and collectively at firms)
Advisors (plan advisors, business advisors, wealth managers)
Investment Bankers (you know who they are)
Many of you will already have established relationships with these referral sources who will send investors your way if it’s what makes sense for the investor’s strategy at that time. The more of these relationships you have the better. This can also be a good way to niche your firm if you haven’t already or create more visibility for specific investment types that will make sense for the diversification of an investor’s portfolio.
If we look at the way this works it’s pretty simple.
Investor has a need
Investor goes to their CPA, Advisor or Banker
The Intermediary assesses their need
If the need requires an outside partner they recommend that partner
You want that partner to be you!
What Types of Investors Can You Target?
Getting in front of investors is one thing but getting in front of the right investors is another. So to do that well you need to know what types of investors can actually be targeted. In theory every investor can be targeted but for the sake of simplicity we’re focused mostly on the channels that we’ve discussed in this article so far.
Below we break out the most common investor types you’ll be targeting to get in front of
Existing investors
Not much needs to be said about this, but you do need to stay visible to your current investor base. Call them, email them, run retargeted ads that keep you in front of them and publish content that keeps them looking to you as an authority.
Accredited investors
Finding accredited investors can be easy if you know where to access them. There are lists that can be procured, there are events catering only to accredited investors and publications that are almost exclusively read by accredited investors as well.
Any of these options are good choices when getting in front of accredited investors.
Those investors likely to be accredited
This group is a little more loose because the combination of factors that make someone an accredited investor could be achieved and the person does not even know that they would be classified as accredited. So targeting people who are likely to fall into the accredited investor category will get you a lot of visibility with mostly the right people.
A couple of those groups that fall into this category are…
Retirees
High income earners
Targeting and getting in front of investors likely to be accredited can also be done through list acquisition, but can be done very successfully and affordably online using digital marketing and running ads or sending email.
Institutional investors
The last group we’re mentioning are institutional investors because they have so much power when it comes to liquidity and the ability to move markets. The unfortunate reality for many smaller firms is that this investor type may not work with you for a number of reasons, but regardless if you choose to pursue them you can get in front of them by targeting them directly / manually since the number of these targets is so small.
Not all of these investors are easily targeted online so you’ll find it necessary to target the events they attend, use direct mail, and email lists.
Some aren’t worth targeting depending on what type of firm you are, such as an early stage investment firm targeting institutional investors, they won’t work with you because you don’t have a proven track record and you likely can’t invest the level of capital they require at the rate of return they expect.
But you must make your firm visible, you must do whatever it takes to get in front of investors and do it in a way that makes strategic sense for your firm.
We work with firms every day on making this happen, so if you have questions about how your firm can do it as well, then contact us to talk about your vision for getting in front of and staying in front of investors.
If You Are Looking to Get More Traffic, Leads or Have Questions, Call Us at 866-357-7422
Getting the attention of investors and deal partners is more difficult now than it’s ever been due to the fact that Private Equity has expanded with more firms being established at what seems like every day. There have never in the history of PE been as many firms as there are now.
This means that you and your firm must stand out!
The question is “How can your private equity firm stand out in this new sea of other firms?” One of the easiest ways to do this is by sending out email and getting investors or deal partners to pay attention to the message by ensuring you have a subject line that speaks to them and compels the recipient to take action. That action being to click through on the subject line to read the email.
We say “One of the easiest ways… “, but the truth is that creating a subject line that gets attention isn’t easy for many people. Marketers across all industries struggle with crafting short concise messages that move email recipients forward and Private Equity is no different. That is why this article is so important to the success of your future email campaigns.
So if you have questions such as…
“How do you write an email to attract investors?”, “How do you write an investor cold email?” or “How can I get investors to open my emails?” Then keep reading because this article is for you.
What Makes a Good Email Subject Line for Private Equity?
While there are nuances to email within the private equity space when emailing investors or deal partners, it’s important to understand that the fundamentals for email and email subject lines hold true. These basic principles for email need to be followed to ensure your emails get noticed and opened.
Again, remember that you will still be tweaking your subject lines to speak directly and specifically to the audience you’re targeting (in your case investors or deal partners, businesses, boards, etc.).
Let’s look at these factors for good email subject lines.
Why is a subject line so important?
The email subject line is extremely important because it is the first thing a recipient sees and is the first battle to be won. You have to get the recipient to click through or they will never see the content of your email. That’s literally it. Some will argue that it’s important because it’s sets the tone or expectation of what’s to come in the body of the email and while we agree, it’s still a fact that it’s more important to get the click through and have the email opened or else they will never see anything inside the body of that email. Obviously the most advantageous email subject lines will incorporate both relevant and expectation setting words tied with attention getting action oriented copy to achieve the best result.
Email subject lines should be short
A huge factor in creating a successful subject line is keeping it short. 60 characters or less is advised. Why should you keep a subject line short? Good question and here are a few of the primary reasons why.
Short email subject lines…
Don’t get cut off in the email preview on a phone or inbox
Are quicker to read, making them read more often
Get to the point easier
Force you to focus on what matters most
Mention the Industry You’re Focused On
This is a very effective way to catch the attention of your email list. When an investor or deal partner reads an email coming from a private equity firm that has a specific industry or segment angle to it they gravitate towards it inside of the inbox and click through. Investors are more likely to look at offerings in different segments because they are either…
Interested in the segment or industry
Feel the information may be more credible and informational when compared to a more generic email not focused on an industry.
Investors and potential partners love focus. So the more dialed in you are the better your results will be when it comes to getting your email open.
Incorporate Time Sensitivity & Sense of Urgency
It’s human nature to feel a sense of urgency when it is stated that time may be limited or something won’t be available in the future and in private equity this is no different. A funding round may have a close date, only a certain number of LP spots may be left, etc.
If this applies to your firm’s offering then including it in the subject line may be a good idea.
Reference a Video or Attachment
If there is a video accompanying the content of the email in many cases the subject line will do much better when it states that a video exists. Many investors love having the opportunity to have a more visual and auditory experience when learning more about an investment or firm.
Alternatively, if you are going to share a PPM or some other investment document, by mentioning that in the subject line it can create the same effect on the recipient as now there is a higher perceived value for opening that email.
Both of these assets mentioned in the subject line can work well in getting more attention and achieving a high click through rate.
Examples of Good Email Subject Lines for Investors
Listed below we are sharing 3 subject line examples that would be good to use if you were targeting investors on your email list.
Industrial Warehouse Project Open to Investors for 29 Days
Fund 3 – Medical Offices in Houston, Austin & Dallas
Short Video on New B2B Tech Fund Inside
Each of these subject lines have unique qualities that we mentioned earlier in the article and highlight areas of interest that investors would find compelling and click through to learn more.
Good Email Subject Line Examples to Increase Deal Flow
Here we are sharing 3 examples of email subject lines that are speaking to prospective deal partners that your firm is looking to acquire in part or in full to add to your portfolio.
Have You Considered Taking on An Investor Partner?
We are Buying 3 Companies in Your Space. Interested?
Our Firm is Looking for B2B Tech Founders Positioned to Grow
As you can see we are using different approaches in each of those subject lines to capture the attention of the recipient. With Deal Flow emails you can get much more personalized though. Not all firms are targeting businesses en masse, so if you are being highly selective then obviously you can be more direct using the targets first name, company name, and details about the business only they would really know which will 100% catch their attention.
Examples of Bad Email Subject Lines in Private Equity
And like everything else, where there is good, there is also bad. Here we wanted to share a number of bad subject lines that will either get ignored or anger the recipient, so much so that they may report your email as spam or simply unsubscribe. Why risk alienating your email list if you don’t have to.
Bad subject line examples for firms
“Re: Did you check this out yet?”
This one could get a fairly high open rate, but unfortunately it will feel like they’ve been duped and probably mark you as a spammer.
“New Investment Opportunity”
This is so vague and boring. If you’re being honest with yourself, would you open this email? We wouldn’t.
“Do You Have Time To Talk?”
Again this one is very vague (even more than the last example) and they have no clue what you want to talk about. Guess what will happen? DELETE
We could actually go on and on about email and email subject lines here, but the truth is that if you take the advice we’re giving here and incorporate it into your email marketing efforts then you will get more emails looked at and clicked on, which will lead to more capital raised and more deals closed.
If You Are Looking to Get More Traffic, Leads or Have Questions, Call Us at 866-357-7422
