How Will Digital Communications Help?

The following three items are submitted for your consideration on their connectedness.

Interest In Investing Is On A Decline

While researching online last week, I came across this chart, the Google Investing Index. The index tracks queries related to investing terms (stock, gold, fidelity, oil are four of the top terms). There’s been a lot written about the disappearing act of the retail investor and here’s some more evidence. Does the trend of this line suggest a growth business to you?

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Research Reveals Break-Out Thinking By Content Consumers

I had three minor experiences last weekend that primed me for some research I came across Monday and want to share with you.

Nothing in the research is specific to the investment management industry. (For that, see the Rock The Boat Marketing post from earlier this month.) But I’m hoping that you’re having a slow pre-holiday week and that you may have the time for some conceptual thinking about the future of content development and what it means for your cross-platform (Web, apps, social media, tablets, smartphones and TV) narrative work in the future.

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Social And Financial Services Can Drive More Than Chump Change, McKinsey Says

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Analyzing Mutual Fund, ETF Webinar Performance

What self-respecting asset management firm hasn’t hosted at least one Webinar in the last year or so? Mutual fund and exchange-traded fund (ETF) marketers have seized upon Webinars as a way to present their thought leadership and, when trade publications and others’ lists are involved, broaden their reach (aka generate leads). Although daunting for some early on, the mechanics of Webinar production are straightforward and processes have been worked out.

So, how are you doing? Or, should I ask how your analysis of how you're doing is doing?

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Really? LinkedIn Groups Are Asset Managers’ Most Important Social Media Offering?

American Century Investments yesterday released an update to last year’s widely quoted survey on advisor adoption and use of social media.

Overall, the 2012 survey reflects progress that’s along the lines of what we all have been seeing:

• Nine out of 10 advisors now have a social media profile or account—73% Facebook (vs. 71% in 2011), 62% LinkedIn (vs. 55% in 2011) and 27% Twitter (vs. 19% in 2011).
• More advisors are active—56% (vs. 51% in 2011) say they’re either moderate or extensive social media users.
• Access via a mobile device, which is the headline of the American Century announcement, has more than doubled.
• And, something that will please Google, 19% of advisors created Google+ accounts in the nine months that social network has been live.

But there is one finding that’s quite surprising.

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