The development of content marketing in asset management between 2020 and 2024

During this period, content marketing matured from a supplementary tactic to a central pillar of asset managers’ marketing strategy

Content marketing has become near universal among asset managers in recent years. Even as early as 2017, 88% of the world’s 200 largest asset management firms were regularly producing thought leadership content. By 2024, content marketing had grown into a significant plank in nearly every financial marketing platform, underscoring its ubiquity across firms​.

In practice, most asset managers in Europe, the UK and the US now incorporate content marketing as a core strategy to engage investors and build brand awareness. This trend was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced firms to find digital ways to reach clients and many reallocated budgets from events into content and SEO in 2020​.

The result is that by 2023–2024 virtually all major asset managers employ content marketing in some form, whether through in-house “insights” hubs, thought leadership articles or multimedia outreach​.

Most common content types and channels

Asset managers today produce a wide array of content to connect with their audiences. The most widely used formats include:

• Articles and blog posts (thought leadership) – Nearly all firms regularly publish written insights such as market commentary, investment outlooks or by-lined articles. About 70% publish frequent market commentaries or blog-style thought leadership updates, according to research by BackBay Communications.​ These help demonstrate expertise and provide timely viewpoints to clients.
• Research reports and whitepapers – In-depth analysis and whitepapers are staples, especially for institutional audiences. Roughly 70% of content-producing firms create long-form research or whitepapers alongside shorter posts​. This content caters to investors’ demand for detailed, data-driven insights.
• Videos – Asset managers have increasingly embraced video content. Video is now one of the most popular media: 71% of firms producing content uses video as part of their thought leadership strategy​. Fund houses produce explainer videos, market update webcasts and interviews with portfolio managers to humanise their brand and convey information in a dynamic format.
• Podcasts and audio – The use of podcasts has grown from niche to mainstream between 2020 and 2024. Many firms launched podcast series to discuss market trends or interview experts. Still, podcasts generally trail articles and video in usage; surveys find they are a lower priority medium for some firms​. Nonetheless, about half of leading fintech/finance companies had produced webinars or podcasts by 2019, and adoption among traditional asset managers has continued to rise into 2023.
• Webinars and virtual events – Spurred by the pandemic, live webinars and virtual events became a key content channel. Asset managers hosted webcast panels, virtual investor forums and interactive sessions as substitutes for in-person events in 2020–2021. This format remains popular for delivering timely updates and education to advisers and clients.
• Infographics and visual content – To simplify complex concepts, firms often use infographics, charts and short videos (e.g. animated explainers). Particularly in retail marketing, visual “snackable” content helps engage audiences on social media.
• Social media content – Asset managers repurpose and distribute content heavily via social channels. LinkedIn is the dominant platform for disseminating thought leadership. X, formerly known asTwitter, is also widely used (over 80% of top asset managers were on Twitter by 2019). Notably, firms have begun exploring newer channels like Instagram for investor education: in 2025 the UK’s Investment Association launched an Instagram account to share simple, accessible financial content for retail investors.

Firms amplify their content through owned websites, email newsletters and third-party platforms. Many companies partner with financial publishers to host sponsored content or native ads, ensuring their insights reach a broader audience. For instance, technology like Dianomi’s native ad network allows asset managers to place their thought leadership across premium financial news sites, generating billions of impressions. Social media is also integral to distribution and almost all top fintech/finance firms maintain an active social media presence to circulate content, and traditional asset managers are not far behind.

Content marketing budget trends

Budgets for content marketing have generally trended upward from 2020 to 2024 as firms recognise content’s value in engaging clients remotely. The pandemic was a turning point: with travel and events halted in 2020, asset managers diverted resources into digital content. Many financial firms reallocated event budgets into content development and search optimisation that year​. This shift resulted in increased investment in content capabilities (hiring content writers, video producers, etc.) and infrastructure (website upgrades, marketing automation) across the industry.

Industry surveys post-2020 corroborate the growth in content marketing budgets. A majority of asset management firms have been boosting their content spend year-over-year. In a 2023 poll of private markets investment firms (e.g. private equity), about 67% said they plan to increase their marketing and communications investments, with thought leadership content cited as a key focus area for that spending​.

Traditional asset managers report similar trends, keeping content budgets resilient even amid cost pressures.

Several factors are driving these budget increases:

• Proven cost-effectiveness: Content marketing is seen as a cost-efficient way to reach investors at scale. It yields evergreen material that can be repurposed and redistributed. The Gramercy Institute noted that content-as-marketing is highly effective and extremely efficient for meaningful client connections​, making it a smart investment compared to expensive one-off ads or events.
• Competitive pressure: With most competitors producing content, firms feel compelled to invest enough to keep their content frequent and high quality. Falling behind on content output could mean losing share of voice in the market.
• Digital consumption habits: Investors increasingly research and consume information online, especially after 2020. Asset managers have responded by allocating more budget to meet investors where they are, whether that’s through searchable insights on Google or engaging videos on LinkedIn.

Overall, content marketing budgets have grown steadily from 2020 to 2024, and many firms expect this to continue. While exact figures vary, anecdotal reports suggest annual content budget increases in the high single to double digits. Few, if any, asset managers are cutting back on their content investments; most are maintaining or expanding them to support an “always-on” content strategy.

Execution challenges for asset managers

Despite its ubiquity, content marketing in the asset management sector comes with notable challenges.

Key hurdles firms have faced from 2020 through 2024 include:

• Regulatory and compliance hurdles: Financial firms operate under strict advertising and compliance rules, which can make content creation tricky. Historically, concern over regulations (e.g. FCA or SEC rules on communications and fund promotion) made some managers cautious about publishing too freely​. Even as rules have modernised, compliance review is still a bottleneck and content often must be vetted to ensure it is balanced, accurate and not inadvertently offering financial advice. Navigating these requirements can slow down the content pipeline and limit the topics or statements firms feel comfortable addressing.
• Resource and bandwidth constraints: Sustaining a steady stream of high-quality content is resource intensive. Many marketing teams are small or juggling multiple priorities. A common refrain among asset management marketers is that they “can’t find the bandwidth to plan and produce content on a regular and consistent basis.” Creating insightful articles, videos or podcasts requires expert input (e.g. portfolio managers’ time) as well as skilled content creators. Ensuring a pipeline of fresh content every week or month can strain these resources. This challenge was noted even in well-resourced firms – 77% of content-producing asset managers were publishing at least monthly as of 2017, which implies a significant commitment. Keeping up that cadence into 2024, with the bar for quality rising, remains a tough task.
• Content saturation and differentiation: As nearly every firm now pushes out thought leadership, the marketplace is crowded. Standing out with compelling and original content has become harder. By 2023, many audiences are inundated with similar market outlooks and investment commentaries from dozens of providers. Asset managers struggle to find unique angles or present content in more engaging ways. This puts pressure on quality and creativity – simply having a content program is no longer a differentiator when everyone has one. Quality and authenticity have become the crucial success factors as programs mature. Companies must deliver genuinely insightful, useful content (not marketing fluff) to hold audience attention.
• Measuring impact (ROI): Demonstrating the ROI of content marketing is an ongoing challenge. It can be difficult to directly attribute asset inflows or new client wins to a specific whitepaper or video. Marketers track metrics like website engagement, content downloads or lead generation from gated content, but tying those to revenue takes effort. Senior management may question the payoff without clear linkage. Many companies are still developing better analytics to gauge how content drives client behaviour, and how the data from content engagement can feed into sales. Marketers might have data on content performance, but leveraging that data effectively in planning is an area for improvement​.
• Balancing thought leadership vs. product promotion: Effective content marketing is about providing value, not just pushing products. Some asset managers struggle with this balance. The most compelling content addresses investor challenges or market themes (education), but internal pressures may drive teams to insert product messaging. Getting portfolio managers and sales on board with a less promotional, more educational approach can be a challenge culturally.
• Adapting to new formats and channels: The rapid rise of new content channels (podcasts, Instagram, etc.) means a constant learning curve. Companies must adapt their compliance processes and skills (e.g. on-camera talent, podcast hosting skills) to leverage these formats. There can be internal resistance to unfamiliar mediums. Additionally, the loss of third-party cookie data and stricter privacy rules are forcing marketers to pivot strategies. With targeting and digital tracking becoming more limited, content itself is taking on a bigger role in attracting the right audience organically​, a challenge that requires honing SEO and first-party content distribution.

In summary, executing a robust content marketing strategy in asset management is not without difficulties. It requires a mix of regulatory savvy, organisational commitment, consistent creativity and analytical measurement to do well. Companies that overcome these challenges generally have strong cross-team collaboration (marketing, compliance and investment teams all working in concert) and a clear vision for their content’s purpose.

Opportunities and innovations (2020–2024)

Even with challenges, the 2020–2024 period has unlocked significant opportunities for asset managers through content marketing. Innovative firms have leveraged content to strengthen their brands and client relationships in new ways:

• Deeper client engagement: Content marketing offers asset managers a chance to engage clients beyond performance reports and quarterly meetings. By delivering timely market insights, educational explainers or thought-provoking perspectives, managers can connect with investors on a more frequent and meaningful basis. This builds trust and keeps the firm “top of mind.” Especially during volatile periods (e.g. the 2020 market turmoil), managers who communicated authentically and helpfully earned goodwill. Brand marketers had a unique opportunity in times of crisis to make a positive impact with relevant, helpful messaging​ and many seized this by publishing reassuring commentary, webinars and FAQ content addressing investor concerns.
• Cost-effective brand building: As noted, content has proven to be a cost-efficient marketing channel. A well-crafted whitepaper or video can be repurposed across email, social media and sales collateral, extending its life and value. Studies found content marketing yields strong ROI in terms of brand awareness and engagement relative to its cost. This efficiency has been an opportunity for even mid-sized or boutique asset managers to punch above their weight in visibility.
• Multimedia and “content hub” strategies: An innovative trend has been the development of comprehensive content hubs or “mini media platforms” by asset managers. Leading firms have moved beyond sporadic blog posts to create integrated content platforms featuring a mix of articles, videos, podcasts and more. A prime example is J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s content hub and Carlyle’s “Illuminate” platform, which regularly publishes whitepapers, policy notes, case studies, videos and a podcast series. By offering a variety of formats, these firms cater to different audience preferences (some may prefer to watch a video, others to read a detailed report). Multi-format content strategy has been an innovation that increases reach and engagement. Notably, internal media studios and content teams at big asset managers have grown, some even partnering with external media outlets (Carlyle’s co-founder hosts a peer-to-peer talk show with Bloomberg TV) blurring the line between brand content and traditional journalism in a way that garners wide exposure.
• Personalisation and data-driven content: With advances in analytics, asset managers are starting to tailor content more closely to audience interests. By tracking which topics each client engages with, companies can segment their outreach (for instance, sending more ESG-related content to an investor who downloaded an ESG report). Some are exploring AI-driven personalisation, for example, asset managers like Invesco have used AI tools to develop personalised marketing strategies for clients​. While still early, this represents an opportunity to deliver the right content to the right investor at the right time, enhancing relevance. As third-party data tracking wanes, first-party content engagement data becomes a valuable asset to inform sales conversations. Managers who capitalise on this data can gain an edge in client service.
• New channels and audiences: Content marketing has allowed asset managers to reach broader and younger audiences in ways traditional marketing couldn’t. A clear example is the push into social media and consumer-friendly content. By 2024, firms and industry bodies are experimenting with channels like Instagram, YouTube Shorts and podcasts to engage demographics that don’t read whitepapers. The UK Investment Association’s 2025 Instagram initiative (targeting retail investors with bite-sized educational posts) shows the industry’s recognition that simplified, accessible content on new platforms is an opportunity to grow the investor base​. Likewise, many asset managers see content in areas like sustainable investing as an opportunity to showcase their values and expertise to attract value-driven investors. Several firms have produced dedicated ESG content series to capitalise on the surge in interest in responsible investing, turning content into a tool to highlight leadership in ESG.
• Awards and recognition for innovation: The focus on content has grown so much that industry awards now specifically honour content marketing excellence. For instance, Investment Week’s annual Marketing & Innovation Awards added categories by 2021 for Best Use of Video, Best Blog, and Best Content Marketing Campaign, indicating how these tactics are now seen as crucial areas of innovation in asset management marketing. Similarly, the Gramercy Institute’s Financial Content Marketing Awards celebrate creative and effective content initiatives across financial firms. This recognition motivates firms to innovate further, whether by storytelling in new ways or adopting cutting-edge formats to earn industry prestige and, ultimately, investor attention.

In essence, the period from 2020 to 2024 has seen content marketing mature from a supplementary tactic to a central pillar of asset managers’ marketing and client engagement strategy. The trajectory has been one of expanding adoption, increasing sophistication and creative innovation.

Asset managers in Europe, the UK and the US are now publishers and storytellers as much as they are product manufacturers. Those who excel in content marketing by providing timely, insightful, multi-channel content have found it to be a powerful driver of brand trust and commercial opportunity in the digital age.

For practical tips on how to ensure your content meets best practice standards, read our article on the future of asset management content marketing.