As part of this whitepaper on Social Media in the Asset Management Industry, I researched, analyzed and wrote about which firms were best using Social Media to reach their audiences - Advisors and Customers. This excerpt shows the overall breakdown and the segment on Blogs. In the full report, I studied, rated and quantified the relative strength of over 40 firms' activities on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, Twitter and their blogs.

1.
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2.
©
2011
kasina®
1
Executive
Summary
____________________________________________________________
Social
networking
has
evolved
from
a
social
connection
tool
for
college
kids
to
a
powerful
platform
leveraged
by
leading
companies
to
connect
with
customers
and
employees.
But
social
network
users
are
discerning
when
it
comes
to
professing
affinity
for
a
business
online,
such
as
a
“like”
on
Facebook
or
a
“follower”
on
Twitter.
On
average,
users
friend
only
5
companies
online.1
Most
users
that
engage
with
companies
on
social
platforms:
 Share
information
about
the
company
with
their
networks
 Feel
a
stronger
connection
to
the
company
 Feel
better
served
by
the
company
 Purchase
the
company’s
products
or
services.2
Asset
managers
that
are
not
actively
harnessing
social
media
to
connect
with
advisors
and
investors
lack
a
critical
tool
to
connect
with
their
most
loyal
and
vocal
customers,
build
advocacy
for
their
brands,
and
drive
business
results.
Advisors
and
Investors
Use
Social
Media
Social
media
is
well-­‐integrated
in
the
daily
lives
of
consumers
as
well
as
business
professionals
in
the
asset
management
industry.
According
to
a
report
from
Spectrem
Group,
77%
of
investors
who
read
blogs
are
likely
to
consult
them
for
information
on
new
financial
products
and
services.
More
than
two-­‐thirds
of
LinkedIn
users
are
likely
to
consult
their
LinkedIn
networks
on
investment
issues.
Nearly
half
of
users
consider
seeking
investment
information
from
YouTube
and
Facebook
networks.3
…………………………………………………………………………………
MORE
THAN
TWO-­‐THIRDS
OF
LINKEDIN
USERS
are
likely
to
CONSULT
THEIR
LINKEDIN
NETWORKS
on
INVESTMENT
ISSUES.
…………………………………………………………………………………
Findings
from
kasina’s
study
on
What
Advisors
Do
Online
reveal
that
more
than
three-­‐fourths
of
advisors
are
using
social
media,
22%
of
them
daily.
More
than
half
of
advisors
use
LinkedIn
and
YouTube.
Nearly
three-­‐fourths
of
advisors
say
that
an
asset
manager’s
online
capabilities
influence
their
use
of
a
firm’s
products.
Whether
distributing
directly
or
through
intermediaries,
firms
must
leverage
social
media
to
remain
connected
with
their
most
loyal
customers,
build
advocacy
for
their
brands
and
manage
their
reputations.
1
2010
Consumer
New
Media
Study.
Nov.
2,
2010,
Cone
LLC.
2
Ibid.
3
Social
Media
and
the
Investor.
Spectrem
Group.
May
4,
2010.

3.
©
2011
kasina®
2
What
Asset
Managers
Are
Doing
with
Social
Media
Asset
managers
recognize
the
importance
of
social
media
in
expanding
reach
to
retain
and
increase
assets.
Last
year,
only
48%
of
firms
were
active
on
one
or
more
of
several
social
platforms
including
LinkedIn,
Facebook,
Twitter,
YouTube
or
blogs.
In
2011,
80%
of
firms
are
active
in
social
media.
Approximately
one-­‐third
of
asset
managers
have
developed
branded
pages
on
more
than
one
social
site
and
are
well
beyond
the
experimental
stages
of
using
social
media.
Their
efforts
reflect
a
solid
strategy,
understanding
of
the
opportunities
social
media
provides
and
a
level
of
partnership
with
company
stakeholders
that
allow
them
to
begin
measuring
value
and
return
on
investment.
But
nearly
half
of
firms
are
not
even
participating
on
popular
social
sites.
While
these
firms
on
the
sidelines
may
be
planning
to
evaluate
opportunities,
early
movers
are
using
the
experience
and
insights
gained
to
secure
executive
commitment
and
funding
for
integrated
digital
strategies.

4.
©
2011
kasina®
4
TOP
BLOGS
Firm
kasina
Score
#1
85
#2
82
#3
80
#4
80
#5
iShares
Russell
Investments
American
Century
Investments
Wells
Fargo
Funds
Management
Group
Vanguard
77
The
top
5
firms
on
Facebook
share
fun,
yet
thoughtful
posts
that
elicit
responses
and
engagement
from
their
fans.
TOP
FACEBOOK
PAGES
Firm
kasina
Score
#1
92
#2
87
#3
86
#4
82
#5
Fidelity
Investments
TIAA-­‐CREF
Vanguard
The
Hartford
MainStay
Investments
80
In
addition
to
broadcasting
news
and
information
to
their
followers,
leaders
on
Twitter
also
use
their
feeds
to
communicate
with
and
learn
from
their
followers
and
other
users.
TOP
TWITTER
FEEDS
Firm
kasina
Score
#1
94
#2
90
#3
90
#4
89
#5
TIAA-­‐CREF
Vanguard
Fidelity
Investments
The
Hartford
Putnam
Investments
85
While
firms
overall
do
not
effectively
leverage
LinkedIn,
the
top
5
attempt
to
leverage
some
of
the
capabilities
of
the
professional
networking
site
to
connect
with
customers.
TOP
LINKEDIN
PAGES
Firm
kasina
Score
#1
80
#2
77
#3
75
#4
75
#5
MFS
Investment
Management
Prudential
The
Hartford
iShares
ING
74
The
top
5
firms
on
YouTube
offer
visually
appealing,
interesting
and
varied
content
that
is
clearly
organized
and
easy
to
find.

5.
©
2011
kasina®
8
Why
Social
Media
is
Important
for
Asset
Managers
_____________________________________________________________
Social
networking
has
evolved
from
a
social
connection
tool
for
college
kids
to
a
powerful
platform
leveraged
by
leading
companies
to
connect
with
customers
and
employees.
But
social
network
users
are
discerning
when
it
comes
to
professing
affinity
for
a
business
online,
such
as
a
“like”
on
Facebook
or
a
“follower”
on
Twitter.
Users
friend
only
an
average
5
companies
online.4
Users
that
are
able
to
engage
with
companies
on
social
platforms
are
more
likely
to:
 Share
information
about
the
company
with
their
networks
 Feel
a
stronger
connection
to
the
company
 Feel
better
served
by
the
company
 Purchase
the
company’s
products
or
services.5
Regardless
of
whether
their
key
audience
is
institutions,
advisors
or
investors,
asset
managers
need
to
harness
social
media
to
manage
their
reputations,
forge
connections
with
coveted
customers
and
drive
business
results.
Who
Uses
Social
Media
Social
media
is
well-­‐integrated
in
the
daily
lives
of
consumers
as
well
as
business
professionals
in
the
asset
management
industry.
According
to
a
report
from
Spectrem
Group,
77%
of
investors
who
read
blogs
are
likely
to
consult
them
for
information
on
new
financial
products
and
services.
More
than
two-­‐thirds
of
LinkedIn
users
are
likely
to
consult
their
LinkedIn
networks
on
investment
issues.
Nearly
half
of
users
consider
seeking
investment
information
from
YouTube
and
Facebook
networks.6
Asset
managers
such
as
Vanguard
and
TIAA-­‐CREF
leverage
this
interest
with
key
audiences
on
branded
Facebook
and
Twitter
pages.
…………………………………………………………………………………
MORE
THAN
TWO-­‐THIRDS
OF
LINKEDIN
USERS
are
likely
to
CONSULT
THEIR
LINKEDIN
NETWORKS
on
INVESTMENT
ISSUES.
…………………………………………………………………………………
Findings
from
kasina’s
study
on
What
Advisors
Do
Online
reveal
that
more
than
three-­‐fourths
of
advisors
are
using
social
media,
22%
of
them
daily.
More
than
half
of
advisors
use
LinkedIn
and
4
2010
Consumer
New
Media
Study.
Nov.
2,
2010,
Cone
LLC.
5
Ibid.
6
Social
Media
and
the
Investor.
Spectrem
Group.
May
4,
2010.

6.
©
2011
kasina®
36
allow
users
to
comment.
Firms
that
block
comments
severely
handicap
the
blog’s
potential
because
readers
disengage
if
they
cannot
respond
to
postings.
Positive
comments
let
readers
build
a
feeling
of
friendship
and
solidarity
with
the
blogger.
Negative
comments
allow
them
to
vent
frustrations,
rather
than
direct
them
at
firms
in
some
other
way.
And
constructive
comments
can
also
provide
valuable
insights
on
how
to
improve
content
or
serve
as
catalyst
for
creating
positive
change
within
an
organization.
Customize
the
Layout
Unlike
other
social
media,
blogs
permit
firms
to
exert
complete
control
over
the
design
and
user
interface.
Firms
should
ensure
easy
navigation
and
a
clear,
appealing
layout.
They
should
also
allow
for
a
high
level
of
interaction
including
rating
posts,
commenting
and
sharing
with
friends.
Sites
that
do
so
promote
longer
stays
and
additional
page
views.
American
Century’s
blog
(americancenturyblog.com)
for
advisors
and
investors
is
attractive,
easy
to
navigate
and
has
top-­‐notch
functionality.
The
firm
categorizes
posts
and
includes
a
search
tool
to
make
finding
articles
on
topics
of
interest
easy.
It
integrates
tweets
from
its
feed,
adding
another
dimension
to
the
content.
American
Century
also
enables
users
to
share
and
rate
blog
posts—one
of
the
only
asset
managers
to
do
both.
This
level
of
interaction
allows
the
firm
to
see
which
posts
appeal
to
its
audience
and
to
consider
their
preferences
when
planning
future
content.
One
of
the
key
tenets
of
blogs
is
subscription—receiving
posts
regularly
via
RSS
or
e-­‐mail.
American
Century
excels
here
as
well,
with
an
RSS
feed
prominently
displayed
on
the
top
right
of
the
page.
Less
tech-­‐savvy
readers
can
subscribe
to
the
“Weekly
Market
Update”
and
receive
the
posts
via
e-­‐
mail.
Subscription
helps
form
a
closer
relationship
between
company
and
customer.

7.
©
2011
kasina®
37
Tailor
Content
The
best
blogs
tailor
relevant
content
to
specific
audiences.
Firms
should
provide
links
to
archived
blog
postings
and
features
that
provide
additional
insights
into
a
given
post.
Russell
Investments
has
separate
blogs
for
investors
(conversation.russell.com)
and
advisors
(blog.helpingadvisors.com),
a
great
strategy
to
reach
each
audience
with
relevant,
appropriate
content.
The
investor
blog
focuses
on
insights
on
the
economy
and
current
events.
The
American
Century’s
blog
includes
features
that
improve
the
user
experience
and
integrate
its
social
media
efforts.
Russell’s
blog
for
investors
features
investment
insights
and
research.

8.
©
2011
kasina®
38
advisor
blog
gives
concrete
tools
and
statistics
for
advisors
to
use
with
clients
and
articles
created
especially
for
them
such
as
“Can
Basketball
Make
You
a
Better
Advisor?”
An
advisor
blog
is
a
valuable
marketing
tool,
but,
even
more
importantly,
it
helps
firms
understand
what
data,
insights
and
tools
advisors
look
for
and
use.
Russell’s
blogs
feature
over
twenty
writers.
Readers
are
encouraged
to
rate
each
posting
and
the
rating
is
clearly
visible.
Both
sites
offers
RSS
links
in
the
header
or
readers
can
sign
up
for
e-­‐mail
delivery
of
the
postings.
The
advisor
site
has
phone
and
e-­‐mail
links
which
can
easily
be
used
to
contact
the
firm
for
additional
information.
Integrate
or
Separate?
Whether
a
firm
integrates
its
blog
on
its
Web
site
or
creates
a
separate
identity
on
a
new
domain
depends
on
the
goal
for
the
blog.
A
firm
with
limited
resources
may
find
it
easier
to
manage
the
blog
as
part
of
its
Web
site
because
content
can
more
easily
be
updated.
The
personality
of
the
blog
is
subordinated
to
the
Web
site.
If
the
blog
is
separate,
a
unique
URL
such
as
theretirementsavingschallenge.com
or
helpingadvisors.com
can
help
brand
the
new
space
and
provide
an
expanded
range
of
options
for
communicating
with
the
firm’s
audience.
Having
a
separate
site
also
allows
for
a
discussion
of
a
particular
topic
(e.g.
retirement
savings,
Roth
IRAs)
outside
of
the
context
of
an
individual
firm’s
products/marketing
messages.
Russell’s
blog
for
advisors
focuses
on
education
and
support.

9.
©
2011
kasina®
39
Best
Practices
Blogs
are
powerful
branding
vehicles
and
opportunities
for
in
depth,
intelligent
engagement
of
customers
and
advisors.
To
maximize
their
potential,
firms
should:
 Enable
commenting,
rating,
and
sharing
on
other
social
media
and
via
e-­‐mail.
Read
user
comments,
respond
to
them,
and
learn
from
them
to
guide
content
 Use
charts,
video,
podcasts,
or
images
to
illustrate
ideas.
These
are
particularly
useful
to
advisors
as
they
communicate
with
clients
 Identify
bloggers
and
use
first
person
narrative
to
foster
a
personal
connection
 Make
content
searchable,
organize
it
using
categories
and
use
tags
to
increase
search
results
 Link
to
the
firm
Web
site
and
identify
what
topics
drive
readers
there
 Encourage
subscription
via
RSS
and
e-­‐mail

10.
©
2011
kasina®
40
Best
in
Facebook
_______________________________________________________________
TOP
FACEBOOK
PAGES
Firm
kasina
Score
#1
92
#2
87
#3
86
#4
82
#5
Fidelity
Investments
TIAA-­‐CREF
Vanguard
The
Hartford
MainStay
Investments
80
Facebook
has
over
500
million
users—130
million
in
the
U.S.
alone.
By
2013,
over
47%
of
the
U.S.
adult
population
will
be
on
Facebook.7
Fifty
percent
of
users
log
on
every
day,
cumulatively
spending
over
700
billion
minutes
per
month
on
the
site.8
The
growth
in
usage
is
also
evident
among
investors
and
advisors.
Between
January
and
May,
2011
Vanguard
gained
approximately
3,000
Likes,
bringing
the
total
number
of
people
that
like
Vanguard
on
Facebook
to
nearly
18,000.
Dozens
of
people
comment
on
just
one
post,
which
enables
Vanguard
to
garner
feedback
from
posts
in
real
time.
These
same
fans
will
share
interesting
content
with
friends,
attracting
more
Likes
and
new
interest
to
the
firm.
The
growth
is
multiplicative.
The
more
users
a
firm
has,
the
more
new
users
it
can
attract.
While
firms
that
started
early
on
Facebook
have
a
leg
up,
new
entrants
with
a
strong
message
can
quickly
raise
their
profiles
using
interesting
campaigns
and
paid
advertising.
Although
people
use
Facebook
to
interact
with
friends,
families
and
games,
they
also
integrate
brands
and
news
into
their
conversations,
just
as
in
daily
life.
Brands
that
provide
content
to
fuel
these
conversations
can
engage
these
massive
numbers
of
users.
Facebook
is
best
used
for:
 Community
Building:
Facebook
lets
companies
host
a
nationwide
consumer
engagement
event
every
day
at
little
cost.
Pages
with
large
followings
touch
hundreds
of
customers
daily.
 Content
Dissemination:
Every
time
a
fan
Likes
or
comments
on
something,
it
is
noted
on
his
or
her
page.
The
fan
can
distribute
interesting
content
to
hundreds
or
thousands
of
friends.
7
http://www.emarketer.com/%28S%28oycqhobimqfr41rms1ut4s55%29%29/PressRelease.aspx?R=1008250.
8
http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics.