Here is a secret that most of the alternative fund marketing community fails to grasp: above all, content is king. The aesthetics of a presentation matter, but it has to say something meaningful as well. Marketing that falls into the category of “looks great but doesn’t do a thing for my income statement” is an unwise use of your valuable resources. Here is what your content strategy should do in order to be effective.

Last fall, the SEC came out with a risk alert describing the most common ways investment advisors violate advertising laws. We appreciate that, but sometimes complying with them can be so utterly cumbersome to the design of a presentation. Who really wants their PowerPoint to be so cluttered with disclaimers that nobody pays attention to anything else?

The tear sheet, a one or two-page summary of an alternative fund’s performance history, is the first real impression that a hedge or private equity fund makes on an investor. All too often, though, tear sheets are created improperly and generate a poor representation of the fund company. As we have said in other newsletters, you have got to look the part when you cater to HNW individuals. Here are five tear sheet faux pahs that will knock you out of consideration right out of the gate. We have also interviewed a professional alternative fund marketer for his take on what he has seen the top sellers do right with their alternative fund tear sheets.

It goes without saying that a brand is a driver of commercial success, especially for hedge funds and private equity funds looking to make a name for themselves. What makes a brand great, and alternatively what keeps you looking average? The brand guidelines are the foundation. Here is what you should be paying attention to.