Content is a staple for most asset management firms. From fund reports to market analysis, insights and case studies, teams are busy producing and publishing content across print, audio and video formats.
Of course, volume does not equate to impact. With a keen interest in how video is performing in this sector compared with other content types, we commissioned Moving Image, a specialist video analytics and research agency, to find out more.
In this first study, Moving Image analysed the performance of content shared on LinkedIn by six asset management firms from 1 January and 30 June, 2025.
Simon Crofts, Client Services Director, explains what stood out, and what we think it means for asset management teams trying to influence senior decision makers.
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Video reaches senior audiences in a way other formats don’t
Moving Image determined the audience for each format by analysing the LinkedIn profile headlines of those interacting with each content type.
Video isn’t the top-performing format across the board, but it is the clearest route to senior attention. The profile-headline analysis shows that far more directors, VPs, heads of function, and C-suite leaders engage with video than with any other asset type.
In contrast, documents and images, while attracting more views and engagement overall, skew towards earlier-career audiences. Terms such as “intern”, “student”, and “aspiring” appear more often in profiles of people engaging with these content types than in video profiles.
A good example is the Wellington Meet the Manager series: it consistently outperformed Wellington’s other content for the target audience and held its own against the sector’s top performers.
So if your goal is influence rather than reach, video is the leverage point.
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Posting more often can dilute engagement
Another pattern in the data is the relationship between volume and engagement. Brands that posted less often tended to achieve stronger per-post performance, while higher-volume posting correlated with lower engagement per post.
This is not a judgement on creative quality, nor a recommendation to go quiet. It is, however, a reminder that audience appetite is finite and that frequency needs to be a deliberate choice rather than a default. Creating too much ‘noise’ can mean your audience pay less attention and are certainly less likely to engage.
For teams under pressure to keep feeds busy, this is useful context. It suggests there is value in stepping back from volume-driven calendars and putting more energy into fewer posts that are clear about the audience they are for and the outcome they are meant to drive.
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Articles are common, but they are not earning much back
According to the research, asset management firms rate LinkedIn articles, yet the study shows they deliver the lowest average engagement of any content type.
That is worth paying attention to because articles are not “cheap” content: they take time to write, go through review cycles, and often create bottlenecks around subject-matter expertise and approvals.
If your articles are not earning enough attention to justify the effort, the question is not whether you should stop publishing them altogether, but whether they are the best use of your effort for what you are trying to achieve.
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The sector’s creative performance leaves room for advantage
There’s a broader opportunity behind all of this.
Moving Image’s research shows that engagement with video content in the asset management sector lags behind that in other B2B sectors. The figures are broadly comparable to those for professional and support services businesses, but are around half those enjoyed by construction firms.
However, I don’t think this is a format issue; it’s a differentiation opportunity (and something most of our clients in the sector crave). As with the professional services sector, much of the video content produced by asset managers is formulaic and similar – office backdrops, senior leaders talking to camera, and so on.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Differentiation is a creative opportunity; when most content looks and feels the same, a modest improvement in creative quality, clarity of message, and audience intent can quickly make content stand out.
What this means for asset management teams
This research offers a few practical takeaways:
- If you are trying to influence senior decision-makers, video remains your clearest route to that audience. Engagement may not always be highest in raw terms, but the senior skew is a differentiator.
- If you are posting at a high cadence, it is worth testing whether you can improve outcomes by posting slightly less often and putting more weight behind fewer, better-chosen moments.
- If your LinkedIn plan is heavily weighted towards articles, this research suggests you should pressure-test that choice, because other formats tend to outperform them on engagement, and video has the added advantage of senior attention.
- If you are using documents and images, keep using them, but use them deliberately. They can be effective for reach and broad visibility, but they should not be mistaken for formats that consistently influence senior stakeholders.
A simple next step
If you want to apply this without overcomplicating it, start with a light audit of your LinkedIn activity over the last 90 days.
Assign each post a primary job, such as reach, senior influence, recruitment, trust-building, or conversion support, then review the formats you use for each job. If most posts designed for senior influence are articles, documents, and static images, this research suggests you have an opportunity to make it easier for the people you’re aiming for to hear your message.
If you would like to talk through what this could look like for your team, or you want help building a video plan that fits the realities of asset management marketing, get in touch.
I also discuss this research and share additional insights on how asset managers can get the most from video in this webinar, hosted in partnership with the Investment Management Education Alliance (IMEA).
Finally, stay tuned for further research insights in the coming weeks.
