“God-Like Influencers": Breaking Down VC Content Strategy

An agency was giving a synopsis of how VC brands operate in comparison to other kinds of firms:

“We noticed that VCs tend to emulate this almost god-like image and influence. And it seems to us that they believe they can actually have that much influence.” 

I, like many in VC, tend to talk about firms in relation to the people who run those firms - Marc Andreessen with a16z, Reid Hoffman with Greylock, and the list goes on. When I transitioned from an influencer talent agency to VC firm, I was surprised to find the similarities in how they build personal brands. For any VC looking to build their brand or founder looking to understand the mindset of VCs better, I hope you’ll find value in the lessons I’ve learned. 

Getting Started as a VC 

After speaking with communities like GenZ VC and Women in VC, there are new funds starting practically every day. Many of these new and emerging fund managers may have come from different backgrounds, but for each new fund manager, I recommend the following: 

1. Establish your twitter + one medium you feel most comfortable with - Your twitter will be meant for conversations and networking with fellow VCs. Founders tend to lurk more on the platform, so make sure it’s clear how they can get in touch with you.
2. Be consistent - Push out content at least once a week and interact on Twitter multiple times a week with those in communities you are trying to get closer with. 
3. Create 3 big pieces of content around your investment thesis and background. 

High-Level Strategy 

VCs don’t talk about it much, but there are really two main reasons they invest in marketing. 

1. Deal flow -Find the best founders, connect with them, and ultimately invest. 
2. Fundraising - Network with potential LPs and ultimately have them invest in their funds. 

So knowing this, why don’t investors just have a form for founders to pitch and go through that? Well, some do. But most try to better their deal flow through networks. That’s why so many VCs are on clubhouse and Twitter and medium and more. By talking about what they are hoping to invest in, they want to cut out the noise of every founder they come across and network their way to founders that they find to be the best of the best. 

That all to be said, I am a big fan of some of the up-and-coming fund managers like Lolita Taub who pin a post on their Twitter feed about how to get in touch with them best.

Transparency is becoming more of a norm with VCs as they are viewing their personal brands as less of an elusive, hard-to-reach idol and more like an approachable influencer. 

Our Current Stage of VC Brand Building: Content Tools 

Some believe that in the stages of VC brand building, we were once trying different platforms, relying on the press, and now, are supposedly focused on building brands through community, a strategy that is highly dependent on the individual contributions and brands within a firm. 

I would argue there is one more stage we are currently in that was brought about by the likes of NFX, The Community Fund, and more: content tools. While we still use communities as an amplification tool and rely on those network effects, content tools have helped some VCs gain notoriety and become founder favorites. 

A great example of this is NFX’s Signal. "Signal is a free tool for founders to find the right investors - and the strongest intro to those investors - and for investors to attract the right deals."

One that is more bootstrapped is Lolita Taub’s Startup-Investor Matching Tool. While some of these require technical knowledge, many of them are bootstrapped and still incredibly helpful for founders. VCs get to see the information in aggregate, which helps craft their thesis and strategies, and founders get resources directly related to their company. It's this strategy that led me to create the Female Founders Hub and Black Founders Hub at 500 Startups.

VCs are constantly evolving in their marketing strategies. In the lessons I laid out in this piece, I only even touched on those related to founder deal flow and partnerships. What are some of the best brands in VC that you are currently following? Are you starting to build your brand in the industry and have questions? Comment below.