Many firms are still treating LinkedIn like a billboard. Post the quarterly commentary. Post the Bloomberg hit. Announce new funds. The copy is eloquent, and the graphics sparkle. And then it sits, abandoned on the timeline.

It’s no light lift to activate a consistent content engine, but far too often, hitting “publish” is treated as the endpoint. In 2025, it should be understood as the start of the next phase.

If your firm’s digital plan relies on the “post and pray” approach, you’re not just leaving reach on the table. You’re handing pipeline to competitors who understand that engagement isn’t optional anymore.

Fostering trust, distribution, and growth cannot happen on your firm’s feed alone. You have to be present in other people’s feeds as well: in the comments, Reddit threads, Substack discussions, and beyond.

In other words, firms are tapping into something called micro-communities. These are tight, engaged, interest-specific pockets across digital channels—communities where questions get real answers from trusted experts.
Let’s talk about why this shift matters and (most importantly) how to do it without making compliance lose their minds.

Why micro-communities matter right now

We work with enough asset managers to know what you’re thinking: “Great, another platform to manage. Another piece to route to compliance. Another round of revisions.”

We get it. But here’s why you can’t ignore this: Algorithms reward conversation, not broadcasts.

Multiple 2024–2025 LinkedIn analyses show the platform prioritizing meaningful interactions, especially comments and post-publication engagement, as organic reach continues to tighten. Why does this matter to you? That thought leadership piece your CIO spent weeks writing is getting buried after posting unless someone (or ideally, lots of people) engages with it. (postline.ai)

Outbound engagement is a 2025 trend.

Hootsuite’s Social Trends 2025 highlights how the biggest growth hack isn’t necessarily posting more, but showing up in other people’s comment sections and participating authentically in existing threads. Dropping into popular posts and adding valuable commentary or perspective is an extremely effective way to reach new audiences. (Hootsuite)

Trust flows peer-to-peer.

Edelman’s 2024 Trust Barometer shows that employees and peers remain the most trusted messengers in financial services. Your team’s voices carry more weight than your corporate account ever will, purely due to the inner workings of digital platforms and the human mind. (Edelman)

Responsiveness is a deal-maker.

In the 2025 Sprout Social Index, ~73% of consumers say if a brand doesn’t respond on social, they’ll turn to a competitor. In asset management terms, an advisor asks a question in your LinkedIn comments, you don’t answer for a week, and they’ve already posted the same question on another firm’s content, who responded that same day. Silence costs. (Sprout Social)

What this means for asset managers

Go multi-platform with intention. Yes, even Reddit.

Your CIO lives on LinkedIn. Your PMs are Reddit lurkers. The founder is tapped into X. Advisors congregate in niche Facebook groups and association Slack channels.

Here’s the Hewes take: don’t treat this kind of fragmentation like a problem. Use it to your advantage.

Your audience is likely not limited to one platform. Being present and active in all the places that matter can be a strong part of your distribution strategy. A 2024 benchmark shows 38% of consumers planned to use more networks in 2024. (Sprout Social)

Engage where the questions are being asked (this is where the magic happens).

This is one of the biggest strategy shifts worth pushing among your team: commenting helpfully on third-party posts (conference threads, journalists’ posts, advisor community discussions) now delivers greater reach than posting alone.

To recap, this what Hootsuite is talking about when they say, “Outbound Engagement.” (We like to think of it as a strong ROI-driver you’re probably not doing yet.) It’s a scalable way to unlock new audiences, and without ad spend.

Coming Next Month: Part 2 — The Compliance-Friendly Engagement Playbook

In December’s continuation, we’ll unpack the how, including practical steps for spokespeople and firms, a compliance-safe engagement checklist, and a starter calendar to help you bring micro-community strategy to life.

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