Joel Hansen from LOI VC on How to Market a VC Firm and Build a Standout Brand
I'm so excited to present this brief but jam-packed interview to you with the Head of Marketing at LOI VC, Joel Hansen.
I've wanted to interview a seasoned VC marketer for a long time now, so this is a big milestone for me! As someone on a mission to dive deeper into how marketers build standout VC brands, Joel’s expertise and success immediately caught my attention. With over 50,000 followers on LinkedIn and a track record of helping LOI VC weave an exceptional brand identity, I knew this would be the perfect person to interview.
I had 5 main questions for Joel, which you can read below. In our conversation, Joel shared the creative strategies and community-driven approach that have set LOI VC apart, how marketing has been a core pillar of their firm since day one, and his top tips for building a brand that resonates with founders and investors alike.
PS: If you know of any VC marketers that I can interview next, please drop me a DM.
About LOI VC
LOI Venture is a $20M Pre-Seed Fund focused on backing founders under 30 attending the League of Innovators Accelerator Program. The fund was co-founded by Ryan Holmes and Manny Padda to help accelerate early stage startups in Canada.
In 2017, Ryan Holmes (Co-founder of Hootsuite) founded League of Innovators, a charity with a mission to help accelerate the growth of young entrepreneurs in Canada. To date, the program has graduated 250 businesses with a combined valuation of nearly $1B.
In December 2021, Ryan and fellow board member Manny Padda (Angel Investor/Board Member of League of Innovators) co-founded LOI Venture. The $20M fund, ranging in pre-seed and seed-stage cheques, will be positioned to help accelerate early-stage startups in Canada who enrol in the LOI program.
Joel Hansen on Building a Standout VC Brand
1. What are the key elements of your approach to positioning a VC firm as a standout brand, and how do you differentiate LOI VC from other firms?
At LOI Venture, we prioritize creativity, agility, and unconventional thinking. We frequently A/B test concepts and validate ideas with our portfolio founders, ensuring we provide maximum value to them. Our commitment to genuine community building is evident through initiatives like facilitating valuable group chats for our portfolio founders and hosting demo days where investors actively fund our founders. We continually ask ourselves, 'Are we being our portfolio's favorite investor on their cap table?'
By showcasing the unique journeys of our founders on our social platforms and in our newsletter, we craft relatable and inspiring narratives that attract like-minded entrepreneurs. Additionally, our sister organization, League of Innovators—a startup accelerator for founders under 30—provides us with unique insights into a remarkable batch of founders seeking capital each year.
2. Was marketing an important part of LOI from day one, or was it something that came later on?
With one of our General Partners, Ryan Holmes, being the founder of Hootsuite—a leading social media management platform—marketing has been integral to LOI Venture since its inception. We recognized the importance of a strong brand presence early on, prioritizing marketing efforts to build awareness and attract both founders and investors.
This proactive approach has been crucial in establishing our reputation in the venture capital landscape. Moreover, our experience with the League of Innovators accelerator, which has seen numerous alumni raise impressive amounts of capital, underscored the need to add a capital vehicle to support future alumni emerging from the program.
3. What platforms and strategies have been most effective for building LOI VC’s digital presence?
Leveraging social media platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram has been instrumental in building our digital presence. We also maintain a monthly newsletter that significantly drives sign-ups for events, accelerator applications, and introduction requests for our portfolio founders.
By consistently sharing valuable content and engaging with our audience, we've cultivated a community of over 2 million followers across multiple platforms and team social accounts. Hosting online events, such as demo days, has also been effective in showcasing our portfolio companies and attracting investor interest. If you're interested in following our League Newsletter, you can subscribe here.
If you know a founder under 30 who should join our next cohort, they can apply here and mention this interview.
4. What skills or qualities do you prioritize when building or expanding a marketing team in the venture capital space? Are there specific roles you think every VC marketing team should have?
When expanding our marketing team, we prioritize individuals who excel in storytelling, digital strategy, and community engagement. Emerging roles in the VC space include community managers and social media managers. Many VC brands are also developing podcast series, newsletter programs, or agencies to support their portfolios.
It's essential for team members to understand the specific niche of the startup ecosystem they're serving (e.g., seed to Series B, biotech vs. B2B SaaS) and have experience building thriving two-way communication channels (e.g., Slack, social media, Discord, WhatsApp groups).
5. Your top 3 tips for VC marketers
- Start and manage a newsletter with your community: It's the only audience you truly own, as social media platforms can limit your reach or, worse, remove you if you don't adhere to their rules.
- Engage with other VC marketers: Schedule coffee, lunch, or Zoom calls with VC marketers who inspire you to exchange ideas and best practices.
- Regularly A/B test new initiatives: Experiment with a few new strategies each month and report back to your team on your findings. Continuous learning is crucial to stay ahead in the industry.
By focusing on these strategies, VC marketers can enhance their firm's brand presence and foster stronger relationships within the industry.
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