If you’re a plan provider—advisor, TPA, recordkeeper, or pooled plan provider—you’ve probably heard the advice a million times: “Create content to stay top of mind with plan sponsors.” But what kind of content actually works?
Here’s the secret: plan sponsors don’t want white papers on mortality assumptions. They want practical, readable, “what do I do now?” kind of stuff.
Here are five types of content you should be producing:
1. The “Are We Doing This Right?” Checklist Give sponsors a simple, jargon-free checklist they can use to evaluate their own plan. Think: Are we benchmarking fees? Do we meet regularly? Are we documenting decisions? It’s actionable, digestible, and it positions you as a helpful resource.
2. Short Videos or Posts on Fiduciary Duties Sponsors live in fear of doing the wrong thing. Short videos or posts explaining things like “What’s a QDIA?” or “What happens if we miss a deposit deadline?” are gold. Keep it short, human, and useful.
3. Quarterly “What’s New in 401(k)” Updates A quick email or PDF recapping regulatory changes, key court cases, and compliance reminders. Be the one who helps them avoid a mistake before it becomes an issue.
4. Case Studies Share anonymized stories of plans you’ve helped—especially if you’ve improved investment lineups, reduced fees, or streamlined administration. Everyone loves before-and-after stories.
5. Participant-Facing Tools They Can Share Sponsors love content they can pass along to employees. Provide short explainers, calculators, or videos on saving more, Roth vs. pretax, or how to read a statement. You help them look good to their employees.
Bottom line: plan sponsors are busy, confused, and terrified of doing something wrong. Your content should solve problems, reduce fear, and make you the provider they trust to keep them out of trouble.
