When we first reviewed financial services’ involvement in social media in our report, Social Media: Trends and Tactics in the Financial Services Industry, released in late 2008, we found that mutual fund firms were the slowest segment to accept social media into their marketing plans. In fact, none of the 24 total firms that we track for Mutual Fund Monitor and Advisor had even launched Twitter accounts at that time.

Recently, however, we’ve seen a definite shift towards a slow acceptance of social media, mainly in Twitter. As mentioned in a Corporate Insight blog post in May, Vanguard Blazes a Social Media Trail for Mutual Fund Firms, it was noted that Vanguard had just taken major strides in the mutual fund social media world by starting a blog, registering a Facebook page, and launching a Twitter account. We projected that we would see more of the same from other mutual fund firms.

We were right: two firms followed close behind. American Century launched a Twitter page in late June, while Putnam introduced their Twitter page on July 1st. Users may have a tough time finding the Putnam Twitter page, though, unless they know exactly where to look; the page is registered under the name of its president and chief executive, Robert Reynolds.

This brings our count of tweeting mutual fund firms to three (well — four, if you count the German-based Allianz, who began tweeting entirely in its native launguage in April). These firms will likely encourage their competition to navigate around compliance issues to reach out to their clients — and prospective clients — where they are the most likely to find them.