Why Now is the Time to Market Your Credit Union’s Mobile and Online Services

If you’re in the northern half of the country, take a look out your window. Chances are there’s snow and ice on the ground and the temperatures are careening toward the zero mark. If you’re lucky enough to be working for a credit union in the more southern states, while you don’t have to deal with the white stuff, winter can bring chilly temperatures and rain. All of these weather-related observations mean one thing – your members are probably spending more time in the warm coziness of their homes and less time out running errands.

Baby, it’s Cold Outside

Sometimes you need to think like your members to find the right marketing angles to reach them. CU Solutions Group is in Michigan and I can see inches of snow outside my office window right now. Throw in the single digit temps and you can bet I’d rather do all my banking online or on my phone right now rather than bundle up and drive to my nearby credit union!

Why not take advantage of the inclement weather and create a fun marketing campaign to remind your members they can stay inside and still take care of their banking needs with your online and/or mobile solutions? Not only will this remind your tech-savvy members of all of the time-saving tech tools you offer, you can also get members who may not know about your online/mobile banking up to speed. 

To accomplish a quick turnaround on a winter-related campaign, you could start with email marketing, Web banners and e-statement onserts to promote your e-services. The next step would be lobby posters and take-ones for your tellers and other frontline staff to use.

If your credit union doesn’t have the bandwidth or marketing team to pull a campaign together quickly, let CU Solutions Group be your marketing team. We can create campaigns of any size that fit most budgets to get the results you’re looking for. We also offer mobile banking, custom mobile apps and a variety of online tools to enhance your credit union’s e-service solutions.

5 Marketing Trends for Credit Unions in 2015

We are heading to the end of 2014 which can have many of you already looking forward to 2015. This can be the year your credit union can really capitalize on the new marketing trends that have emerged. Here are the top five marketing trends for 2015.

1. Social Media: As the social media landscape changes, so should your credit union’s social media efforts. Facebook is slowly losing its Millennial demographic, however, recently it has seen a boost with the Baby Boomer generation. Instagram has seen high numbers in the Millennial category, but has yet to see an increase with Baby Boomers. Twitter still ranks as one of the most widely used social media platforms from all age groups. It’s important for your credit union to diversify your social media efforts to build your brand and make it easier for members to recognize and connect to you. Instagram and Pinterest can seem like unlikely social media outlets for your credit union to use, but it is consistently growing in users. Having an active profile on each can boost your credit union’s member base.
2. Content: Content still remains king through 2015. With each Google algorithm update you can expect Google to favor content over most anything else. Having regularlyupdated content on your site establishes authority and helps your credit union gain member trust. The best ways for credit unions to use content is with its website, newsletters, videos and articles and or blog posts.
3. Mobile: Mobile is quickly becoming an important tool for credit unions. If your credit union does not have a well-developed mobile app on every operating system, now is the time to focus your efforts. According to Forbes, 87% of connected devices are engaging in some form of banking. Mobile banking for your credit union needs to give the user a positive experience. Your mobile design should be in a format that is commonly referred to as responsive design. This means that your site provides an optimal viewing experience-easy reading and navigation with a minimum of resizing, panning and scrolling-across a wide range of devices.
4. YouTube and other video platforms: If content is known as the king, videos can be considered the queen. According to the Social Science Research Network, 65% of people are visual learners. YouTube and other video platforms have made it easy for companies to create and share content with their members.
5. Micro-targeting – when it comes to spending on marketing; you want to get the most bang for your buck. Many credit unions are turning to micro-targeting to increase their member base. Micro-targeting gives credit unions the ability to use consumer data and demographic reports to identify individuals or small groups of the like-minded individuals. By micro-targeting your audience you can increase your member base quickly without the large spend that comes in other forms of marketing. One simple product can be used for micro-targeting is Gas Station TV.

CU Solutions Group has the tools to help you make your marketing the best in the business. If your goal is to improve your website or launch a social media campaign, we have what you need to reach your members.  With our helpful website compliance review, content management system and website design and development products we can help you stand out for all the right reasons.