PLANO, Texas–There is a big challenge for credit unions when it comes to marketing: their members and prospective members represent a range of demographics: rural and urban, older and younger, male and female, along with numerous other subsets.
For CUs, especially with limited budget, the challenge comes in marketing effectively to such diverse audiences.
What to do?
“People want to be seen for who they are,” according to Kelly McDonald, president of an award-winning advertising and marketing firm, who will be a presenter at Catalyst Corporate’s upcoming Accelerating Success Conference, Feb. 15-17 at the Omni National Resort in Tucson. “You’re saying ‘I see you, I get you, I value your business and I understand you.’ When you personalize the member experience, it pays off.”
One way to better connect with members, McDonald said, is to offer them clear, easy ways to communicate preferences and needs, whether through social media or in person. “Give members a voice in your organization,” she recommended. “The best credit unions are actively engaging in conversations; they don’t want to have to guess what members want.”
At the root, McDonald explained, members want to belong to something good. “It’s important to share with your members all the good your credit union does in the community. Sharing is a universal trend – not a fad.”
This distinction, according to McDonald, is imperative to understand. “A fad is something that comes and goes, but a trend, like sharing, is not going away,” she said. “A trend is a shift in the way we’re able to connect with others. Find the trends behind the fads.”
McDonald sees the merging of marketing and technology as another trend affecting credit unions. “These two entities aren’t siloed anymore,” she said. “Marketing can get better supported by technology.”
McDonald is a 20-year veteran of the advertising world. Her company, McDonald Marketing, was twice named to the "Top Ad Agencies in the U.S." by Advertising Age magazine.
In “Crafting a Member Experience for People Not Like You,” McDonald will share why a "one-size-fits-all" approach is no longer viable in today's competitive business environment. Her presentation is set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Omni Tucson National Resort.
For info: www.catalystcorp.org/r/conference.