There is a pretty common notion going around, and no hard feelings here – that financial working is boring. Most people with no educated understanding of the field find it confusing, hard to grasp, and sometimes even frustrating. The bad news here is that these people are your potential and existing customers. Leaving them confused and frustrated leaves you pretty much high and dry, right? However, the good news is that you no longer have to, as there is a simple solution in engaging them in a fun, friendly, and still professional manner – via social media!
Your credit union may already have a certain online presence, and you may or may not be seeing the desired results here. If you are – kudos, well done! But, for those of you still struggling to reap the many benefits of the proper use of social media – we’ve worked out the 10 most useful tips that will prove golden and will effectively bring engagement from your social media audience.
Use Visuals
The social media platforms are built in a manner that promotes visual content. So, what this means is that you can take advantage of the visuals – by promoting some useful tips and tricks for your customers, in the form of short videos or infographics. Use visuals as teasers for new and upcoming promotions or show some of the perks your customers will be getting when choosing your credit union. There are many free and paid software that can help you edit and file your own videos.
Get Personal
Personal stories are rarely boring. It is always a good idea to share the story of the struggling small business that overcame its challenges with your help– as a way of creating massive engagement with your audience. A story that paints a picture of a positive change in someone’s life, community, or small business – can’t help but be an exciting one.
Create Contests, Quizzes, and Polls
Can you think of more fun and interactive way to connect with your customers? And, there are no limits here! Simply let the creativity flow freely and create all kinds of different contests intended for all the platforms. You can post amusing quizzes on Facebook, and you can even get some much-valued feedback by using the Instagram Story polls. Your audience will feel involved and will surely engage with you. And who wouldn’t like to win small gifts like vouchers, for example?
Get bold
Today, more than ever we are given the opportunity to voice our opinions on important social issues and to offer our support to some very important causes. So, jump on this train and make your social media presence full of impact. You may feel it is not your place to take a stand on issues such as LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, sexual harassment, or immigration, but all of these are currently a huge part of the real world, and engaging in these topics will bring a human, caring touch to your reputation. Just make sure you are mindful of the delicate subjects you are dealing with.
Listen and Learn
Once you start to activate your online presence, make sure you take full advantage of it. There is so much you can learn simply by following the likes count, going through the comments, and the overall engagement. But, you can take this even a step further. For instance, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all offer amazing insights into your social media posting, statistics which you can always use to improve your performance.
Promote your Strengths
This goes without saying, but it’s surprising how often it gets skipped over. So, if you have strong customer service, let your audience know. If you offer financial guidance, ring it on all bells. You should make sure that all the perks and bonuses you offer are clearly presented in the best possible way, so your customers can make an informed decision when choosing your credit union over your competition.
Advertise
Achieving organic reach on Facebook and Instagram is now next to impossible. Some may go as far as to say that using social media without advertisement is a waste of time. So, set a monthly budget for this purpose only, and don’t be afraid to spend money here! Businesses that use social media ads are reporting a massive increase in profits and engagement, so get started on this, yesterday!
Get Organized
More often than not credit unions will start up their social media adventure, post here and there, reply to a few comments, give out a few prizes, and then they let it go as a done deal. This is a big mistake. In the social media world, it is crucial to be consistent and set realistic goals. And you can’t do that if you don’t have a clear plan of how your social media accounts are going to be managed.
Don’t Overshare
Much like in human relationships, the social media audience doesn’t take kindly to oversharing. You want to keep your online presence active, but not annoying. Your followers will not take you seriously if you overwhelm them with 10 posts a day, 15 stories, 25 tweets, and so on. So, keep everything in moderation – you want to be noticed, not avoided and blocked.
Focus on the Lead Capture
Social media can be great for your credit union, there is no question about it, but its main goal shouldn’t be to do your business for you. What you can expect and get from this digital journey is increased traffic on your website –where business is actually done! Once you have your audience there, you can nurture them with quality content in order to interest them in pursuing what you are offering.
So, give all this a try! It will be fun, interactive, and good for business! If you need any help contact us!
