CUES Symposium attendees brainstormed ways CUs can be useful to members online.
By Theresa Witham
Being useful (rather than just selling) is a key way to establish a positive social media presence, according to Jay Baer, marketing strategist, best-selling author and president of Convince & Convert. During his session at CUES Symposium: A CEO/Chairman Exchange last week, attendees had a chance to brainstorm "Youtility" (the title of Baer's book) ideas for credit unions. They came up with fantastic ideas! Here are five:
Custom ATM messages: Program ATMs to display messages related to life such as “Don’t forget to floss,” “Call your mother,” or “Don’t forget to vote.”
Welcome to Life Basket: Work with a local hospital to celebrate births. Open memberships for each new baby and provide the mother a basket of items she’ll need for the first week at home.
Repair and Maintenance Program: With home repairs, new roofs, car repairs, etc., credit unions have a vested interest in what’s being repaired. The CU would become a sort of Angie’s List where it could recommend local companies. And if something goes wrong with the repair, the CU could step in as a mediator.
Wellness Hub: The credit union is a resource for financial and physical wellness. The CU could survey members, staff and board members each month on a different topic, such as: what is the best health club in town, what are the best restaurants for eating on a budget, and what are your best financial wellness tips. These lists would be shared, along with other wellness-related information, such as the top 10 things you should do to make your house safer.
Donation program: The CU becomes a central hub for accepting donations (such as household goods, clothing, etc.) and works with local groups to get the items to people who really need them. “This is not hard. None of this is hard. It can be a little bit complicated. Everybody here can do this. Everybody here can create Youtility,” said Baer. “Youtility is a process, not a project.”
Theresa Witham is a CUES senior editor. Elevate your marketing at CUES School of Strategic Marketing™ I and II in Seattle. Be recognized for your outstanding credit union marketing in the CUES Golden Mirror Awards.
