By Mark Arnold
Your members are constantly on the move, using new technology every single day. As online banking becomes ever more popular among members, and smart phones become ubiquitous, your credit union has an opportunity to interact with your members in new and enhanced ways.
Everywhere you turn, you see people using their iPhones, Androids, Galaxies, and Blackberries. The United States is becoming a wired and wireless country: almost 26% of all U.S. homes are wireless only, having removed their landline phone and Internet connection.
In this new world of technology, the credit union movement has to be able to reach members through these devices—and with more than just a text message. What is your credit union doing to reach the small screen—the smart phone? It’s not just a matter of reaching members on their phones; it’s what they are doing with their phone.
Video is another new frontier credit unions can use to better interact with, attract, and retain members. The top search engine for people under the age of 30 is YouTube, and yet many credit unions are behind when it comes to video offerings. The reality is, if you’re not on video, members are not going to find you.
A great example of effectively using video to reach members is the approach taken by Bossier Credit Union in Louisiana. They developed a video-based annual report. Traditionally, credit unions produce a beautiful, printed annual report. But once the annual meeting is done it’s likely tossed in the trash. Bossier’s video annual report is just as beautiful and informative, but it’s easily viewed anytime, anywhere. Bossier is using video as a way to connect more successfully with their members. Video allows you to make your message much more personal, and makes it easier to tell your credit union’s story. Above all, even in this age of technology, we still have to connect on a human level.
Plan, prioritize, and listen to your members. Then, take advantage of the new opportunities technology offers in reaching out to your current members and serving your future members.
Mark Arnold, CCUE, is the president of On the Mark Strategies, Carrollton, Texas. Learn from him during his session at Execu/Net, August 25–28, Fish Camp, Calif.
