Inside Marketing: Engaging Members With Financial Wellness Resources

As pervasive as it is in our everyday lives, finance is deeply personal, stressful and often taboo to discuss. Recent economic stressors, including inflation and the rising cost of necessities, are major sources of stress for the majority of all American adults, according to the American Psychological Association, making it important for financial institutions to step in and provide financial support to their account holders.

Credit unions are uniquely positioned to address the needs of their members by offering comprehensive financial wellness resources. These resources can serve as a powerful marketing tool, reinforcing the commitment to members' financial well-being while attracting new customers. Let's explore how credit unions can leverage financial wellness resources as a strategic marketing tool.

What Is Financial Wellness?

Financial wellness is more than just managing your current paycheck; it involves achieving a state of overall financial health and security, setting realistic financial goals and planning for major life milestones. Financial illiteracy comes at a cost—according to the Financial Educators Council, Americans lost about $1,500 in 2023 due to poor management of credit card interest, poor budgeting, fees and fraud.

Credit unions are well equipped to serve as trusted advisors for their members on financial decisions, but most Americans lean on family and friends for their financial advice, according to a Motley Fool study, with more turning to social media platforms, including TikTok, for their financial advice and information. By offering resources that address different aspects of financial wellness, credit unions can empower their members to take control of their financial lives. Most importantly, improving financial wellness among your membership can have a positive impact on the community by improving financial literacy and stability.

Credit unions can offer a wide range of financial wellness resources to their members, including workshops, online resources, counseling, and more programs that aim to demystify the world of personal finance. By explaining topics such as budgeting, debt management, retirement planning and homeownership, credit unions can help members improve their financial literacy and make informed decisions.

Additionally, credit unions offer one-on-one financial counseling sessions with certified financial professionals that tailor support to each member’s unique circumstances. This can also serve as an opportunity to assist members in building or repairing their credit or exploring new products at the credit union through credit-building loans, secured credit cards and more.

These resources are only effective tools if they’re actually being used by members. Below are three strategies on how you can better engage your members with your financial resources:

1. Personalize your marketing messages: Tailor your marketing messages to emphasize the value of financial wellness and how the credit union's resources can help members improve their financial lives. Each member has a different level of financial literacy, and some may need more guidance than others. As a credit union, you have the opportunity to assess members’ complete financial picture and offer products that help them achieve their goals, such as buying a home or saving for a child’s higher education.
2. Communicate through all channels: Different communication channels, including email, social media, text, website content and in-branch, offer several opportunities to educate members on the resources available to them. Some credit unions are even considering influencer marketing as a new channel to raise awareness of their brand and reach younger audiences.
3. Member testimonials: Credit unions are integrated into their communities and deeply tied to local businesses, community organizations, schools and families. Sharing authentic success stories and testimonials from members who have benefited from financial wellness resources can inspire others to take advantage of these resources, while also demonstrating how you advocate for members' financial well-being. Every credit union offers a complete, diverse suite of savings and investment products, and these options can help members grow their wealth and achieve their long-term financial goals—so consider sharing direct, specific testimonials from members who have benefitted from your services.

Financial wellness resources serve as a powerful tool for credit unions, reinforcing your commitment to members' well-being while strengthening the communities in which you are based. By offering personalized messages, strong communications and testimonials demonstrating the resources available, credit unions can position themselves as trusted advisors and partners in helping members achieve their financial goals.

Laura Lenz is an account associate at William Mills Agency, the nation’s largest independent public relations firm focusing exclusively on the financial services and technology industries. The agency can be followed on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or its blog.