Your credit union has decided to dedicate some resources to improving your social media presence. By now, you most likely have the basics: A Facebook page, perhaps even a twitter account. You post once or twice a week, maybe even less depending on how busy you are with other daily activities. Most small and medium-sized credit unions don't have the deep pockets to warrant a fully-staffed marketing department, so the task of updating your pages is in the hands of your executive team or more likely the youngest/hippest employee on your payroll.
You know that in today’s digital world, social media is another way to reach members and establish your credit union as a financial leader in the community. Almost every generation can be reached via social media, especially millennials, the largest generation in the US history, and the upcoming Gen Z population. The importance of social media cannot be overstated, especially when promoting credit union member services. However, despite best efforts, your base of followers might be stagnant. Here are 6 possible reasons your members aren’t engaging with your credit union on social media.
- You’re Strictly Promotional. Members don’t want to feel like they’re constantly being sold to via social media, let alone any marketing platform. If you’re only posting about promotions, members are quick to unfollow. Utilize the 80/20 rule when posting content: only 20% of content should be sales focused, while the remaining 80% should be focused on other efforts.
- No Original Content. Members are hesitant to follow if the entirety of your content is something they can find somewhere else. Social media is the perfect avenue to establish your credit union as an industry thought leader. Creating original content like blogs and eGuides attracts members to your unique channels and typically bring them back to your website, which is always a plus.
- No Testimonials. Social media is all about sharing and learning from others' experiences. If your social media channels lack member or employee testimonials, you’re missing out on attracting more members to your content. If a member shares a great or challenging experience, be sure to share on your social channels to engage your members in the conversation. Always respond to comments, this engage the readers more.
- You’re Lacking Personality. If your social content focuses strictly on the facts or numbers, members will have trouble relating to your brand. Post content that highlights your unique business culture or maybe post about local brands you support. This will not only give your social presence more variety but also show a human side to your credit union and make your brand relatable.
- You Have Lengthy Videos... or Worse. Social media is perfect for short, sweet and informational videos. Be careful when creating videos that you keep the channel and members in mind. For Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, post videos that are visually appealing and straight to the point. If you have been ignoring video to this point, it's time to get on board. Facebook videos are viewed 100 million hours per day worldwide... that's 500 million people watching Facebook videos every day! And with Facebook live making it even easier to create and share simple videos, don't make the mistake of ignoring this.
- You Have No Focus. Members may not be following you on social media because your channels have no focus. Social media marketing and management should be mapped out just like any other business plan. Make sure that your presence correlates to your company’s goals and passions.
Create content that entices members to not only follow you but share with their social followers as well. Social media channels are a great way to expand your audience and reach people that you otherwise wouldn't. Looking for more ideas on boosting member engagement via social media? Read 10 Ways to Boost Member Services Adoption Via Social Media.
