Four marketing tips to guide you into 2014

It’s here! Happy 2014! If you are like most financial marketers, you are probably already off to the races. In fact, at most credit unions and banks the marketing department started their 2014 initiatives back in October of 2013.

But January is always a time to reflect on our upcoming year and efforts. While the famous saying “finish strong” is important, the reality is if you don’t start the year right in marketing, your finish is already doomed.

So here are a few marketing tips to guide you into 2014:

(1)   You won’t grow if you don’t market—Raise your right hand. Make the following pledge, “I promise not to cut the marketing budget at mid-year.” There—you said it. Now be sure to keep your promise! It cracks me up: every bank and credit union I know wants to grow, grow and grow. Yet when mid-year comes around the first thing to cut is the marketing budget. You will not grow your financial institution if you do not grow your marketing. No marketing = no growth.

(2)   Get everyone involved in branding—Marketing does not exist in a silo (or at least it shouldn’t). One of the best suggestions I can give marketers is to share the love. It doesn’t matter what your brand vision, message and tagline are. It’s your employees who live the brand every day. So what are you going to do this year to make the brand come alive to them? Options include conducting employee wide brand training, developing staff brand standards and having a “brand-day” for staff.

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