Your best brand ambassadors? Your employees

How can you ensure that your credit union’s brand is getting positive exposure? Think beyond the traditional means of marketing, even think past the current rage of social media engagement. All of these methods, while proven and important, come with a cost. But, did you know that there is a valid method that does not impact your marketing budget?

It is your employees. We all spend so much of our time at our jobs. And, if we, especially those of us in the credit union movement, enjoy our jobs, then why shouldn’t we tell people about it?

You see, your employees are not just employees, they are potentially brand ambassadors for your credit union.

We all have lives outside of work. And we all have circles of influence. Whether it be friends, family, our kids, our activities or other interests, we have access to make a positive impact on those people with our knowledge of credit unions.

As a member and employee of a credit union, chances are pretty high that a person has a positive story or two about how the credit union has helped them personally. That kind of endorsement goes a long way with the people they know and have some degree of influence over.

So, as their employer, how can you help your employees be well-equipped, engaged brand ambassadors?

Educate them. Make sure part of all employee training includes teaching the distinct differences between a credit union and a bank. That way, when that employee is involved in a conversation, they can articulate that difference in a manner that is clear. Also teach employees about the benefits to credit union membership. Again, there are differences that can have major impacts on potential member experiences and could influence them to join a credit union.

Talk through the scenarios. Help your employees engage by having others share real-time examples of the benefits they have experienced through credit union membership. Maybe make it a part of a monthly staff meeting or some regular meeting so employees get used to sharing. That will help open the door to them thinking about their own experiences and break down barriers to sharing those stories with others.

As credit union members, we all have great stories to tell. We just need to be empowered to do so and the impacts will be tremendous.