Blog management tools your credit union can use
You’re here to learn about the software and systems I use to keep this blog running. I’m ready to share them with you. We will discuss the platform, social media tools, and more.
What? You don’t have a blog or other learning portal for members to access? For the sake of your social and search presence, get started today!
Since that’s part of what my company educates on, I’m here to help!
Scheduled Posts
Every so often, typically on Tuesdays, a new post appears (Updated for 2020!). You get a notification, e-mail, tweet, or some other thing, which directs you here. And I am super appreciative that you visit.
Even if it’s just to see if your name is mentioned. Sarah, Steve, Phil, David, Dianne, Ashley, Qui-Gon…are you a winner? There’s always next time.
No matter what moved you to action, you are here now. Yet what made this post appear? Was I sitting on a device debating when to press Post? Well, yes, I do that, but not in this case.
I use the post scheduler to keep a consistent flow of content, even if I happen to be busy at that time. I’m sure you never find yourself suddenly occupied when other obligations are waiting…
Whatever platform you use, it supports scheduled posts. At one point, I had over a year of content scheduled on this blog. That’s back when I was really good at writing and prioritizing. It was also a bit crazy.
The Guts of the System
What’s it like behind the curtains, down the rabbit’s hole, outside the Matrix? To be honest, it’s pretty similar to the world you inhabit.
I just have mad hatters, agents with equally mad martial arts skills, and a reasonably unhappy (did you think I’d say “mad”?) wizard who is not a wizard at all.
Whew, how many references did I even make there? No time to count, we’ve got to talk about the blog platform!
To start, Credit Union geek is built using WordPress. More than half the internet uses this platform, and to no big surprise. It’s easy to craft to your needs, quickly, easily, and without a lot of technical knowledge.
Security Concerns
Because WordPress is so widespread, security fixes are released within hours. With a strong password (Article updated for 2020!), a WordPress site is as safe as one could expect online.
I also use an extension called WordFence, which blocks suspicious activity and also visitors who are likely up to no good. That’s just the surface of its functionality, and I’d at least look at it and similar products before launching.
Sharing Content, or, Ensuring You Know It Exists
For sharing, I take a few paths. My goal is to be where you are. If that’s this site, great. Only I cannot expect all of you to come here daily! No one’s stopping you.
However, to get proper reach, I’ve got to go social!
The most common is Twitter. When on my computer, I use the Tweetdeck web-app. On my iPad and iPhone, I use Twitterrific. I can follow trending topics (Yes, updated for 2020!), schedule posts, and see all my interactions on one screen.
But what if you’re not on Twitter? Or, even if you are, it’s easy to miss a few posts. In case you didn’t notice, a lot of people use it. And some of them post far too much (often while saying far too little).
Thus, Twitter isn’t my only outreach medium.
I also share all my posts on LinkedIn using their Article platform. To inform people of their existence, I sometimes post on a variety of credit union-focused LinkedIn groups.
Unfortunately, activity on those groups fell over the years. After watching posts get 0 engagements over the course of months, I pulled away as well. The groups were great, so if you’re ready to come back, I am, too!
I see this platform as my main area for interaction. Despite not liking their mobile app at all, I’ve put it back in my phone so I can check notifications and comment on related industry posts.
Do you use LinkedIn, and, if so, for what purposes? (If it’s for finding another job, just say, “Waffle recipes” in the comments. It’ll be our little secret.)
Occasionally, I’ll share on Facebook to friends and family. Since this is business-related content, most don’t care. So it’s less common than all other mediums.
Of course, readers can easily subscribe and receive new posts by e-mail. Are you? Because it’s the best way to get your dose of Geek.
Software Platforms
I’ve tried a lot of software over the years. Some don’t exist anymore. Others evolved to a point of being more frustration than productive. A few are new entrants I consider carefully.
ActiveCampaign – E-mail & Tracking
For e-mail campaign efforts, I use our company’s CRM platform: ActiveCampaign. These managed messages inform readers of my speaking availability (I’m way cooler in person) or new posts.
It’s also a great way to let people know about full rewrite updates like those you see mentioned in this post. Plus, chances are, you weren’t reading back in 2014. Yet I’ve got some good stuff to surface from then!
ActiveCampaign gives me the flexibility to set up automations based on recipient activity, track open rates, and much more. We’re still learning what it can do, but the team seems receptive to suggestions.
Buffer – Social Media Management
With my priorities leaning towards our company’s Learning Library, I’ve been lax on use of this system. What is Buffer?
In a few words, it’s a single service to manage all your social media activity. Schedule posts, watch engagement, and much more. It works on desktop and mobile just as easily.
I really like how it lets you set up a bunch of posts, then have it automatically post them on a schedule you define ahead of time. They’ll even suggest best times for engagement on each service.
To explain: I can have Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn connected to Buffer. Each has their own posts ready, abiding to individual schedules. It’s all your social activity, on one screen. Pretty cool, right?
Audio Posts
When the mood strikes me, I’ll make an audio post. Why not video, you ask? Because the lighting and layout of my office isn’t ideal. I’ve tried. The audio is the better solution right now.
Making recorded content isn’t a huge challenge. I use AirPods for microphones because they’re just fabulous. I record into Quicktime, then export as a high-quality m4a file. That’s it!
Web Apps – Everything Else
To be honest, for most activities, I just use the website. Twitter posts? Tweetdeck, since it’s Twitter as it should be (without all the extra garbage).
LinkedIn? The website. It’s not great, but there’s no easier way to browse my feed to find relatable content.
Content creation? I used to use Evernote, but transitioned to Google Drive/Docs in the last year. When copying from the latter, it retains formatting in WordPress best. Plus, I can get to it/edit on any device.
At the end of the day, my goal is to not be tied to any one device. If I need to do something and all that’s available is my phone, it should work. It’s not ideal, but doable.
What’s Your Process?
I speak to a lot of credit union marketing and social media folks (Cleaned up for 2020!). They each have their own process for engaging members. I hope this post can help you decide on the best tools for your task.
On your system, you may want things like chatbots to help serve members. Internally, different data analytics (Updated for 2020!) can assist in better engaging opportunities.
Just remember, tools are only as good as their user. I await the AI platform which writes, formats, hosts, and publicizes creative insights into the credit union industry.
Of course, then I won’t be the Credit Union Geek anymore. Unless that has already happened…
