Defusing social media bombs

Today, the consensus is that it is integral for you to have a strong online presence if you want to build a strong brand. With so much information being consumed online, it is almost impossible to build a brand without incorporating social media, a blog and/or a website into your content marketing strategy. According to a blog post on matchsticksocial.com, statistics show that “53% of Americans who follow brands on social media are more loyal to those brands; 71% of consumers who have a good social media service experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others and 33% of people prefer to contact a company through social media as opposed to by phone.”

In fact, many of your existing clients, and your potential clients, searched for your credit union and were first introduced to your brand online. In an article titled “Your Credit Union Brand’s New Front Door”, Callahan & Associates’ Director of Marketing & Engagement, Alexandra Gekas Selby explored the reality that your branch is no longer the first introduction to your brand. Despite this, many credit unions do not have a strong online presence.  You may be thinking “I have a website where members can login and manage their accounts through online banking and potential members can get information on my great rates, products and services. What more do I need?” But today, much more is needed. So, for many, there is a lack of awareness, but for some it is a shortage of resources and for others, it is a fear of the risk of exposing their brands to the scary online space. This is a legitimate fear but what is even more scary is not being involved in the online space and having no awareness or power to respond if your brand is being portrayed negatively there.

 

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