Where to find social media content for credit unions? Ask your members!

One question we get over and over is ‘Where can I find good nsocial media content for our credit union?’ And the answer truly is more simple than you might think… JUST ASK YOUR MEMBERS! 

Example #1: Ask Members Simple Questions on Instagram or Facebook About Favorite Local Businesses/Restaurants

Recently we ran a simple comment to win contest for members around ‘get to know your customers’ day (which we changed to get to know your members day!). This is celebrated by businesses on the 3rd Thursday of each quarter, and we have found it’s a great excuse to learn more about your CU members.

In this example, we asked members to comment and tag their favorite local businesses and also asked specifically for restaurants. We learned SO much and were also able to develop some nice organic connections with local businesses.

The contest was very inexpensive and easy to run — even just a $10 Dunkin Donuts card is enough to encourage participation. And if you target these posts to confirmed members on the platform you KNOW that the info is about your very customers!

Example #2: Ask Members About Favorite Activities & Hobbies

In another similar contest, we asked CU members about their favorite hobbies and local attractions. Again, we simply asked members to share in comments on Instagram and Facebook for a chance to win a very small prize.

The results were fantastic! In one day we received 38 local parks and 31 hobbies that are favorites of credit union members. Now you might ask, SO WHAT? Well… social media is all about building relationships with members. And we do that by trying to be authentic and caring about what people do and where they like to go. So, we’ve now created a spreadsheet of these preferences and use them to inspire the content we share.

We track when and where local attractions and information about favorite hobbies are shared, and we make sure that we tag any local attractions when possible, which again boosts the organic reach of our social media content.

Example #3: Share Member & Staff Stories to Encourage Referrals and Reach CU Member’s Friends and Family

Testimonials are something we push with each and every client we work with. At least once a year we run an email and social media testimonial contest for all of our credit unions, and these provide incredible content for social media.

Telling member stories is a no-brainer for credit unions. These testimonials tend to be moving stories of how a staff member helped someone overcome a significant obstacle or how a member used the credit union’s products or services to save for their first car or house. We’ve seen stories of helping avoid bankruptcy and overcoming the challenges of the loss of a family member.

All of this kind of content is fantastic to share in the future on social media or via other means like email, blogs or direct mail. And it acts as almost word of mouth marketing, but with the potential to be multiplied across multiple online channels and social networks.

Example #4: Survey members yearly or even quarterly for feedback on the content you are sharing and what they would like to see more of

This sounds so easy, but you’d be surprised how few credit unions actually do this. Consider including some of the following questions on your next member survey:

• When you are on social media, what platforms do you prefer? (provide answer list of options)
• Do you follow our CU on (include social platform you want feedback on)?
• If you follow us, what do you like about our social media efforts?
• If you were managing our CU social media, what would you change about our efforts on —- platform?
• Are there topics that you’d like to see our CU create more content about? (please list)
• Do you read our CU blog?
• If you read the blog, approximately how often?
• Which topics on the blog have you found most useful? What topics would you like to see more blogs about?

And remember, member feedback from these kinds of surveys is only useful if you USE it! So, make sure you provide this information to the appropriate staff members so that they can take the feedback to heart and adjust the credit union marketing and sales approach accordingly.

Example #5: Encourage Front-Line staff to share FAQs

This one is a little more challenging, but often we find with marketing and sales departments that they are working within a silo, and are often quite disconnected with branch staff and members themselves.

We urge you to consider ways to better connect your departments. Whether it’s via formal meetings each quarter, where each branch sends a team member to provide marketing and sales campaign feedback and FAQ examples, or more informal lunches. Create an environment that encourages sharing.

Then take these ideas and put them to work!

At Social Stairway, we are always here to help! Read more on our Social Stairway Blog, or download our latest FREE template on setting smart goals for your credit union today!