Use them as foundation for your strategic public relations plan

by. Kathryn Farmer

CUES’ Credit Union Management’s online-only “PR Insight” column runs the first Thursday of every month.

Developing and maintaining member loyalty is typically a primary focus of a credit union’s strategic plan. Moving into 2014, it is important for credit unions not to overlook the value of public relations to build stronger relationships with key constituents. If your credit union does not already have a public relations strategy in place, these five simple tips can help ensure key messages reach target audiences and effectively tell your credit union’s story, what sets it apart and why it should be your members’ primary financial institution.

1. Leveraging Social Media to ‘Push’ News

It’s important for your credit union to increase efforts to attract Millennials. They are becoming a valuable member segment with more turning to credit unions for auto and home loans. Millennials have seen their parents conduct business with credit unions and are now looking beyond the large mega bank.

This generation expects social media interactions, since it is what they view as a primary source of communication. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, the most popular communication tools, are great ways to engage not only with your members, but also journalists, analysts and other interesting experts, providing options to post or re-tweet interesting articles or insight from key industry leaders. Additionally, a LinkedIn business page is an effective way to connect with members or prospective employees, and to post company news and share updates. Social media enables your credit union to build a thought leadership presence, as well as promote news stories that feature your credit union.

2. Comment on Online Articles

Also serving as a gateway for your credit union to build strong relationships with journalists are the comment boards displayed under most online articles. These have become a very popular measurement for authors to gain feedback on their article(s), and joining a conversation and positioning your credit union executives as industry experts can further strengthen your brand.

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