About three years ago, I wrote another article for CUES called: Balance Key to Successful PR Campaigns. In it I explained how a public relations campaign needs three important components to really be successful. Well, fast forward to today, and I would actually add a fourth component: social media.  Yes, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snap Chat, Instagram and many others are giving credit unions another avenue to use for branding.

Despite this wellspring of opportunity in social media, it seems that some companies in the financial space have been dragging their feet when it comes to doing anything with social media. Management may think that social media is just for business to consumer efforts; however, that is not entirely true. The social media space is very real and takes its marketing very seriously. Credit unions can miss the opportunity to attract new members, solidify their brand with existing members and build confidence among their business partners when they don’t take advantage of social media.

It is true that not all social media is for every company. That does not mean it should all be ruled out. A common social media misconception is that you have to constantly be on it to have any kind of strong presence or effect. While that is partially correct, credit unions can still harness the power of several platforms to achieve results. Let’s look at four popular and “emerging” social media platforms that can help companies in the financial business enhance their brands.

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