Social media lessons from the Kardashians
Who are the Kardashians? I am willing to bet my monthly salary that you know who they are, whether you are a male, female, parent, or grandparent. Why? Because they are EVERYWHERE. No, they haven’t done anything positive for the human race, nor are they athletes or intellectual super-beings. They are viral sensations because they have successfully marketed their name and created a brand by using social media to their advantage.
The Kardashians have a clothing line, a makeup line, a reality television show, and yes, even a sock line. Their children are making more income than most credit unions just by having their pictures taken. But before all of the media attention that they gathered from their highly innovative “Momager” (Kris), they were just an everyday, socialite family. Granted, we don’t all have cousins like the Hiltons, but regardless, they used social media to capitalize their name and make a FORTUNE by striking when the internet iron was hot.
Our credit unions can take a page from “Momager” Kris Kardashian when it comes to harnessing the power that social media has on this generation. By understanding what a huge impact social media has on the world today, we can begin to use it to our advantage. Prior to 2005, there was very little social media. We had Napster, Myspace, and a handful of sites that were used by some that had access to internet and smart phones. Now, nearly two-thirds of American’s own a smartphone, and that doesn’t include tablets, laptops, or other devices that offer quick access to the internet. Since 2005, sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, and Snapchat have taken the world by storm.
Your Credit Union should at least be dipping a toe in the social media waters at this point, using a number of these outlets to expand your brand and engage with members. There are a few minimum social media expectations for credit unions today.
- Blogging and Google+
You should have a content developer regularly blogging about share-worthy topics. Whether “regular basis” to you means weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, the most important thing is to be consistent. The more valuable content you provide, the more positive brand equity you gain. Completing your Google+ profile can be extremely beneficial for search engine optimization – so use Google+ the same way you might use Facebook, post content, photos, and provide value.
- Targeted/Segmented Emailing
Most credit unions understand the role that email plays in the overall marketing strategy and that it’s here to stay. However, not all credit unions understand the importance of email segmentation. Customizing content to various segments and sending relatable, appropriate content to those segments can go a long way when it comes to ROI, click through and open rates, not to mention the level of engagement perceived by the member when they receive a customized, personal email.
- Social Media “Bigwigs” (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube)
This is where your inner Momager needs to come out. There are so many ways to use these big players in social media, from live video and tutorials to providing valuable content, landing pages, contests, member service, and beyond. Be sure to have a written content strategy before simply throwing information out to the internet. This will allow for you to build your brand and engage with members in a more controlled environment. Videos are a phenomenal way to use storytelling, and tutorials may engage a new audience. Finally, we have Twitter. A tweet is simply a short sentence that can be seen by millions. Once again, a 20-word tweet by or about your brand will be seen by many in an instant, so be sure to develop an appropriate content strategy. None of these social media “bigwigs” will cost you a dollar yet they can help you become just as recognizable as the Kardashians. Similar to the Kardashians, social media may cost you your reputation if you don’t have proper strategy or policies in place.
So, where would the Kardashian’s be today without social media? It’s hard to tell, but I would venture to say that Kim’s assets wouldn’t be nearly as valuable, Kylie would still have her original lips, and the world wouldn’t have the pleasure of keeping up with the Kardashians every week. Are you ready to boost your brand image? Kick it in to gear, Kardashian style.
