Being someone’s valentine is a special experience. Truffles. Fancy dinners. Those candy message hearts encouraging you to "Hug Me" or "Be Mine." Valentine’s Day is all about spreading love.
And you love your members.
According to Credit Union Times, Washington D.C. based Bank-Fund Staff Credit Union issued a January 2022 special dividend payout of $7 million. Nusenda Credit Union of Albuquerque paid $6.6 million to its members. Whether through time or dividends, you’ve no doubt given back to your members too.
But do your members understand the real benefits of their membership with you? Likely not. And it’s not entirely their fault.
If your members don’t know how you show the love, you probably aren’t marketing it well.
Here are four ways your marketing can make your love known:
1. Give Them Your "Candy Heart"
As Disney’s movie "Enchanted" so poignantly said, if you don’t tell someone you love them, how will they know?
Candy hearts convey simple messages expressing love. What if your credit union’s messaging were as simple as the message on a candy heart?
Members must know about the deals you offer and how these deals favorably compare with competitors. For example, recent Kelly Community Federal Credit Union promotional material advertised their HOPE 100 program. This program provides 100% financing for qualified buyers so moving into a new home is faster and easier. Certainly a thrilling message to new home buyers.
Give away your gold. Tell them your best offer.
If you deposit money into your members' checking accounts, they'll probably notice. But will they know you're the one who put the money there if you don't tell them? Probably not.
"Show don’t tell" won’t work here.
2. Not We, But You
Love entails self-sacrifice, putting the other person first. Your marketing shows members how much they mean to you.
But communicating your advantages draws attention to your credit union rather than the member. It goes something like this. "We at XYZ Credit Union love giving back to our members." See the problem? All we, we, we. No you.
As Donald Miller advises, "The customer is the hero, not your brand."
Change your mindset and capture the member’s interest. "Need extra cash to kick off the year? Because you make us at XYZ Credit Union who we are, we’re sending you $50 cash just because. Thanks for being part of [insert branded language here]." See the difference?
Focus on the member. Focus on their desires. And reframe your message.
3. A Repeated Trust Exercise
Relationships require trust. Including the member-credit union relationship.
As the famous quote says, "They may forget what you said — but they will never forget how you made them feel."
This sentiment should be good news for every credit union marketer. Solidify clear, member-focused marketing today, and the results will affect members’ feelings. If your marketing makes members feel good, they will return to you time and again. They want that feeling repeated.
Make your members trust you. Make your members feel good. They will recall those emotions later when they need your help.
4. Visit the Love Doctor
Maybe you’re still stumped. Maybe you can’t find the time to address marketing snags. Every relationship needs help sometimes.
A marketing assessment will diagnose what marketing issues you’re really facing and give you actionable solutions to fix them.
Don’t stay in a marketing rut. Ask for help if you need it!
When marketing this Valentine’s Day, show some love to your members. Make it clear that you’re the one.
