Digital marketing channels and initiatives definitely have their (prominent) place in community banking. But, banks and credit unions have a unique opportunity to leverage existing resources, like branches and other customer touch-points, to get the word out about new products and services.
Customer Service Stewards
Your employees are your best advocates. The largest determinant of successful public relations is first and foremost, fostering great employee relations. Educating your internal teams with the knowledge about new products, their benefits and steps to access can increase the adoption of these product and the relationship with your users.
- Staff Incentives
- Call-to-actions
- IVR
Imagine your customer or member walking into your branch and asking a teller how to use a person-to-person transfer service advertised to them with a statement insert. If your teller doesn’t know about the new product, you are reducing the trust your customer or member has in your institution. Further, if a customer or member comes into your branch asking your teller to transfer funds to another person, they can act as a marketing agent in letting your customer or member know about the new person-to-person service on your mobile app.
Your customer service teams can also be advocates for your new product by adding the new product to their script when talking to new customers. However, your customer service agents need to be equipped with how-to’s and FAQs to best assist your customers and members concerns in real-time.
Many institutions find success in incentivizing staff by offering rewards for reaching milestones with new products. For example, a bank that just launched a new mobile app might incentivize employees to generate 500 downloads in a month. To empower staff, front-facing employees can be armed with information, script additions and more.
Alongside staff incentives and scripts, front-facing employees can also be empowered with table displays, buttons and more, all which provide calls-to-action for your customers and members. For example, your teller can have a table-top flyer or wear a button that says “Get the all-new app! Ask me how.” This marketing mechanism serves to invite your customer and member to get help and more information right from the teller or customer service representative.
Lastly, you can add the new product to your IVR as a call-out or waiting message, this will advertise your new service to a captive audience as they await assistance from your customer support teams.
Public Outreach
Traditional outreach is not dead; not by a long shot. Press releases, statement inserts and promotional materials can go a long way to enhance the buzz around your new offering and even drive more traffic to your institution.
- Press Release
- Statement Inserts & Mailers
- Promotional Items
A simple Google search can help you find press release templates, but what matters most is the content and placement. You know your communities best, make a list of publications you think would be a best fit and send in a polished release for consideration. Tailor your release to each publication’s audience.
Be sure to include pertinent quotes from your leadership team and digital partner to tell the story of why the new product is important for your community to know about.
Don’t write off statement inserts or mailers to announce new products. You can get your message right into your customers’ and members’ hands, without additional channels. You can include messaging in regularly schedule mailings to keep extra expenses down. Be sure to include a URL or channel for more details so you can empower your customers and members to take action.
Consider offering promotional items, like a keychain or pen with the new service advertised if budget allows, a small token can be a persistent reminder of your service. Who doesn’t like a freebee? In addition to creating a positive experience for your customers and members, swag is an effective attention grabber.
Marketing is an ever-changing endeavor because your community is always evolving. By utilizing multiple initiatives to meet your customers where they are at any time, you can ensure a successful product launch.
You put in a ton of work to add new product to better your users’ experiences. Don’t let limited or poor marketing stand in your way of expanding your institution.
Find out how Apiture can help. Contact us today.
