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Credit Union conferences are a great way to learn, be inspired, and connect with industry leaders and innovators. We always come away reinvigorated with ideas for helping our clients grow. Unfortunately, a majority of our favorite conferences have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many conferences have switched to a virtual delivery but are still worth investing in. We have included several of these virtual options throughout this article along with a few in-person events that organizations are optimistic will take place. In the meantime, you can visit our credit union marketing resources page and explore various online marketing strategies for credit unions.

In general, manufacturers have been slower to embrace digital marketing compared to some of their B2B counterparts in other industries. As they do shift their marketing budgets gradually towards digital, they often see impressive results and are then eager to try more inbound marketing tactics. When this manufacturing client began working with WebStrategies in 2016, they quickly realized the importance of developing a digital marketing strategy. In turn, they have broadened their opportunities to generate leads in very niche target markets and generated impressive results from their digital strategy.

When our client, a manufacturer of custom mining equipment and replacement parts, found themselves struggling to promote their high quality products and superior customer service, we were excited to help. Even large manufacturers are often challenged when it comes to marketing, especially transitioning to a more digital focus. Our client found themselves with a surplus of replacement parts and lacking the expertise to advertise them effectively.

Our digital marketing budget calculator has been updated for 2020 budget planning. Featured in HubSpot's article, 9 Handy Business Calculators That'll Make Your Life Easier, our free calculator incorporates the latest projections for marketing spending in 2020.

Manufacturers, and many B2B companies in general, have traditionally relied heavily on word of mouth and sales people to maintain a steady flow of revenue. However, the landscape has changed and potential customers, B2B customers included, are doing most of their research online before making a purchase.  Our client, an established manufacturing company that provides equipment to international businesses in a variety of industries recognized that their overall marketing strategy was not complete without a digital marketing plan that would generate more leads and help them to maintain a healthier sales pipeline.

2019 Community Bank Marketing Survey Results We recently surveyed community banks to learn more about how they're approaching digital marketing, what they're having the most success with, and where they're experiencing the biggest marketing challenges.

When we partnered with a 15 branch credit union in May 2018, their primary goals were to run successful digital ad campaigns and set up reliable results tracking. While their initial priorities were to accurately measure the effectiveness of their marketing, and increase auto loans, mortgages, and new checking account inquiries, in a short amount of time they've seen those goals realized as well as some impressive results they weren't necessarily expecting.

These days, banking conferences aren't the stuffy, boring conferences of old. They can be full of enthusiasm, innovation and great ideas for evolving your bank to keep up with an increasingly digital world. Here we're highlighting just a few of the conferences that stand out for Community Banks to attend. Go to learn, network, and be inspired, and have some fun while you're at it!  This is certainly not a full list of all of the conferences Community Banks should consider, but we think these are worth considering in 2019. If you've attended any of these in the past, let us know in the comments below! Have a can't miss conference to add to the list? Let us know that too!

The ability to measure the results of marketing efforts continues to be a challenge for many credit unions. In fact, it was one of the biggest pain points in our 2018 credit union marketing survey. Credit unions without a system for accurately measuring marketing results struggle to prove ROI and to justify their marketing budgets, only putting them further behind other credit unions and banks who are more digitally savvy. 

Community Banks are beginning to shift their marketing focus to digital, albeit at a slower pace than many industries. These banks face tough competition from larger banks and from credit unions, and trying to break through to potential customers is proving to be increasingly difficult. Without reaching them online, it's even harder. Here we'll spotlight the digital marketing approach that helped a locally owned and operated Community Bank generate new loan applications and new accounts.