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If you use Google Analytics, you've heard GA4 is replacing the Universal Analytics (UA) platform. Users will adapt to a new interface and website data that is reported differently. There will not be a direct comparison between the data we've been tracking in UA and the new GA4 so becoming familiar with the new format should start soon; the old system will sunset on July 1, 2023. Based on the popularity of our webinar on GA4, it's a topic that credit union marketers want to learn more about so we're breaking that session out into several bite-size portions for easier consumption. But you can always watch the GA4 for Credit Unions full recording.

Content marketing plays a critical role in credit union marketing. It engages the target audience, builds trust, and contributes towards the credit union brand as an authority in the financial services industry.

Marketing automation tools such as HubSpot enable credit unions to automate repetitive tasks, such as email campaigns and social media posts, freeing up staff time for more strategic work. It allows marketers to segment audiences and enables personalized marketing efforts, for more effective campaigns and higher conversion rates. Additionally, marketing automation tools help track and analyze the effectiveness of credit union marketing campaigns, enabling data-driven decisions for continuously improving the marketing strategy.

As a credit union marketer, when it’s time to secure your budget or request funding for a specific campaign are you able to justify the spend? Can you tie actual results to your marketing efforts for the credit union?

Advertising has been around for a long time. In fact, the first paid advertisement was a Coca-Cola ad in a French newspaper in 1836. Today, there are boundless advertising strategies that credit unions and banks can learn from and leverage. But, what makes a truly effective advertising strategy?

Your member service team likely shines at personalized service when members walk into the branch, but how does the credit union interact with members who perform a large percentage of interactions digitally? It takes a concerted effort to maintain relationships with members who aren’t frequent visitors and to stay top of mind for financial services.

Q4 is traditionally credit union marketing budget season, but in 2022 the uncertainty in the current U.S. economy and geopolitical setting adds extra complexity: Inflation. Rising interest rates. Lingering Covid. As economic decline is a concern, marketing managers are under tighter scrutiny to demonstrate credit union advertising spend is generating positive returns. The C-suite often reacts by cutting marketing budgets since few consumers are in the market for loans given the higher interest rates. But marketing remains a critical spend to stay competitive and accelerate out of the questionable economy. The Financial Brand observes that “The difference between budgetary surgery and unfocused slashing will depend on how well bank marketing chiefs can make their case to senior management.”

Marketing personalization has evolved far beyond using someone’s name in an email promotion. When credit unions have access to member information and the ability to retrieve data from a CRM, customized campaigns can target an individual’s current situation and reach that person at the time the need is real. A survey by Epsilon reports that 80% of consumers are more likely to engage with a company that personalizes experiences. Achieve higher rates of return by reaching the target audience when they are more likely to engage with an offer.

The US regained a sense of normalcy in 2022, until inflation became the primary concern - causing interest rates to rise and the volume of loans to decline for the financial sector. In the ever-changing economy, it was more important than ever for WebStrategies to conduct the newest edition of our annual survey pinpointing how credit union marketing dollars are being spent and what digital tactics reflect the strongest return on investment. Our survey found marketers are still growing digital marketing efforts into 2023 but as in-person events are returning, marketing dollars are also increasing to offline channels such as events and sponsorships.

To varying degrees of success, most digital marketing agencies can run paid advertising and write copy for content marketing purposes, so you may ask, “What makes WebStrategies a premier credit union digital marketing agency?” WebStrategies has operated in the digital marketing space since 2005 and credit unions emerged as a primary industry that we serve. We have over 60 credit union clients because we’ve become extremely knowledgeable about their business operations and the needs of our clients. In fact, we often shock the C-suite with our ability to assist, not just with marketing, but the ability to solve problems that arise from silo’d departments and nonintegrated systems.