Traditional acquisition strategies and tactics are no longer sufficient to attract the modern member. Mobile banking has grown in popularity, in-person deposits and appointments are limited, and convenience is king for modern consumers. Times have changed—have your marketing tactics? Consider the following tips and tricks to improve your marketing results and attract the modern finserv member.
1. Optimize your listing on Google My Business
This step cannot be overstated. If you’d like to rank well in search results and drive qualified leads to your services, you need to utilize the features of Google My Business. Begin by searching Google for your financial brand. If you’re already listed in the Google Map Pack, verify your business and update information including hours, phone number, address, services, and website. If your location is not listed, create a listing.
Consider enabling the click-to-message feature through Apple Business Chat or Google Messages. Customers will be able to text your landline to request quotes, set up appointments, or ask questions. 9 out of 10 customers prefer to interact with brands via text anyway—it’s personal, quick, and convenient.
When you optimize your Google My Business listing by updating your information and adding a click-to-message feature, potential members are more likely to find you in their early research and convert with fewer obstacles.
2. Automate review asks
Closely related to your Google My Business listing is your online reviews. Anyone can leave a review of your financial brand, affecting your overall rating and ranking in search results. Only after you verify your business can you respond to reviews (which you should do).
Google reviews matter because 93% of consumers read them before purchasing a service locally. And 96% of the customers reading reviews also read businesses’ responses to reviews. To improve your rating and boost marketing results, you need to ask your members for reviews.
72% of people will write a review when asked. Make the process simple via text, and the completion rate will be even higher; 95% of texts are opened and responded to within three minutes. Automate the invitation for members to write reviews with a post-appointment or post-transaction text. It won’t take long for members to complete and the results will drive more members to your services.
3. Personalize your offers
Understanding your members and personalizing each interaction is part of the customer service equation that keeps and draws members to your financial brand. At every touch point, use the channels that members prefer, whether that’s your app, texting, video chat, web chat, or email. Across all channels, communicate with consistency, helpfulness, and personalization through the use of intelligent data and the name of each member.
With data you already have about your members, or even with new data acquired from periodic surveys or customer feedback, create personalized offers to reward your members for their loyalty and increase their satisfaction. Closing the gap between member expectations and your delivery may yield surprising results. For example, Forbes reports, “nearly half of consumers with a free checking account expressed interest in having services like cell phone protection, identity theft protection, and price match guarantees bundled into their checking account—and paying a monthly fee for that checking account.”
Understanding and personalizing offers for your current members (as well as for prospects) will provide the value modern members care the most about—customer service.
4. Implement a web chat feature on your website
Just like salespeople can help in-store customers convert, a personal assistant (through AI or a local representative) can help customers convert from your website via chat. Rather than replacing existing marketing tactics, web chat enhances them, answering questions and resolving concerns members have on the journey to conversion.
A web chat service that takes the conversation from your website to a texting conversation creates a thread that members can return to at any time—without being limited to one browser session. Web chat can enable your financial brand to become a saved contact in members’ phones, and assure members that you’re available any time to assist. That kind of on-demand service is sure to set apart your brand from competitors.
5. Create custom content for your members
You’ll connect with more members by speaking their language and providing financial information in terms (and places) they’re familiar with. Before getting down to the details of your financial brand’s plans and offerings, you can warm up leads by raising awareness about relevant financial topics. Use social media not just as a sales platform, but a place to share content that helps your members become more financially literate. Content marketing actually generates 3x as many leads as traditional marketing and costs 62% less.
While some of your prospects are actively researching for financial services, many of your future members are more likely to be found scrolling through social media feeds (at a rate of 2 hours and 24 minutes per day) than your website. Leveraging social media to connect with members and practice social listening will help you understand your target audience and create strategic content. Your page can serve as a content library to help your members with the challenges they face, such as creating a personal budget, building credit, or financing the purchase of a home. These topics can be discussed and shared in blog posts, infographics, video content, and success stories from your brand—helping current members and attracting new ones to your services.
6. Use a customer relationship management (CRM) platform
Lastly, one of the most effective tactics to improve marketing results is to invest in a CRM. With a platform that pulls all interactions and marketing leads into one inbox, you’ll be able to serve members with speed and convenience. Automate review asks, track leads, and so much more, with less effort.
See how Podium can help your financial institution grow with improved interactions and marketing results. Get started with Podium for free today.
