How to Efficiently Use Social Media

Social Media is a useful tool in dealing with communicating and attracting new credit union members. Your credit union might have a Facebook or a Twitter account or even both but are those very efficient? In a recent article, CU Journal's Aaron Passman brings up the important issue of how efficient is credit unions’ social media outreach. He gave the example of two credit unions –both members of the network- VanCity and Verity Credit Union, whose social media campaigns achieved to bring “members together for a specific purpose that not only created community but also furthered the respective CU’s messages”. Targeting your audience and analyze their expectations are two essential steps you will need to use if you want your social media strategy to be functional. Depending on what social media you choose to use, your members will have very different expectations. As a professional writer specializing on social media and marketing, David Murton recommends asking yourself 3 questions to enhance your social media outreach:

1. What exactly are you trying to achieve?
2. How much traffic/ content generation can you handle?
3. What are the daily online habits of your target audience?

Making sure you have a clear message is an essential step to successful social media campaigns. Innovation is also important. Brent Dixon, from the Filene Research Institute, pointed out America First Credit Union’s use of customer reviews allowing its members to evaluate and therefore help improving and developing the credit union’s products.

Whether you choose Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or only a great website as a social media strategy, keep in mind that our mission is always to better serve people.

To read Aaron Passman’s article click here (access restricted to CU Journal members)
http://www.cujournal.com/issues/16_23/Why-Having-Just-A-Twitter-Account-And-Facebook-Page-Dont-Cut-It-1014110-1.html

To read David Murton’s blog post click here
http://www.jeffbullas.com/2011/03/11/how-to-choose-the-best-social-media-platform-for-your-company/