Using AI – Dos and Don’ts

It’s easy to feel like you’re being pressured to use AI before you actually have a use case for it. So, well-meaning people start scrambling to find any way to start using AI and end up making mistakes, usually due to misunderstanding what it can do. Not all AIs are created equal. Not everything people…

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Learn to love the human stories behind the numbers

CU Numbers Need Marketing Love, Too

Quick, what’s your CU’s current Net Worth/Total Assets ratio? How about Total Loans/Total Shares? What percentage of your members are borrowers? How do these compare to other CUs like yours? Where do you even find these numbers? Now go deeper… WHY are these numbers what they are? Where does your CEO want them to go?…

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Round fuzzy monsters gather under the overlaid text, "You need both competence & humanity." One monster's thought bubble reads, "Oh the humanity!"

Messaging that matters to parents

It shouldn’t really be a surprise that the majority of new parents reassess their finances, which could lead to switching financial institutions. Kids are expensive, and the top concern for new parents is “How am I going to afford this?” Well, maybe not the top, but it’s up there along with “Am I doing this…

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There’s nothing like being there

Last week, I exhibited at the Ohio Credit Union League conference in Columbus, Ohio. So far, we’re still the only credit union focused vendor with a giant pink fuzzy monster. I gave away a few hundred brightly colored fuzzball monsters along with a monster family door prize, talked with lots of great people, connected with…

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What if you could offer a vehicle loan with something really different?

Five ways to make car loans interesting

Let’s face the facts: at most credit unions, car loans are kinda, well, boring. The old cliche is that auto loans are every credit union’s “bread and butter”, which is true. They’re pretty much all exactly the same, aside from “great rates” (which everyone says they have) and “fast approval” (which everyone offers). And that…

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most people have no idea whether your rate really is a better rate

Five messages that matter more than rate

We’ve all seen them, and we’ve all written, designed and/or published them. Yes, I’m talking about loan promotions featuring a gigantic rate and little else. Here’s a little secret — most people have no idea whether your rate really is a better rate. The good news is that there are lots of things that matter…

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Solving the CU marketing “now what?” problem

Solving the CU marketing “now what?” problem

“Now that we have this spiffy new software/system/service/device, our troubles are over! With the click of a mouse, I’m a one-person data-driven automated digital marketing powerhouse. Let’s make it rain, baby!” Click… “Upload Content?” Now what? Sound familiar? This is what I call the “now what” problem. We all know that digital transformation, digital marketing,…

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So why are credit unions staying quiet about this?

3 reasons why your CU should be promoting sustainability

For an unfortunate number of people, sustainability is just another buzzword. Like “Organic” or “Eco-Friendly,” it’s just a bit of hippie dippy hooey that businesses pay lip-service to for PR reasons. In other words, it’s just a Marketing thing. Well I think that attitude is not just sad, but frustrating. It’s outright bogus and not…

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Compliance and Marketing can and should be BFFs

Compliance needs marketing love, too

Wait, isn’t that weird? Aren’t Compliance Officers the credit union marketing buzzkills? I mean, every time we come up with a brilliant marketing idea, those mean ol’ meanies want to cover it in fine print, or just take all the fun out of it. Aren’t we natural enemies? Well, no. Here’s why Compliance and Marketing…

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Monster Quality

Five things I believe about Quality in CU marketing

The benefits of high Quality and the pitfalls of low Quality are obvious for things like airplanes and motorcycles. Without Quality in materials, design, craftsmanship, and maintenance, people die. Although the risks aren’t quite as immediate or dire, Quality is just as important in our corner of the world, credit union marketing. Quality – and…

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