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 right?” and “Will I ever get to sleep again?”
Before we go any further I want to assure you that I’m not going to excessively brag about my toddler in this article. She’s the best, but that’s not why you’re here.
The coolest kid I know
Young parents are an ideal demographic for credit unions, we know this. If you can hook them, they’ll most likely stick around for a very long time. But landing these elusive fish is the struggle.
I have a toddler and another baby on the way. I am your ideal fish. So, here are some of my ideas on how to craft your messaging to reach overtired and overwhelmed parents:
You have to make it easy
Convenience and ease of use is top priority. Between diapers, tantrums, work, laundry and a desperate attempt to maintain a sleep schedule, parents with little kids simply cannot dedicate a lot of time to consider options. I know I had no excess brain-power for the first year of my kid’s life, and I certainly wasn’t going to start shopping around on my own initiative.
Establishing a sense of confidence, trust and “don’t worry, we’ll take care of it” is paramount. I need to know that you’re good at at what you do and I’m not signing up for a bunch of “gotcha” fees. That means you have to display both competence and humanity. Credit unions have these qualities in spades, but you have to communicate that clearly and walk your talk.
Daycare is a major concern
It’s hard to overstate how much stress is caused by the cost of childcare. Not only do you have to sign your child up for daycare practically before they’re even born, but you’re essentially paying another mortgage to avoid becoming a stay-at-home parent. And that’s not a joke.
Contributing to this issue is that by the time you need daycare, you probably haven’t budgeted for it. This is one place your credit union could be stepping in to help. A special savings account or some other program that helps new parents budget for childcare costs could be a game changer for a lot of people.
Avoid hard-selling products
The unfortunate truth about a lot of marketing I see from financial institutions is all about rates and savings. I’m not saying lower rates and saving money are bad, but for some reason this messaging mostly reminds me of all the money I’m spending instead.
Spending money is a stressful subject, and parents with young children quite reasonably have a lower stress threshold than they used to. Focusing on the numbers and pushing products is less likely to be a winning strategy.
Furthermore, parents with young children are one of the most marketed-to demographics. People are constantly trying to sell us stuff and all we really want is some peace. Show up with a sales pitch during my toddler’s meltdown and watch me ignore you forever.
Credit unions are built for this
Parents need direct, authentic messaging that balances emotion with common sense. Trust is super important, and mixing in some financial education might be the lifeline a floundering new parent needs to stay afloat.
The good news is that all of this is something credit unions are readily equipped to provide. You just need to communicate what you have to offer, and it should probably be something more compelling than a new rate.
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