#oak tree forms

Hello! We’re back again with another installment of our Humanitarian Highlight. Check out which credit unions are making a difference this week.

Credit Union of America presented a grant of $500 to Goddard Discovery Intermediate School.

Financial Partners CU held a toy drive to benefit local kids in need.

Sioux Falls FCU made a donation of $6,500 to Feeding South Dakota.

SeaComm FCU made a donation of $25,000 to Massena Memorial Hospital with that being the second installment of a five year pledge.

Heritage Trust FCU contributed $2,500 to JB Charleston to provide meals to military members for the holidays.

Altura CU presented $1,000 to a member as part of their Holiday Hookup giveaway.

SELCO CCU gave a check of $22,820 to the United Way of Lane County, OR.

5 Steps to Credit Union Awareness

Credit union awareness day always falls on the 3rd Thursday of October. However, why should you wait until then to raise awareness? There are steps you can implement now to make sure members and potential members are fully aware of what your credit union has to offer. Take a look at the five steps below and put them to work for you.

1. Start with Great Processes. Your member’s experience with you must be flawless, and your forms and disclosures are a natural extension of the products and services you offer. In fact, they are a gateway of sorts. To that end, are your forms branded properly? Is your logo and contact information on each, or do you simply use a generic version with no brand awareness? If you fall into the second half of that sentence, we can help. Not only do we offer forms and disclosures that are fully compliant, we offer customization as well. We’ll be happy to theme our forms to suit your needs. This will get your logo and brand in front of members and potential members more often. That’s a good thing.

2. Great Awesome Signage. Sure, you can order generic signage, but what if you could customize them according to your needs? We can help you do just that. We will make sure your signs are themed according to your color scheme. We will make sure your logo is used properly. Good signage that is highly visible and easy to read does much for credit union awareness. It puts members at ease and is a visual reminder of the relationship they have with you.

3. Market to Members. Your members can be a powerful awareness voice for you. Make sure staff is constantly talking about your credit union in front of members. It’s a sound marketing tactic that will raise awareness. Simply pitch new products or existing services and ask members to spread the word. If staff has a good relationship with members, they are much more likely to refer friends and family. It could be something as simple as asking them to encourage people to like your Facebook page. This gives you one more person to market to. That could make all the difference.

4. Be Consistent with Marketing. Are you marketing your services consistently? If you ask members about the different CD products or types of home loans you offer would they be able to tell you? It’s important to make sure your marketing is consistent and purposeful. If you struggle in this area, we can help. At Oak Tree, we have a solid marketing department that can help you with everything from signage to full-blown marketing campaigns. A simple phone call or email inquiry is all it takes to get started. Marketing is too important to be neglected.

5. Create a Solid Email List. This last one is crucial. It is important for members to subscribe to your newsletter if you have one. Email marketing is a big help. Ask members to sign up on your Facebook page or opt-in on your website. The newsletter subscription serves to keep them informed of other new products or discounted services you may offer periodically. A carefully curated email list will serve you well in the long run. It’s great for awareness, too.