Writing online on the American Bankers Association Bank Marketing page on LinkedIn, Kailyn Gallagher makes some critical points to ponder for community banks.
In summary: “It’s not personal. It’s business.”
Sometimes, businesses make a critical mistake when it comes to their entity’s social media presence, treating it as they would their personal Facebook or Twitter page. But a business page is strictly that, business. And treating your bank’s social media page as such is vital to your brand and its success, and by extension, your personal success.
Before we explore Gallagher’s do’s and don’ts she offers some interesting percentages to consider, courtesy of Ad Week. First, 74 percent of consumers allow social media to influence their purchasing choices, and 47 percent say Facebook is their biggest influence in purchasing among social media vehicles. Two truths emerge from these numbers: First, even the smallest community bank or credit union must use social media to engage current and potential customers. Period. End of story.
Second: It’s an easy, cost effective way to trumpet your brand and its products in front of your target audience.
But to repeat: When you’re engaging customers through social media, it’s not about you. It’s about the business and its brand. Keep your posts relevant for customers, and keep the message consistent, regardless of the social media platform. Simply maintaining a social media presence isn’t enough, not by the longest shot.
Now to the heart of the matter, the do’s and don’ts, according to Gallagher.
- DON’T use a different icon for each social media site.
- DO take great pains to ensure consistent branding with logos, colors, images and fonts that reflect the bank and its values.
- DON’T post personal stuff about what you had for lunch or the trip to the office.
- DO consistently convey information about products, promotions and services, company and community events and company or community milestones. Community events communicate that your bank cares about the community.
- DON’T post photos or videos that aren’t consistent with branding goals.
- DO use images and videos that convey the feeling you want to create for your brand.
Gallagher offers this sage advice: “Banks and businesses in general need to take a step back and look at trends and hot topics objectively before jumping on a bandwagon that is headed in the wrong direction,” she said. “If it doesn’t support the bank’s brand or the persona portrayed on social media, it’s best to refrain from joining in.”
Let me know your thoughts on these ideas.
Read Gallagher’s entire article at: http://ababankmarketing.com/insights/social-media-dos-and-donts/
