I work with a lot of community banks around the country and many of them are asking about social media. Should we be on Facebook? Should we Tweet? What about LinkedIn?
I tell them that before they start worrying about all of this new media, they should concentrate on two of the oldest and most proven forms of social media: the mail and the telephone.
Instead of worrying about being “liked” on Facebook, try picking up the phone, calling your customers and telling them how you like having them as customers and how you appreciate their business! Then they will like you and your bank a whole lot more.
Or, try using the social media that has worked for hundreds of years: the postal service. Handwritten notes and phone calls work because, typically, the only correspondence most people ever get from their bank is a monthly statement or overdraft notice.
I have had my personal and business checking accounts at Bank of America for over thirty years and I have never gotten one phone call or thank you note. But you can bet that their senior management at corporate headquarters is trying to figure out what to do with the millions of complaints that are showing up on the Internet, including a website named BankofAmericaSucks.com.
So before signing up for Facebook or Twitter, try picking up the phone or licking a stamp. It will sound better, taste better, and your customers will like it a whole lot more.
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Neal Reynolds has worked with hundreds of banks and credit unions around the country helping them to grow core deposits and market share without growing their marketing budgets. Contact him at [email protected].
