One of the most intriguing concepts in understanding andmarketing to Gen Y – and who doesn't want a younger membership – is thatthey don't like to be sold to. In fact, in our world of informationoverload and marketing-clogged brain cells, no age group is reallyall that interested in your ads. 

Welcome to the post-marketing world, where the landscape isstill changing. While your members are tired of everything salesoriented, they still need your products and services. Gone are thedays of “Build it, Let Them Know About it, And They WillCome.” 

You want to cut through the clutter and win more members andmore activity from your current members. But how? Engage them inyour brand? Engage them less in your brand? It's clear that intoday's world, you need a different type of strategy, but what doesthat strategy look like?

There's no doubt that today's marketing strategy is far morecomplicated than ever before. Between new tools like QR codes, newplatforms like Facebook and Twitter (does anyone really know how tomeasure the ROI on that?) and a push towards mobile banking, not to mention video marketing, where do newtech tools fit into your existing strategy? 

Do you rip up last year's notes and start from scratch? Do youincorporate the new into the way you've always done things and hopeit'll seamlessly fit together? What about the costs? Can theexpenses of bringing in new marketing media be justified? These arejust some of the challenges facing credit union marketerstoday.

While everything changes, some basic concepts actually do staythe same. As always, marketing strategy starts with your members.If they're on Facebook then, surprise, surprise, that's where youneed to be. If your members are using their mobile phones more thantheir laptops, better think twice before investing thousands ofdollars in a new website while ignoring the need for a mobileapp. 

As the late Stephen Covey, author of the classic Seven Habits ofHighly Effective People, stressed, it's important to begin with theend in mind. Think about your members, study their habits, and setgoals regarding where you'd like the credit union to be in one,three, and five years from now. How would you like to beinteracting with members? How will they prefer to be interactingwith you? With those goals, and that vision in mind, you can beginto approach marketing strategy.

Don't be afraid to challenge what's worked in the past, becauseit may not work in the future or even in the present. If you'redoing something because “that's the way we've always done it,” stopand think: are there tools that make it easier, more effective, andless costly? Maybe they were not available in the past, but arethey easy to implement today? For example, could your printnewsletter and/or other print communications be replaced with lessexpensive email marketing? 

Challenge assumptions or what I like to call marketing myths,and see if they still hold true. Remember, as things change, yourmarketing needs to evolve too. 

Don't be afraid to embrace technology, but before you do,determine if it's what your members will want now or at some pointin the near future. Bring in new, younger employees or interns ifyou need to infuse a fresh perspective. Get a focus group together.Mobile marketing is fabulous, and not necessarily expensive, butfind out if your members want it before jumping in.

Another thing that should stay constant in your credit union'smarketing strategy is the benefits versus costs analysis. It's asapplicable as ever. At the same time, there's a basic risk in notembracing the technology your members are using. By not keeping up,by not having a social media presence, a mobile website or an emailmarketing strategy, you may not be around in ten years. That aloneis something to take into account when figuring ROI.

And that brings us to your credit union's marketing ROI, or return on investment. Just because atechnology is cool, it doesn't mean you're good to go and shouldjump on it. 

Sue Woodard is president of Credit Union Toolbox.
Contact 888-660-3124 [email protected]