Mobile banking adoption continuesto rise, with 25 million households accessing financial accountsvia a mobile device in 2012, according to the Fiserv ConsumerTrends Survey.

While mobile banking adoption rates among credit union membersvary widely, the service is typically used by 15% to 20% of acredit union's online banking users. However, Fiserv analysis hasshown that credit unions can achieve adoption rates up to two timeshigher than these averages by taking a proactive approach tomarketing the service to members.

One resource that should not be overlooked when marketing mobilebanking is the credit union's frontline staff, which includesbranch and member care employees. Because they are viewed asprofessional experts by members, recommendations from branch andcall center employees can significantly influence mobile bankingadoption.

Members who use mobile banking appreciate the value that itprovides, but the majority of non-users lack knowledge about whatmobile banking is and the benefits it offers. Along with a lack ofawareness, some members have questions or concerns aboutsecurity.

Equipping staff with the right strategies, tools and resourceswill enable them to better communicate the benefits of the serviceand address member questions and concerns, effectively overcomingthose hurdles to adoption. Here are five steps to follow:

1) Start with employeetraining

Credit unions that create a complete training program canprovide their staff with the education and knowledge they need toserve as a credible source of information. Training should:

• Educate member-facing staff on the value of mobile banking sothey can actively promote that value to new and existingmembers.
• Teach staff how to enroll members into mobile banking as partof the account opening procedure as well as how to encourageenrollment for existing members.
• Explain to staff how to enroll the mobile devices of onlinebanking users via the mobile enrollment section of the creditunion's website.
  

2) Provide incentive options forstaff

Incentives are a tried and true strategy used in virtually everyindustry to motivate individuals and teams to attain and surpasstheir goals. Credit unions can increase the level of engagementfrom branch and call center staff by providing incentives forpromoting and enrolling members into mobile banking.

Some incentives that have proven successful include:

• Providing incentives for training class participation. Forexample, when an employee participates in an eLearning module, theyare entered into a drawing for a prize.
• Entering employees who enroll in mobile banking into a drawingfor a prize; personal use of mobile banking provides more in depthproduct knowledge that can be shared with members.
• Rewarding the staff member or team who enrolls the most membersin mobile banking.
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  Next Page: Creation and Evaluation

3) Create impactful marketing and promotionalmaterials

Another key element of a successful adoption marketing strategyis to provide frontline staff with tools and resources toeffectively aid in the promotion of mobile banking. Marketing andpromotional materials used to support frontline staff include:

• Talking points on how the service works and its benefits
• Collateral takeaways such as tri-folds, pamphlets and walletcards
• In-branch collateral such as posters, promotional displays andcounter cards
  

4) Evaluate success andimpact

An extremely vital step in a successful frontline staff mobilebanking campaign is to establish metrics and processes to measureits impact and gauge its success.

One recommendation is to develop a mobile channel dashboard thatmonitors key performance measures, such as percent of active users,percent of mobile banking users in relation to online bankingusers, and mobile transaction volumes.

By monitoring these metrics over time, credit unions can notegrowth and where adoption and use are lagging in order to bestfocus mobile adoption marketing campaigns and messages on specificmember segments.

5) Encourage ongoing engagement with mobile bankingusers

To maintain a high level of satisfaction among mobile bankingusers, it is important for frontline staff to remain activelyengaged with these members by continuing to remind them of thebenefits and value of mobile banking.

This ongoing engagement and promotion can have a positive effecton mobile banking usage by keeping the service top of mind amongmembers. It is also important to obtain feedback from mobilebanking users on the service, their level of satisfaction withmobile banking and how much the mobile offering influences theiroverall satisfaction with the bank or credit union.

Because mobile banking usage can boost member satisfaction andreduce member care costs, credit unions stand to benefit fromprograms and strategies that drive adoption and increaseutilization of the service.

Frontline staff, when properly educated and equipped, can be atremendous asset in driving adoption and usage of mobile bankingamong members.

JohnMoon is senior manager of mobile adoption marketing at Fiserv Inc. in Brookfield, Wis.