Just one year after launching consumer-facing Facebook andTwitter accounts, the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based payments CUSOCO-OP Financial Services has collected more than 122,000followers on Twitter and 17,000 followers on Facebook, the CUSOannounced.

According to a ranking released by The Financial Brand, CO-OP'sTwitter account is by far the most widely followed in the creditunion industry, and its Facebook page ranks in the top 20 amongindustry organizations with a presence on that network.

“The growth of our social media channels is due to the long-term commitment CO-OPmade last year to bring the great credit union story to consumers,”Stan Hollen, president/CEO of CO-OP, said. “We have also stayedtrue to our approach of building an online environment that isrelevant to the lifestyle of the modern consumer, and provideinformation in a fun and inspiring voice that reinforces themessages and the values of the credit union movement.”

CO-OP launched its social media sites in May 2014 to promote“Empowering People. Amplifying Dreams,” an outreach initiativetargeting millennials, which aims to educate consumers about howcredit unions can help them achieve their financial goals. Postsrelated to the campaign focused on how to secure a fruitfulfinancial future – popular topics included handling student loandebt, controlling spending while out with friends and stretchingthe life of common household items, CO-OP said.

“We continue to evolve and optimize our content to address theneeds and interests of our social media followers,” Hollen added.“In this way, we can make a compelling case on behalf of theindustry that credit unions are the best kind of financialinstitution for millennials.”