The DigitalMailer Blog

Social Media: Getting Started

2010-03-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

by Jimmy Marks

NOTE: This post originally ran on ClickConnectCommunicate.com

Many companies worry about their involvement with social media (or lack thereof). We've talked about social media before, but we've never really given a list of "getting started" instructions. Hopefully, this will help your business get its feet wet.

STEP 1: Sign up, Get going

No more of this "will we, won't we?" business. Get moving! Start turning out those blog posts, recording messages from the CEO to upload to YouTube, twittering, facebooking, emailing...whatever fits your member's tastes. Don't know what members are interested in? Hit them with a quick survey to sharpen your focus.

More importantly, make this new communication channel someone's job. Make them track results and feedback. Stay on top of it.

Best Practice - Set a bar and meet it. What do you WANT out of Social Media? Before you get going with anything, read this from thefinancialbrand.com about ROI and social media.

STEP 2: Learn to Share

If you are running a blog or sending out a monthly email newsletter, you can make individual stories or pages shareable via the major social networks. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and most other networks provide links that, when set up properly, allow readers to share your content via their own account. Most blogging services provide a widget for sharing this information around. If you are a DigitalMailer ARB user, we can get you set up with the proper links and icons for sharing.

You've probably seen buttons such as these before. When readers/members/users click these buttons, they're sharing your content and information with other people. Encourage them!

Best Practice - Worried you don't have enough followers after a week? Don't. Building out this new way of talking to members and customers can take time. Read the CU Soapbox article "Follow-and-Friend Freeze Out" to give yourself and your organization a realistic idea of a "healthy" follower count.

STEP 3: Refine and Realign

Don't get comfy, social media trends and usage are changing day to day. Know which methods and messages are working and which aren't. Keep an eye on your stats and your referrals and make note of which method/network is giving you the best response.

Best Practice - Don't just talk, listen. If you have followers or friends eager to speak with you, address them and meet the need. You'll find that you can help users and members in a way that's simple, light and smart. You may also pick up new members and customers as a result.

Some final food for thought:

Take a look at this video on "socialnomics". VERY thought provoking.

Got Snow?: What our company (and our clients) learned from The Blizzard of 2010

2010-02-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

by Ron Daly
Call me an optimist, but I'm going to call this storm "THE blizzard of 2010", in the hopes that it's not just "A blizzard of 2010".

It's been an interesting week here at DigitalMailer. In case you missed any news outlet of the past week, the DC/Metro area got almost THREE FEET of snow dropped on us in the span of a week. Many of our account managers, operations staff and marketing department had to work from home for the entire week - and one of our staff members won't be dug out until days from now. Hang in there, Steve!

When the snow hit, we made it a point to send out reminders to all our clients about our limited support capacity, letting them know when we'd be out of the office and how they could reach us. Our clients had the same idea - DigitalMailer sent out over 300,000 emails regarding closings and delays to members. Clients from all around the DC/Metro area were able to get the word out ahead of the storm and in the thick of it.

The Value of Email

For our clients, email is not just about marketing. It's a communication channel that members know to look out for because it's a channel the CU is eager to use. Whether it's a weather crisis or a financial crisis, our clients use our email engine to reach members, provide support and comfort, and let them know what happens next.

Fellow blogger and all-around CU-wizard Anthony Demangone from the NAFCU Compliance Blog had these four pieces of advice to offer on his own blog about the blizzard:

You need to plan.
You need good people.
You need technology.
You need to communicate to your "users."

To read all the particulars, go to the NAFCU Compliance Blog Post.

Anthony hit the nail right on the head with these four points. See the crisis coming, have a staff you can count on, have the right technology and communicate consistently.

Send us your blizzard stories and pictures - either here or on our Twitter feed - and tell us how your CU or Business communicated with members/customers during the storm.

We can get you started with a fast, effective message delivery system right away. All you have to do is give us a call. 866 994 4900 extension 102 or info@digitalmailer.com

We wanted to give you some idea how much snow we've been dealing with - take a look at these pictures.Me, in front of a snow bank in a ski jacket that's REALLY come in handy. To give you some scale, I'm 6'2" tall - that snow pile is just about 7'2".

The above picture was taken before the "dig-out" period by our Creative Media Director Jimmy Marks. That's his car - beneath 24 inches of snow!

The snow piles easily tower over even large SUVs. Makes me wonder if maybe there are some other cars buried out there under the big snow piles!

Operations Specialist Steve Mattson lives in a more rural area of Northern VA. Good news? He has a small tractor and snapped a few pictures. Bad news? He's STILL stuck at home! Hopefully we'll see you Monday, Steve!

No Scissors Required

2010-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

by Ron Daly

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

No matter what new technological developments crop up, the old standards still hold. Billboards still draw eyes, there's still a "fold" in paper advertising spec sheets, and coupons bring in new business -whether they're clippable or clickable.

In a recent eMarketer article ["Coupons Boost E-Mail Open Rate", Nov 19 2009], coupons are shown to boost email open rates significantly. Whether the coupons are for in-store use or online use, users are more likely to click through when a significant savings offer is presented - 80% more likely, to be exact.

Coupons have become de rigeur in the recession. Services such as Groupon and Vente-privee have made a tidy business of selling discounts on local businesses and couture fashion via email. Savvy shoppers take full advantage of this trend by waiting out their daily coupon and snapping up opportunities that interest them. They don't have to stake out a site or enter a contest, however - they just have to open up their inbox. How could your business capture this trend for itself?

Well, for starters, how about your own services? We've talked about onboarding campaigns recently, email campaigns aimed at new members who might be in the market for your credit union's services. Why not make special coupon-style offers that are good for the life of the email to new members? Cut rates on interest earning services or give $25 worth of free money to anyone that takes the time to open a new account with you. The sky isn't the limit - your imagination and willingness to outreach is.

Some best practices that we can give you now (via email marketing reports):

1) No need for a fancy picture

A photo coupon might be interesting to look at, but what happens when your member's ISP blocks the image or removes it from the email altogether? Make coupons and coupon codes readable in plain text so members can see the value of what you're offering without any images to misplace or misinterpret.

2) Tighten up that net

You think that offering everyone the same rates is going to get everyone on board? College students have different wants and needs that their parents, just like first time home buyers have different wants and needs than long-time mortgage holders in the market for a HELOC. Use DigitalMailer's ARB to send to refined groups and specific age or income ranges.

3) Where's "step two"?

Your coupon was clicked by 10% of your target audience. That 10% counts as a group of qualified buyers - what about the other 90%? Is there a product or service that might better suit them? And quit bugging the 10% that already took you up on your offer - be more accurate and more precise in your marketing and you can save money in the long run.

Want to learn more? DigitalMailer's "Do You Want Fries with That?" Webinar is a FREE webinar that goes through email marketing with the Automatic Relationship Builder. We've helped financial institutions across the country reach customers and members in a number of exciting ways.

Click here to see available dates for this webinar and to sign up for the next session.

NARFE Premier says "Get on board!"

2010-01-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

by Ron Daly

[Read all about this story on CUTimes.com or at CUNAMarketingCouncil.org]

NARFE Premier FCU in Alexandria, VA started using the Automatic Relationship Builder last summer to bring new services and products to members' attention.

Wanting to branch out into the world of email marketing, NARFE Premier marketing director Jessie Dederer turned to the team at DigitalMailer. Our recommendation? An on-boarding program aimed at new members who may not have been aware of everything NARFE Premier had to offer.

On-boarding campaigns are aimed at members that have just joined a credit union. The Automatic Relationship Builder takes in new member lists and sets up a series of emails to be sent to those members across a few weeks. A simple welcome email is followed by information about loans, mortgages, HELOCs, credit cards, checking accounts, money market accounts - anything the credit union thinks would be of interest to new members.

NARFE Premier's own campaign proved to be a great success. Deposit accounts increased 24%, while loan accounts increased 190%.

From the CU Times article on NARFE Premier's on-boarding campaign:

"This helped trim our marketing budget by 40%, and we are looking at finishing the year spending 50% less," said Dederer. "It's a win-win for everyone. We save money and are still able to deliver the same message with better results while reaching our members the way they want."

Want to get started with your own, customized on-boarding program? Click here to contact us.

Season's Greetings from DigitalMailer's Family of Blogs

2009-12-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all our loyal readers for another GREAT year of blogging. We've covered industry news, met some great people and learned a lot about our clients, friends, and fellow bloggers.

Please take some time in the next few weeks to browse our archives. We'll be out of office/offline until after the new year. We hope everyone out there has a safe and happy holiday and that 2010 is a great year for everyone out there.

Thanks again, and we'll see you in '10!

When does it pay to be a loser?

2009-12-18T07:03:00.000-08:00

The Biggest Losers of 2009

Our version is not about weight loss - it's about losing paper and postage costs through eStatement enrollments. Twenty-one credit unions were vying for the top spot at the chance to win a Nintendo Wii console and Wii Fit.

Before we get into our winners, let's talk numbers. For every new member enrolled in eStatements, a credit union saves about $.50 in statement costs. That's $6 in savings per enrollment per year. Six dollars not sound like much? Well, multiply that by 17,079 new enrollments, the number of people enrolled in eStatements across all the CUs in our contest during the contest period. That makes $102,474 PER YEAR saved thanks to eStatements. One hundred thousand dollars saved inside of just over four months. If those members stay with their CUs for five years, that's half a million dollars - and a lot of trees - saved!

The winners for this year were chosen based on a complicated formula developed by our account managers that took into account number of new enrollments and percentage increase in enrollment volume.

Our runners-up did a great job and we wanted to highlight their efforts.

10. TopLine FCU
9. Paragon FCU
8. 1st Community CU
7. Palmetto Citizens
6. Decatur Earthmover CU
5. Jersey Shore FCU

HONORABLE MENTION

Town of Hempstead Employees FCU

Town of Hempstead took honorable mention (a position we created after the results were in) for launching their eStatements in time with the contest. They brought in hundreds of new users thanks to their use of our One-Click enrollment email. To applaud their adoption of eStatements and their hard work getting their program together, we decided to extend them a $50 Best Buy gift card. Congrats, and keep up the good work!

THIRD PLACE

Hudson River Community CU

Hudson River Community CU ran TWO instances of the One-Click enrollment email for a 39% increase in total enrollments for the contest period. To sweeten the pot, they offered $100 cash for each of the promotions they ran. Great work! A $50 Best Buy gift card is on its way.

SECOND PLACE

ABCO FCU

ABCO gave away iPods and Wii video game consoles to a few lucky members who signed up to receive eStatements. ABCO must be pretty lucky as well, because not only did they increase their enrollments 224.13% during the contest period, they walked away with a $100 Best Buy gift card and second place in our contest!

AND OUR GRAND PRIZE WINNER IS:
Gulf Coast FCU increased their enrollments 720% in the course of the contest period by making eStatements the default for Online Banking members. Not only do we applaud this method of enrollment for the cost savings, but it's a simple, one-step way for your CU to "go green", decrease paper use and print and postage costs!

Gulf Coast's efforts not only earned them our top spot, but will save their credit union an estimated $14,000 per year in statement costs.

Gulf Coast, the Wii Console and Wii Fit will be arriving at your door any day now. Congratulations on being DigitalMailer's BIGGEST LOSER OF 2009!

Where The Buys Are

2009-11-23T06:54:00.000-08:00

by Ron Daly

No, not the Connie Francis song - I'm talking about where the BUYS are. We know (and we've mentioned before) that we're partial to email marketing. But you're wondering about the profitability of marketing via email and whether or not there's any impact when you're using email to market products. Which emails are sure to get opened?

If you're a credit union marketer, you have a particular challenge when it comes to email marketing, and a particular advantage to answer it. Your problem:

getting members to buy/invest more at the credit union,
getting them to recommend the credit union to friends, and
finding a way to get either done with a limited budget and in a limited space.

What's the advantage, you're asking? Take a look at this chart from eMarketer Daily.

According to this chart, financial emails are getting read between 60 and 70 percent of the time. When you send your eStatement reminders every month, your members are going to open them for a look-see. Why not start branding them and adding in links/ads for other services and support from your institution? Push new products and rates, or encourage members to tell a friend and promote your credit union to potential members in the community. Take advantage of the relationship you've already established and a high open rate. That's where the buys are - smart, well-placed ads that tell members and potential members what they need to know.

As Liz Miller of CMO Council says:

“Irrelevant, impersonal communications, be it email or traditional mail, is a waste as it does not engage a receptive recipient...It is no surprise that consumers are opting out of irrelevant emails. However, what is a grave sign for marketers to heed is that customers will disconnect and stop doing business with brands who continue to send messages that demonstrate a lack of intimacy, customer insight and individual understanding.”

Email marketing works best when you can tailor it to the target. If you're interested in getting members. The DigitalMailer Automatic Relationship Builder helps marketers do just that. How? Visit our ARB page or call us today to find out - 866.994.4900 ext. 115 or info@digitalmailer.com for more information.

Shell Federal Recognized as National Community Credit Union of the Year

2009-11-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

by Ron Daly

Way back in June of this year, we highlighted the efforts of Shell Federal Credit Union as a community credit union that was dedicated to reaching out to members and being active in their community. Back then, they'd been highlighted as "Business of the Year" by the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce.

The awards keep on coming for Shell. It was only a few weeks ago that they were recognized by the Credit Union National Association as the Community Credit Union of the Year (click here to read the press release).

From the release:

"In today's turbulent world, extending a helping hand in the community is a top priority at Shell FCU. The sole purpose of the credit union is to meet the financial needs of their members, provide free financial literacy and volunteer for a stronger community."

Shell FCU's accolades are well deserved. Their iLife program encourages members and non-members to come and participate in events that will benefit others in their community. Whether it's bicycle drives, cell phones for soliders or a basketball tournament, iLife is dedicated to boosting community spirit, community giving, and volunteerism.

Shell is also celebrating a "great loan year" by offering a $15,000 store credit at Pasadena Honda to a lucky borrower in January. Pretty sweet prize, considering many lending institutions and banks are unable/unwilling to lend these days.

Congratulations, Shell FCU - you've earned it!

What's that saying about when you assume?

2009-11-13T07:22:00.000-08:00

by Ron Daly

For marketers, making assumptions about your target audience is easy. But is it always accurate? It's tempting to look at a person's buying history, or review gender and age demographics, to help customize marketing messages. However, you should do so with care, as assumptions can just as easily backfire on your good intentions.

Just because someone buys a tricycle, don't assume they are married with young kids … it could have been purchased as a gift.

That's the point of Loren McDonald's message in a recent Email Insider article. (Loren is a "he" not a "she." And he doesn't have an ounce of Irish or Scottish in his genes.) In his article, "My Name Is Loren. BTW, I'm a 'He,'" McDonald warns of awkward and costly mistakes when you bring stereotypes and assumptions into your marketing efforts.

"The downside of wrong assumptions about your customers and prospects goes beyond potentially annoying them and even hurting your brand," he said. "It can also hurt your bottom line by continually sending subscribers offers and communications based on 'bad' data."

To steer clear of these situations, keep these tips in mind:

Collect key demographic data when members opt in. Case in point: McDonald received an email promoting engagement rings despite being married for 26 years - something that should have been easily captured by the marketing team.
Gather data useful to your key business lines. Credit unions can benefit from gathering financial preferences of its members, such as if they own or rent (mortgage products), recently purchased a car (auto loans), or have children approaching college age (student loan programs).
Collect members' basic interests and preferences. This helps you provide messages that are more applicable and well-timed, as well as member' preferred method for receiving messages.

DigitalMailer has the know-how to help you execute an effective email communication program - call (866) 994-4900, ext 103, visit www.digitalmailer.com/arb or email info@digitalmailer.com for more information.

Just a Reminder...

2009-11-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

DigitalMailer has found a new way to save credit unions money by cutting out print and postage, reducing man-hours and increasing customer response.

As mentioned in the CU Times article "Northwest FCU Cuts Delinquencies, Costs With E-Mails", DigitalMailer helped Northwest Federal Credit Union come up with a new way to reach members who were behind on their loan payments.

From the article:

The credit union had over 55% of its member’s e-mails on file and implemented a new policy that required members taking out a loan to provide a valid e-mail address.

The credit union works with DigitalMailer on other digital communication products, so [Cindy Cherry, Northwest’s collection manager] approached the provider with the problem.

"I listened to the problem and thought with that number of e-mail addresses, they could stop or knock out a lot of the accounts before they got to the 15-day mark," said Ron Daly, president/CEO of DigitalMailer.

"This is technology that bank and credit card companies have used for years, it’s just about getting credit unions to start using it."

Northwest’s success was self-evident. Of 1,605 collection e-mails sent, 845 members have paid before the 15-day delinquency mark. They were able to find bad e-mail addresses and follow up with members who had missed their notification. Even though the number of delinquencies is still high for Northwest, the process of dealing with them is getting faster, more affordable, and more effective.

DigitalMailer can do the same for you!

Are you dealing with a high volume of delinquencies and limited collection resources? The DigitalMailer Automatic Relationship Builder can give you:

Accurate reporting of e-mail opens, click-throughs and forwards
Easy-to-use template creation system
Easy list management
Fast, reliable delivery

DigitalMailer is offering a new FREE webinar:
Just a Reminder...How to make collections faster, easier, and more affordable

that explains collections email in depth. Visit the webinar page on our website for information and to sign up for the debut webinar on November 16.

To get started with collection e-mails, contact DigitalMailer today at info@digitalmailer.com or at 866.994.4900 ext. 115.

10 for '10: The Top 10 Branding Challenges Your Credit Union Will Face Next Year

2009-10-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

(This story originally ran on the CU Soapbox.)

Paul J Lucas, national marketing and branding consultant and frequent CU Journal contributor, wanted to share some thoughts on brand management for credit unions. Visit Paul's website at pauljlucas.com,email at paul@pauljlucas.com or call (202) 320 5759 to learn more.

Going into 2010, the top brand challenges for credit unions will be:

1. Misunderstanding what a brand is and why it matters. It is important to have a brand strategy that is embraced by the entire organization. If your staff doesn't get it you can't expect your members to embrace your brand.

2. Lack of understanding in the marketplace that credit unions are ideal primary financial services providers - not just a good place to get a vehicle loan. This means that credit unions must explain both the credit union concept and their own specific brand stories.

3. Communicating that shared branching and ATM networks are competitive to the national presence of large banks. This is critical to a credit union's ability to compete against multi-branch banks (and credit unions). Yet most members have no idea what "shared branching" means or how competitive large ATM networks are compared to many large bank systems. Do not assume members know what "shared branching" means, or how to use it.

4. Bad advertising and marketing that obscure the brand and fail to communicate the credit union's benefits can erode brand value.

Your marketing/messaging must be clear, straightforward and benefits oriented.

Creative does matter - effective creative gets you noticed and it clearly states the benefits of using your CU.

All messages must be consistent building blocks for the brand: advertising; signage; brochures; newsletters; statement messages; eLerts - every member touch point.

5. Overemphasis on reaching new members at the expense of building more productive relationships with current members. Build brand loyalty inside-out! Your current members are the best prospects for increasing product and service penetration. That is key to building a successful, stable financial services organization

6. Letting impatience trump consistency. Throwing together ads, products, announcements, etc. without taking time to tie them to your brand strategy is counter-productive.

7. Constantly changing things in search of the "magic bullet." Changing offers, ad mediums, products, etc. in search of the one magic key to prosperity is a death spiral. There are no magic bullets beyond consistency and brand clarity.

8. Thinking business development reps will quickly and easily grow assets. Business development reps are only as good as they are managed and credit unions do not usually have experienced, effective sales managers on staff. Business development reps who are unskilled and untrained can do your Brand more harm than good.

9. Working with a marketing budget that is too small to achieve marketing goals. Some annual marketing budget benchmarks:

0.25% of assets at a minimum for small institutions.

0.50% for a larger SEG, near community or small market community CUs.

0.75 to 1.50% for large/urban community charter CUs.

10. Remembering that credit unions are chartered to lend money! That requires becoming a competitive retail marketer.

While some see red, Old Hickory Credit Union is seeing pink.

2009-10-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

by Ron Daly

I'm sure football fans have noticed all the pink surrounding their favorite teams, cheerleaders and even stadium equipment the past few weeks. Sports Illustrated even "went pink" in its most recent issue, all to acknowledge the fight against breast cancer. I saw a great program go across the DigitalMailer production line this week and wanted to share it with everyone.

For the month of October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Old Hickory CU is working hard to increase awareness and contribute to cancer research. Their approach, outlined here in their monthly "Money Memos" newsletter, which by the way is pink this month, is threefold:

1. A team of Old Hickory CU employees will be participating in the Nashville Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event on Saturday, Oct. 24. Their goal is to donate $2500 to the American Cancer Society;
2. Old Hickory CU is selling pink umbrellas for $15, with $7 of that going to the American Cancer Society. These umbrellas also come with a set of coupons for credit union services that benefit members; and
3. All branches are offering information on breast cancer awareness, as well as supplemental cancer insurance policies.

When we inquired about the eLert topic Malinda Warchus, Assistant VP of Marketing commented “It might seem like a strange thing for a financial institution to send out an eLert about, but we are committed to improving the lives of our neighbors and making a positive difference in our communities. The outpouring of response from our members tells us that they like joining our cause.”

Not strange at all...and we agree with the members! In fact, I hear our DMI team is in line for any umbrellas that are left once the members are taken care of.

Most of the time, Credit Unions think they can only use member email addresses for eStatement notifications, newsletters or selling a new product or service. Those same email addresses can be used to communicate the difference between a bank and a credit union, as well as raising awareness among CU members the community outreach credit unions are involved in. Old Hickory CU has done just that by tying into a national promotion and using inexpensive methods of communication (email, electronic alerts, and monthly newsletter) and community outreach to reach members and potential members at a fraction of the cost.

Kudos and this effort speaks to the character of Old Hickory CU employees and management. Keep up the great work!

Guest Author Paul Lucas: Hard Knocks - BIG Lessons

2009-09-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

This article originally ran in on CUSoapbox.com

Hard Knocks - BIG Lessons

Late this summer HBO aired this year's "Hard Knocks" show about the Cincinnati Bengals National Football League training camp. Watching the series it became apparent that the basic building blocks of a winning team are universal - whether you’re on the football field, growing a
company or building a successful credit union brand.

David Levitin, a neuroscientist and author of "This is your brain on music" estimates that it requires 10,000 hours of practice to master any craft. Studies of professionals from composers, to NBA players, to ice skaters show that it takes roughly three hours of practice a day, 20 hours a week, for 10 years to achieve the level of expertise we associate with world class. The next time you're tempted to think a top athlete was born lucky think about all the hard work it took to turn luck and talent into success.

Remember the old joke: one man stops another man on the street to ask, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" The other man answers, "Practice, practice, practice." As managers it's much easier and a lot more fun to fall in love with hot new ideas than to keep slogging away at the same old basics day after day. The challenge is that those new ideas won't start yielding results until they become those old basics you keep slogging away at.

A successful organization is seldom built on innovation. Watching the Bengals prepare for the upcoming season I identified eight critical elements in their quest to become a winning team:

Leadership - without it numbers 2 through 8 are just exercises in frustration

Preparation

Focus

Execution - especially doing the little things right constantly

Follow-through

Accountability

Getting everyone working off the same strategic plan

Having the right people in the right places

Are you sitting there thinking you could have written that list off the top your head? Bottom line, knowing what needs to be done and making it happen are two very different things. Most successful CEO's I know would willingly mail their annual business plans and strategies to their competitors. Why? Because they know it's what you do every day in the trenches that counts.

So ask yourself:

A) Does your staff consistently up-sell the values and benefits of your credit union?

B) Do you have a brand strategy that everyone clearly understands, right down to knowing how their individual efforts help drive your brand efforts?

C) Can every staff member name the values, benefits and features of your CU?

If they can, keep up the good work.

If they can't, it's time to get in the huddle and make it happen.

A Special Message to Our Clients - There's No Such Thing as "Over-Disclosure"

2009-08-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

by Ron Daly

With the Credit CARD Act of 2009 going into effect today, the talk in the industry is all about disclosure. CUNA News Now published this article "21-day rule: CUNA urges CUs 'document everything'" What's the best way to tell your members about the changes in credit card rules and the changes in your policies as a result of the CARD Act?

The Answer: ANY way you can tell clients about the new regulations is a great way to tell clients about new regulations.

The example below is from Belvoir FCU. Click the thumbnail to see the full size image.

For our clients: We want to let you know that we're here to help and that there are several ways we can increase awareness for your members - the way we did for Panhandle Educators (click below to see example)

We can add a notice to your eStatement notification emails, to your Customer Communication Center splash pages, we can load a permanent notice inside the available statement library, or we can even send a special notification through the ARB to your mailing list. The statement needs to be as clear as possible, and the more members see it the better they'll understand the new regulations.

For NON-Clients: We're more than willing to get you set up with a special one-time ARB email for your specific mailing list. Just give us the addresses and we can get the word out for you.

You and your credit union/financial institution are going to need to act fast to spread the word. Take advantage of the many channels you use to communicate already to be as specific as you can about the new regulation.

Special Guest Dan Schoenherr on "Closing the Loop"

2009-08-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

Dan Schoenherr is an experienced credit union consultant. He has expertise in strategic planning, process improvement, board governance, and website strategies. He is President/CEO of Schoenherr Consulting and has led several credit unions in their process improvement programs and creating member delight. Most recently he has been helping credit unions with their Net Promoter® Score programs. He may be reached at dan@schoenherrconsulting.com.

Net Promoter® Score, a loyalty measurement, has been adopted by many credit unions. However, many are not "closing the loop." A Net Promoter® Score survey asks the question: "How likely is it that you would recommend (the credit union) to a friend or colleague?" Customers respond on a 0-to-10 point rating scale and are categorized as follows:

Promoters (score 9-10) are loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others, fueling growth
Passives (score 7-8) are satisfied but unenthusiastic members who are vulnerable to competitive offerings
Detractors (score 0-6) are unhappy members who can damage your brand and impede growth through negative word-of-mouth.

To calculate the credit union's Net Promoter® Score (NPS), take the percentage of members who are Promoters and subtract the percentage who are Detractors.

Closing the Loop

Most NPS surveys ask a second question: What is the primary reason for the score you just gave us? This is the beginning of the feedback process that allows the credit union to improve the member experience. Digital Mailer's eSurvey system will send an email to a designated credit union employee on any survey received with a Detractor score of 0-6. This allows the credit to contact the member (generally within 48 hours), to understand their concerns in greater detail and resolve any issues.

An internal review of the results should be conducted to identify key drivers of loyalty and establish process improvement plans. The last part of the "loop" is informing members what you did with the information provided.

Email Surveying

About one-third of the credit unions sharing their NPS scores on the CU-Processes website do phone surveys. While this approach provides excellent feedback, it is very expensive. The largest majority are doing mail surveys. This approach offers little chance to immediately "close the loop" with the member, or to delve deeper into the core reasons for the member's dissatisfaction.

Email provides fast surveying (especially if event-driven), and the opportunity to immediately "close the loop" with the member. It also allows you a simple way to survey various segments - a specific branch, the contact center, online users, etc.

If you are considering a Net Promoter® Score program, make sure it includes the steps to "close the loop." Otherwise, you have missed the opportunity to truly improve the member's experience with the credit union.

Pyramid: Standing the Test of Time

2009-07-07T06:43:00.000-07:00

by Ron Daly

I thought we'd highlight the good works and good reputation of a credit union that has been serving members for the past eighty-four years.

Pyramid Credit Union in Tucson, Arizona has four generations of members and a life-long reputation of helping those who wanted a better financial future. Recently, an article about Pyramid was published in the CU Journal (click here to read "It's a Wonderful Life Really Does Still Exist in Tucson, Ariz." by Paul Lucas). At Pyramid's 80th annual dinner meeting, members celebrated the good works of the credit union and the credit union celebrated its diverse and long-standing membership.

And what a story! At BarCampBank Vegas, friend and colleague Robbie Wright asked why everyone doesn't get their own credit union started. Some might have balked at the idea, but reading about Pyramid's humble beginnings makes the idea seem pretty smart to me. Lend a little, get a little more back, help out your fellow man. And they've kept the basic concept at their core for eighty years now.

Keep up the great work, Pyramid. Here's hoping that everyone in our industry takes a page from your book and works to better their community and the lives of their members.

Does your CU have a great success story? Tell us about it in the comments section.

Living With (and Without) Green

2009-06-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

by Ron Daly
It's June, 2009 - do you know where YOUR capital is?

Odds are you've been coping with your minimized budget and your overall losses for these last eight months and you've had to forgo talks of better things - more hiring, membership drives, company functions, employee appreciation, raises, etc. Maybe one of the things you've minimized is your "Green" initiatives. It's easy to move away from an initiative that's mostly voluntary when you have imperative financial issues to tackle.

I think it's time to kill two birds with one stone..not literally, of course. Part of saving the environment is not throwing rocks at birds. I'm talking about using your green initiatives as a means of saving money.

Green-vangelist Andrew Winston wrote on the Harvard Business blog:

Not only should companies not put their green efforts on hold, they should accelerate them in targeted ways to save money quickly and prepare for the future. Those who navigate these tricky waters the best will emerge from the downturn in better shape than their competitors.

And furthermore:

Getting lean, particularly on energy and resources, will save money and reduce carbon impacts (as well as making you more competitive when energy prices inevitably rise again). Thinking through your value chain and getting creative about how you can help your customers manage their environmental impacts and lower their costs will help you grab market share in tough times. And it will likely do much more to address environmental challenges than focusing only on your own environmental impacts. Getting your people engaged around a dual mission — save the company money and preserve our collective bounty and assets — will help boost morale in tough times and keep your company going strong. ("Why This Is the Right Time to Go Green", blogs.harvardbusiness.org, June 2009)

I had this information tucked away in an e-mail and thought I'd share it here on the site. Apparently, trees can be assigned a dollar value based on the amount of carbon dioxide they absorb, the amount of run-off they filter, the amount of oxygen they make, etc. Your average Red Cedar is worth about $120,000/year, considering the price of oxygen it produces (numbers/values from the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation institute). That's plenty of money, and that's just one tree.

Planting trees is a great way to drive up member participation and enrollment. Let members contribute a small amount of money from their share accounts and contribute to a tree planting day that you've organized. Or offer it as an incentive for signing up for eStatements, a la "sign up for eStatements today and we'll plant a tree in your name!"

Speaking of eStatements, DigitalMailer has plenty of ready-to-go "Go Green" campaigns to get you started driving up your enrollment numbers. Click here to learn about it in Budget Stretching Ideas, a free webinar from DigitalMailer.

Bottom Line - the economic downturn has tested our structures. If ever there was a time to start changing the game, it's now. Why not implement measures that will save you money overtime, such as optimizing your lighting and power and reducing water flow in your facilities? Why not encourage employee carpooling and create Green-themed giveaways? Make the changes now and enjoy the benefits long after you do.

A Case Study: Shell FCU

2009-06-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

by Ron Daly

Shell FCU recently was named business of the year by the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce. DigitalMailer wants to send its congratulations to a credit union that has set down deep roots in its community of members.

Why are they Business of the Year? Something tells us it's a matter of commitment.

To The Environment:

A look at Shell FCU's website shows they're big fans of a natural, eco-friendly look. At the bottom right-hand corner of their page is a logo showing their participation in the Green Business Alliance. On content pages, links to their eStatement enrollment page encourage members to "go green" with DigitalMailer's eStatements (see below).

To The Community:

From Shell FCU's press release:

In addition to time spent at work, employees also volunteer for the credit union’s FCU "Furthering Community Unity" Team. The FCU Team consists of Shell FCU employees, members and local individuals who participate in events such as blood drives, walks, runs, food drives, Habitat for Humanity and other charitable events. In 2008, the FCU team logged over 347 hours and donated more than $8,900 to help others. As of April 2009, approximately 465 hours have already been donated.

To Reaching and Helping Members:

In the past year, Shell started up iLife, a service for younger members that offers incredible rates and savings programs. You can go to the iLife webpage to learn about their rates and accounts, watch user videos, read their blog, sign up for their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter.

So congratulations, Shell - you're setting a great example. Keep up the great work!

Want to prove your commitment to green solutions and online innovation? Get online with DigitalMailer's eStatements! Click here for more information.

All it takes is one click!

2009-05-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

Imagine increasing your electronic statement enrollment leaps and bounds with a single e-mail. Sound impossible? Not with DigitalMailer's "One Click" campaign.

After nine years of creating and implementing electronic statements for credit unions across the country, we've seen and heard some great promotional offers to encourage eStatement enrollment. iPod, Camera, Wii and PDA giveaways are pretty standard, as are plant-a-tree promotions and monetary incentives. Folks who sign up are happy with their statements and credit unions are happy with the savings.

Recently, we started a new campaign which lets members sign up for eStatements by clicking on a single button in an e-mail. One click is all it takes to enroll in eStatements and move away from costly paper and printing. We recognized after creating a number of these campaigns that several key steps could be rolled into one. By verifying an email address, sending an email with the legal agreement attached, allowing the member to read through the agreement and sending their "opt-in" agreement to the credit union, we would be cutting out unnecessary steps, thereby saving time and money.

"One of the good things about this campaign is that members don't have to go to an enrollment page, type in personal info such as account number, SSN, email, name, etc. They click the button and we find the info in the CU system. No need to exchange personal info at all."
--Traci McNamara, Account Manager, DigitalMailer

Two credit unions that are currently using the "One Click" campaign:

Hudson River FCU decided to use the "One Click" in conjunction with a $100 offer to draw in new eStatement users. Since sending their e-mail in April, they've increased total eStatement use by 15%! Hudson River plans to run the same campaign in May and June, and with similar results month to month they stand to save over $14,000 with eStatements.

Belvoir FCU has offered eStatements for the past seven years. Introducing the "One Click" campaign in the middle of April, they've experienced a total 5% growth, and are running the campaign again in May. Even more interesting, there's no offer attached - people just click to sign up! Belvoir will be running the same "One Click" campaign through june. If they have the same success in June, they will be saving an estimated 50% of their total cost by switching those paper statements to e-mail!

Something to take away from this campaign and its successes :

1) When members know it's easy to get started with eStatements, they'll go for it.

2) Your eStatements can lead to great savings. The more enrollments you have, the more you save on printing and postage.

3) It can work with a special offer or without.

4) You can get the campaign for your CU and get started right away!

Click here for more info on eStatements!

20&Change: Straighten Up and Fly Right

2009-05-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

by Jimmy Marks

The economic crunch has really "put a hurtin' " on employment. This is especially important to people in my generation, many of whom are just leaving college and need to find a job somewhere...anywhere, even. But people my age have been given a bad rap in the media - labeled as spiritless and pouty in the workplace, seen as always needing their hands held, regarded as a distraction more than an asset. As recently as a week ago, people were talking about Gen-Y as a drain on productivity and workplace efficiency (click here to read).

From that same article:

"Managers have reported a lot of problems associated with this – primarily that these employees have unrealistic expectations and a strong resistance toward accepting negative feedback," he said.

"Basically entitlement involves having an inflated view of oneself, and managers are finding that younger employees are often very resistant to anything that doesn't involve praise and rewards," he added.

But this article from the Wall Street Journal actually makes Gen-Y seem...well, moderately competent and not stupid and whiny. Hooray! We've got at least one supporter.

From the WSJ article:

"Many Gen Y-ers are also becoming ... 'good workplace citizens.' That is, rather than demanding to be catered to, they're instead becoming prompt, dressing more appropriately, following up on obligations, and using better judgment. 'They're also shifting their attention from peer relationships to building rapport with managers, customers, vendors, and other decision makers...'"

Not only are my fellow whippersnappers becoming more professional, they're REALLY starting to take an interest in their finance management. According to this article from PlanAdviser.com, more and more Gen-Ys are asking for advice on retirement savings and benefits through work. The downturn has really taken its toll, shaking my generation lose of their false sense of entitlement and showing them that now is the time to straighten up and fly right.

Now, the question: what will you do with this information? Because if you're a Credit Union, one that's touting your capacity for smart savings and money management, you need to talk up your ability and your willingness to help young folks get their lives in order. Quit with all that "We're so dope and fly and fresh and jiggy!" talk. It's doing you no good. Make your message clear and plain - that you're willing to help the youngsters make smart decisions about their money and smart investments for their retirement. PNC has managed to make a go of it, signing up 20,000+ folks for its "virtual wallet", 70% of which were Gen-Y aged (click here to read all about it). You can do this, too. Just offer a smarter, easier way to "get" finance. A smarter, more humble Gen-Y will thank you for it.

A Faster Horse: eStatements can be a "need" more than a "want"

2009-04-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

by Ron Daly

Henry Ford was rumored to have said:

"If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have said 'a faster horse'".

I'm sure that Mr. Ford wasn't out to say the people who buy/use your services are short-sighted or small-minded. It's just that they often want the familiar to get better. But bring them something with all they've wanted and more and they'll wonder how they lived without your innovation.

EStatements are a service of DigitalMailer, one that we find ourselves recommending more and more these days as a means of saving money. Most of the credit unions we work with have the same initial reluctance - that the members won't be comfortable with electronic statements and they won't be open to the idea of receiving statements through the Customer Communication Center. What you wouldn't believe is that customers really do love their eStatements - and CUs like the convenience and control of advertising inside the eStatement space.

I could go on for an hour about eStatements and the CCC. In fact, I do - in our newest webinar:

The Customer Communication Center: A Better Mouse Trap

In which we teach you how to bring eStatements into the fold, improve your marketing through online channels and save money, save money, save money.

Sign up here, on the Webinar Page, for the forthcoming session on the 28th of April, or for the two later dates

Please, feel free to come join us. Spaces are limited, so sign up now!

Happy Birthday, Blog!

2009-04-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

by Ron Daly

The DigitalMailer blog will be a year old as of tomorrow. We're very excited to have added the blog to our website and to be able to communicate with you - our partners, our clients, our friends - on a regular basis.

Having spent a year in the blog-scape (or just about), we thought we'd share a few lessons we've learned along the way.

1) Rome wasn't built in a day, even if your blog was.

Jimmy Marks, our Creative Media Director, made this blog work on our site and set up an archive people could read through. It didn't take him long to get things rolling and for us to post stories and topics of interest. But gaining a readership and bringing in people was tough, and at times a little disheartening. Luckily, we stuck with it and it has had lasting benefits.

2) Write for the people you care about

We wanted to do what we could to give our clients and partners, both current and potential, a look at how we operate. People use our stories and posts to get a look inside our world and, hopefully, to better their own.

3) Don't be afraid to expand

Our other blogs, clickconnectcommunicate.com and cusoapbox.com, came out of our desire to share our thoughts with our joined industries - communication technologies and credit unions. CCC Blog stands to give our friends and neighbors our thoughts on emerging technologies. CU Soapbox is growing every month, becoming a mouthpiece for folks in the CU industry who want to keep up with what's going on. But we keep this blog running to highlight the good works of our employees and our company as a whole.

4) If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong.

I'm a fairly quiet guy. I didn't know how much fun I was going to have writing short stories and ideas about the industry here in my own little corner of the internet. My number one goal: don't let it feel like a chore. If I don't want to post anything, I don't post anything. If I do, I let 'er rip. And the blog maintains no deadlines.

When you're looking for the good news about DigitalMailer, or just want my two cents, this is where you should start. We're happy to be here, and we look forward to many more years online.

Electronic Messaging Tips for E-mail Success: A sample of our whitepaper on e-mail deliverability

2009-03-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

The email industry is still evolving so there are no firm standards. However, the following tips will help you improve the results from your email marketing.

Permission rules
Internet users are increasingly saturated and frustrated with junk email. This shouldn’t be a
problem for most credit unions, at least in dealing with their own members. Most members want to hear from their credit union, especially if you craft concise, well-written missives. But for credibility, you must seek permission to send messages, and always make it easy to opt out.

Open a dialogue
Don’t just talk AT your members; they get plenty of that through other media. Establish a dialogue with members and use the interaction to strengthen the relationship. Invite users to check out your Website, ask questions, give opinions, but be prepared to keep up your part of the dialogue with fast, well-crafted responses.

Short = sweet
There is no rule of thumb for email length, but most professional messages are short, sometimes no longer than one screen, with the details presented on Web pages linked to the message. Some of our favorite email lists rarely get read because there is just too much good info to absorb quickly, so the message is set aside and ultimately never read. Like a good speech, three topics are probably enough.

Seek professional help
Electronic messaging is not rocket science, but you can make your messaging efforts much smoother by enlisting the services of a specialized email service provider such as DigitalMailer. Service providers will automate much of the tedious maintenance efforts such as resends, bounce-back maintenance, and opt-out requests so you can concentrate on making the messages better.

Timing counts
Although every rule of thumb should be tested, the conventional wisdom is that Tuesdays through Thursdays are best for reaching members at work, reserve Saturday and Sunday emails for home users. Many experts recommend sending messages late in the workday so they needn’t compete with the morning clutter.

Ensure a good landing
An effective email marketing campaign includes a specialized Website landing page that supports the teaser email copy and converts prospects into buyers. You should NOT use your home page for the landing unless your offer is obvious AND you have tracking in place to distinguish regular visitors from those visiting due to your direct-marketing efforts.

Want to read more? Click here for your own copy of "31 Tips for e-Mail Success" from DigitalMailer.

Well, enough of the bad news...

2009-03-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

by Ron Daly

Yeah, I'm done with bad news. That doesn't mean it's not there to be found, I just don't want to bother with sharing it here. I want to share the good news with you, our customers, our friends, and our prospective clients.

First, that credit unions are still getting a favorable rating in the press. A great article from the Wall Street Journal just came out singing the praises of the industry and showing some impressive graphs about CUs' lending practices. It's nice to know there's still a little good press to be found for an industry that has been (somewhat) able to rest on its laurels. Click here to read their article.

You say that's not enough good news for you? Take advantage of the Good News Network, a website devoted to bringing uplifting stories and good news in general to people that are just tired of all the bad. Visit their website here.

Do you have any good news? We'd love to hear it...and so would Brian Williams at NBC news. He's asked people to share their good news with him at the Nightly News blog. If you have something truly spectacular going on near you, leave it for them to read through.

So you see? There's good news to be had. It all depends on where you look.

Have good news about your credit union? Tell us about it in a comment or email us at blogs@digitalmailer.com
We've got good news of our own...our newsletter has been updated! Click here to sign up!

How to wear a barrel in a way that flatters the hips

2009-03-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

by Ron Daly

Yes, I know. It's a joke that's getting less funny, because it's slowly becoming reality. People are losing homes, jobs are disappearing, business is bad all around. And we, dear friends, are in an industry that is constantly under the microscope (read about the CU industry's recent scrutiny on our other blog, the CU Soapbox). We're on the tightrope, and we need to stand up straight and tall to get through.

Marketing suffers at a time like this. People and businesses trying to do more with less are often left with nothing at all. And while "no news is good news" applies in some aspects of life, it sure doesn't work for the CU industry. A diminished marketing budget only means you have to be smart about spending.

Multiple studies show that companies that keep their messages and brands in the public's eye during a recession often come through hard times much better than those that don't. One such study, by MarketSense, proved the point with the 1989-91 recession: Brands such as Jif Peanut Butter and Kraft Salad Dressing increased advertising, and saw sales grow 57 percent and 70 percent, respectively. Pizza Hut and Taco Bell stepped up promotion, increasing sales by 61 percent and 40 percent. But McDonald's, which took the opposite approach, had a 28 percent decline in sales over the same period.

Case Study: Innovative Recession e-Marketing

Solidarity Federal Credit Union is taking an innovative approach to recession marketing: YouTube-style videos. The Kokomo, Indiana-based credit union is emailing promotional clips to targeted members, using short videos created in-house. Members tell their own stories about why they like the credit union's services, such as electronic checking and at-home check deposit. And according to Vice President of Marketing Diana Tenbrook, members' recommendations go a long way to boost credibility.

Tenbrook says the credit union began its unique approach to differentiate SOLFCU from its banking competitors. But with tighter budgets in today's down cycle, the credit union has found email can extend its marketing efforts without draining resources.

SOLFCU uses DigitalMailer's email engines to distribute the information. Here's the latest SOLFCU latest video clip, where Jake and Kylie, a newlywed couple, discuss how they had to deal with enormous bank fees with no explanation!

"Emailing these clips has actually resulted in some viral marketing, with members spreading the word after viewing them," Tenbrook said. "One of our members, who has a home-based business, told us people come up to her in the grocery store and say they've seen her in a Solidarity video."

Using DigitalMailer's email marketing service, SOLFCU can ensure that the emailed videos get to the inboxes of members who want to receive them. And with a high open rate of nearly 30 percent, the strategy is clearly working.

You can get in on the story at CreditUnions.com, where our full article "Need a Sure Bet in Today's Economy? Step Up Marketing." is up now!