Best Practices for Writing Part 1

"THINK LIKE A PUBLISHER, NOT A MARKETER"

- DAVID MEERMAN SCOTT

CONTENT IS KING


Just because you want to write something doesn’t mean others will want to read it. Especially if you happen to write dense blocks of text.

Get in their heads. Create social media content that is both relevant to your brand and interesting to readers. How? Provide information that is either useful or entertaining to your desired target audience. Put the wants and needs of your reader first, within the context of topics that support your brand identity.

Keep content concise and on point. Present information in a way that is easy to read or interpret through imagery. Providing too much or too little content can be a turn-off for readers. If you have a lot to say, break it up into multiple pieces. Not only is this more readable, it also keeps your audience coming back for more.

Add a cherry on top. Chances are, others are sharing similar content. After all, there’s a lot of content floating around out there. What makes your target audience turn to you as their chosen source is the value you add to the content.

Branding Your Credit Union Online: Part 1

Branding: As marketers and CEO's, we all know how important it is. But do we know the best way to go about it online? The channels are always changing and there are new possibilities and realities every day. Take it from someone who's been around the block a couple of times.

Here are a few "Best Practices" we've put together for you when it comes to branding your credit union... 



KNOW THYSELF

Conduct and review research with your employees, customers and prospects. Uncover what makes your organization unique and strong, and determine your voice and personality. For example: are you quick-witted and clever, professional and polished, or down-home and darling? Determining these attributes will help to reinforce internal culture and maintain cohesive interaction with the outside world.


Consult with a third party. As with many things in life, sometimes we need a little outside support to help us take an objective look at ourselves. Seek out a branding expert with experience leading organizations through such a process. Upon completion, you should have a compelling story and brand standards to help guide your social media team, as well as front-line staff and leadership. Win-win!

RECRUIT A DREAM TEAM


Choose people who know your company culture. Too often, social media and web presence responsibilities are delegated to the youngest employee, sometimes even an intern. Instead, find someone who is social, savvy and personable- regardless of age. Anyone can be trained to use the tools of the trade. Though- always hire a trustworthy professional for web development. Trust us.

Avoid ownership squabbles. People from different departments must partner together if the basic structures and processes are going to be beneficial for the brand. Figure out a system and stick with it.

Stay tuned for a couple more best practices and strategies for branding your credit union online...

5 Tips For Your Credit Union's Storyful Moment

You're Convinced. And you're ready to create your credit union's storyful moment and start making videos!

Now What?


5 TIPS FOR YOUR STORYFUL MOMENT 

If the secret to a good video is finding a storyful moment, then how the heck do you find that moment? Here are some tips to make that process a little easier.

TARGET AN AUDIENCE 

A video doesn’t have to go viral to be successful. Appeal to your audience specifically. If there is spillover appeal to the general public, that’s great, but it’s not a primary goal. Always ask yourself, “What would my audience find most interesting?”

CUT TO THE CHASE 

“For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.” That’s a six-word short story by Ernest Hemingway and proof that you don’t need to pontificate to tell a big story. Keep your video focused on one moment in a larger story. Provide just enough context for it to make sense. Struggling with debt? Planning a wedding? Find that trigger and craft a moment out of it.

"REAL" IS RELATIVE

Don’t sit around with a camera waiting for a candid moment to happen. It’s less important to be literally accurate than to tell a story that your audience can recognize as a part of their own life, too. That’s the difference between “realism” and “authenticity."

THE RIGHT KIND OF RANDOM 

If you’re seeking laughs, you might be caught up in the recent “random” humor trend. It’s a sea captain nonchalantly fighting a giant octopus. A guy with a living beard interviewing for a job. Non sequitors still need to be relevant to your brand and story. The “man your man could smell like” appealed because he represented the brand’s masculinity, not just because the tickets are now diamonds.

THINK BEYOND TV 

When you produce a video, you can chop it up into 30 second segments for TV ads. You can keep longer versions for your website, use still images for print campaigns and in-branch collateral, and use audio for radio ads and on-hold messages. With text, visuals, and audio all working together, you get three times the branding assets for your marketing budget. Regardless of the format, make sure your storyful moment stays intact.

Upping the Ante With Facts

If everything we've told you so far hasn't convinced you that you need to up the ante with video for your credit union, maybe these facts will help...

Video Climbing Even Higher

A CROWDED SPACE

eMarketer estimates that online video advertisement spending grew 48% to $1.5 billion in 2010 and will hit $5.5 billion by 2014. About a third of online retailers offer video on their sites, according to Vovici Corp. Focus your message, your story, on your particular audience. Relevance cuts right through all that background noise.

SOCIAL VIEWING 

Facebook has become the third most popular video viewing destination online. Nielsen reports online video viewing on social sites was up 98% in 2009. Videos viewed on Facebook was up 1800% in 2010. Add video to your social media routine, even if it’s just a regular face-to-face update for members.

PLAN AHEAD

Hey, people get camera-shy sometimes. Consult with your HR and marketing team. Figure out a video policy that works for your credit union so everyone is on the same page.

Did You See That Video?

DID YOU SEE THAT VIDEO? 


...with the kid after visiting the dentist…


...where the soldier comes home to his dog…


...where the deaf girl hears for the first time…


YOU GOTTA SEE IT!


We’ve all had that experience, where we want to share what we just saw with our friends. What spurs that urge? It’s a touch of reality. A dash of authenticity. The storyful moment captured.

WATCHING ON THE CLOCK 

65% of online video views were streamed between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, making this video primetime due to the faster Internet connections available at work, reported Nielsen Online. If this is your audience, make sure your video is safe-for-work. (You don’t want to get your viewer in trouble with the boss.) Also keep your video very short so your viewer gets the gist quickly.

PLAINLY PASSIONATE

According to crowd-funding website Kickstarter, projects with video pitches are 90% more successful than those without. The reason? “Audiences respond to passion, sincerity, and an ability to execute. They want to see that in your video.” Whether it’s pitching a project or delivering a promise for your brand, audiences know when you’re true to yourself. You don’t need a high-gloss production if the storyful moment feels authentic and real. In fact, many big-budget campaigns try to look a little more plain, just to feel more homemade.

It's Happening Now

GO CAPTURE IT

These days it’s very easy to get started. With just a cameraphone and a keen eye, you can capture a storyful moment as it happens and share it just as quickly. Here are some juicy statistics and tips to keep in mind as you start snapping videos.


MORE THAN JUST CAT VIDEOS

In 2008 alone, 80 percent of U.S. Internet users watched five hours of video, an average duration of 3.2 minutes per video, according to comScore. But the secret to keeping a viewer’s attention is hooking them  the first ten seconds. It helps to have a video shown in a relevant context, such as a like-minded blog. With viewers already in a receptive state of mind, your video has much more impact. When your video is part of a series, you start building anticipation for each installment.

The Emotional Impact of Video

Laugh or cry, shock or pride, nothing beats video for 

emotional impact. 

A good video captures a singular moment, a “storyful” moment, that begs to be shared. Video can be experimental, immersive and flavorful.

But is it really right for credit unions? Video is more accessible than ever. The average Joe can record more, do it more frequently, and get more use of existing videos all without breaking the budget. When you host videos on your website – or on a hosting site like YouTube and Vimeo – you effectively have your own video channel to tell your credit union’s story! It doesn’t end there either. When you have video assets, you can run them on a loop in your branches. When you combine that with a well-trained staff and useful collaterals, you have a complete campaign right there! You can even get super-localized with your videos, playing certain ones in certain branches based on your demographic research in that area. Heck, you can even play videos on ATMs.

Even with all these options, the question remains: Is video right for credit unions? Spoiler alert: Yup. You just have to find your storyful moment. It’s a story, scene or scenario that captures attention and embodies what it
means to be a part of your credit union.

10 Things To Consider During A Change In Leadership

Over the past couple of weeks, you eavesdropped on a conversation between myself and a credit union CEO, Thad Angelle. Thad told us what he did to make the internal culture at his credit union strong and even gave you a good book recommendation! But if you don't have time to sit down and read "Thank God Its Monday" and you want some action items to put to action, we have some for you.

10 THINGS TO CONSIDER DURING A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP: 

1. Focus first on shoring up your internal culture and earning the trust of your staff.

2. Foster collaboration among leadership and staff at all levels to sync up the team.

3. As the leader, find a principle or philosophy you can personally champion – and then live it.

4. Acknowledge staff uncertainty about what change means to them. So set high expectations for the organization but also work to calm the fears of the individuals.

5. Take a break from the C- suite and visit the front lines often.

6. Address challenges swiftly, rationally, realistically and with confidence.

7. Acknowledge fall out with any change in leadership. Use the opportunity to build the right team.

8. Embrace your leadership style. Be who you are, but seek ways to integrate that style with as little disruption as possible.

9. Focus on one manageable initiative at a time. Complete it and move on to the next opportunity.

10. When you reach the top, make sure you’re not alone. You can’t do it all on your own.

How Internal Culture Affects MCT's Bottom Line

Have you been enjoying the conversation so far? Don’t worry, it doesn’t stop here…

HOW HAS THIS HELPED YOUR BOTTOM LINE? 

People now make better decisions. We’re not going back to fix things. Our quality of work is better. There’s a new mindset that if it’s not great, it’s not good enough. Now, we hold each other to a level of accountability. Looking at the numbers, we’re pacing to meet our year-end income goal. While consumer loans outstanding declined for almost five years in a row, the first quarter of the year we grew consumer loans by $3 million.

This was unbelievable. Managers set more aggressive goals and in the first quarter every branch manager met them. Wow. But the biggest result is the unity within the executive team, the encouragement all around, and a staff believing in themselves, doing the right thing. That’s building member loyalty. Employee turnover was a revolving door in the past, but now that door has slammed shut.

WHAT IS STILL YOUR PAIN? 

There was once a time in my career when I might try to bulldoze over people. I got where I wanted to go, but found that I was alone. Today I care about more than just people’s work. I care about them personally. So now, the most important thing is making the right decisions together when we are faced with a challenge. Staying ahead of the curve like with regulatory changes that are coming along every day, week and month creates a lot of pain. What may be the case today, may not be tomorrow – but our culture will not change. 

WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE?


MCT is really walking our talk. But no one outside knows it, yet. And the message has got to get out to the people. If we can get the word out, I can’t believe anyone wouldn’t want to do business with us.

So that was MCT’s story… what’s yours? Is your credit union undergoing a change in leadership? Wondering what next steps to take?  Tune in next week for 10 Things to consider during a change in leadership.

The Conversation About Culture Continues

HOW DID "THANK GOD ITS MONDAY" BECOME SO INGRAINED IN YOUR ORGANIZATION? 

I gave the book to every person at the TGIM kickoff staff meeting. It was the executive team that met weekly, discussed the wow insights and figured out the key points that could impact the credit union. More importantly, it was that team putting them into practice versus procrastination. Plus, parts of the book really spoke to my personal beliefs and I made a point to bring those into my leadership style. Then the actions of the executive team spread to the management and frontline staff. Individuals began to follow the example set by others. The good of the book began to spread like crazy and everyone wanted to be a part of it.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING BEYOND THE PRINCIPLES OF TGIM? 

The book talks about forming a ‘Hoopla Committee’ to keep the TGIM principles going strong. So our committee’s first take on this was creating the “Be Attitudes” – a set of reminders coaching employees how they should act or be towards teammates and members. Now every Monday morning throughout the credit union we discuss the be attitude of the month in the staff huddle. It’s just five minutes where each group of managers and staff talk about how they are going to promote that specific attitude for the week, personally and professionally.

HOW DO YOU KEEP MOMENTUM?

The executive team simply provided the permission for the staff. Now it’s  growing organically. I personally attend a lot of the department meetings and visit the branches at least once every couple of months. I hear how much people appreciate it. This is easy for me because I’m passionate about the people and this credit union. I can’t ask them to do things and not give them the tools, time and talent to do it.

I know you want to know more… and lucky for you, there IS more! Next week.. 

A Conversation About Culture

In the past couple of weeks, you’ve come to know Thad, a credit union CEO with swagger and the know-how spirit needed to build a strong and effective internal culture. You also learned the “why” – a book that sparked a movement throughout MCT Credit Union called “Thank God Its Monday.” But I wanted to know more… dig a little deeper. Pull up a chair and get that coffee started…

WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES OUT OF THE GATE? 

The first year went by like a flash. You want to make change, but not too many too fast. Once the team believed in me as a CEO, things could move faster. I made mistakes. And humbly realized it really didn’t matter what I thought. Some of the teams really weren’t as far along as I hoped in accepting me as CEO. The board took some time. And initially, I took for granted what I did have, which was an outstanding executive team.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOUR CEO STYLE WHEN IT COMES TO INTERACTING WITH YOUR TEAM?

I always communicate with my executive team, but more importantly I want them to always communicate with me. I depend on their collaboration and buy-in. If we get to the end of working through a particularly challenging problem, and I know there’s not agreement at the end of the day, then I know we have more work to do, and the matter is not a closed book. If you want to get on my bad side, just agree with everything I say. That’s not practicing the philosophy, that’s just kissing my (you fill in the blank).

HOW DOES THIS STYLE TRANSLATE TO THE INTERACTIONS WITH YOUR FRONTLINE STAFF? 

You can talk about open door policies where staff are encouraged to bring forth ideas, concerns, and suggestions to management – but often it’s just fluff. In the past we talked it, but the staff wasn’t used to putting it into practice. I addressed this quickly, and now, even if a team member needs to vent directly to me that’s okay. I’m glad. Issues, opportunities and new ideas are going to surface. There is nothing that happens in an organization that can’t be addressed. When you don’t act, you not only hurt the credit union, you hurt the employees. You address people directly and handle each issue appropriately.

More of my conversation with Thad next week...

Thank God I'ts Monday

Last week we introduced you to Thad Angelle, CEO of MCT credit union and told you why we think he’s a pretty cool guy – he doesn’t just TALK about culture, he lives it! What started it all? Well, don’t just sit there… read!

FROM FRESHMEN BOSS TO FRESH FLAME

Two years ago Thad found himself the newly appointed CEO of Port Neches, TX-based MCT Credit Union. After spending most of his career in the financial services industry he could have easily maintained the status quo, governed from the top down and simply pushed for his agenda and legacy. Instead, he created a collaborative culture of change that has been nothing short of transformative for this firecracker of a credit union.

It all started with a small gift. The retiring CEO presented Thad with a copy of “Thank God It’s Monday,” by Roxanne Emmerich, who turns TGIF on its head by helping leaders jump-start and nurture a workplace employees and customers love. “TGIM” was the spark that lit a fire in Thad and his team, which after two years burns brighter with each passing week.

THE FIRST TWO YEARS AS CEO AND TORCHBEARER

Thad credits this movement’s inception with granting people permission to think – to be leaders, to be creative, and to be accountable at all levels. But what keeps the flames going is Thad’s commitment to backing it up with action. He has created an environment of trust where staff is secure in making decisions and trying new initiatives. Thad is genuine, smiling (and perhaps a bit swaggering) proof of the power of internal culture. I visited with him to find out how he carries that torch so confidently.

Eavesdrop on our conversation next week…. 

Internal Culture On Fire - A Series

Edgar Schein, a professor at MIT Sloan School of Management states: “The only thing of real importance that leaders do is create and manage culture.” Credit Union leaders like Matt Monge of Fort Campbell Federal Credit Union  and Thad Angelle of MCT Federal Credit Union  seem to both agree with Professor Schein.

Matt feels so strongly about credit union internal culture, he created The Mojo Company, a consulting firm that deals solely with internal culture. In an article on Mark Arnold's blog, Matt states: "While it’s easy to throw out the words “culture change,” it is in fact much more difficult to actually do it."

Well, we found a credit union CEO that is putting his words into action and "actually doing it."

Thad Angelle is a CEO with great conviction about the impact of internal culture on his credit union…  which is why he is the highlight of the next several blogs you will see from us. You see, Thad is different. He is putting his money where his mouth is and we like that. Over the next couple of weeks, you’ll see us talking a lot about Thad. And you’ll see why – he’s a pretty cool guy with a lot of passion for his credit union. Passion he has put to action.

MEET THAD ANGELLE

He’s a leader who’s always had a big smile and a bit of swagger. But these days he’s more eager to boast his newly gained appreciation for listening first, talking later and giving credit to his team before all else. Thad didn’t attend MIT, but he’s certainly validating Professor Shein’s position. Better yet, he’s putting this philosophy into practice.

Learn why next week…. 

Pop Quiz

HOW CAN YOU MAKE SURE YOUR CREDIT UNION'S INTERNAL CULTURE IS HELPING OTHERS?

BE YOU.

People can usually tell whether you are putting on an act or being genuine. And nobody is better at being you than… well, you! Find what makes your credit union unique, cultivate it, and celebrate it. Help your employees understand this unique story and make it their own.

USE YOUR INSIDE VOICE.

Good internal communication is crucial to the success of your internal culture. It’s the difference between functioning like a herd of cats versus a school of fish. When your employees understand and believe in the culture, their customer service will make sure your members understand and believe too.

SHARE THE LOVE. 

Cultures that recognize the contributions of employees will be stronger, truer, and longer-lasting than cultures where behavior is forced by top-down decrees. If leaders and employees don’t have a strong sense of team, it can undermine your culture very quickly. Employees who feel the love are more likely to inspire similar feelings among your members.

WALK YOUR TALK. 

Remember that actions speak louder than words. Every interaction (no matter how small) is an opportunity to affirm your brand in the eyes of your employees and members. Your brand is a promise you make to your members; your culture is how your employee team lives, breathes, and delivers on that promise.

IT'S A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT.

Your culture is your credit union’s personality, not its wardrobe. A strong culture endures over time, responding to changes in environment with the steadiness of self-awareness. Evolution is a natural and healthy trait of organizational culture; chasing fads is not. Customers seek long-term relationships with brands they know they can trust throughout the test of time.

Culture Is Everything

“ The thing that I have learned at IBM is that culture is everything.”   - Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. former CEO IBM

Internal culture encompasses the personality of your credit union – what you collectively value, how you do things, your commonly held beliefs and expectations. It manifests itself everywhere: in how your employees treat one another, the care they take in performing their jobs, and the way they treat your members.

 An organization’s senior leadership is directly responsible for defining its culture and typically has a significant influence on the organization's culture- but remember that culture also reflects the collective mindset of employees. When your employees understand and embrace your organization’s culture, it translates into a better and more consistent member experience. Consistently good experiences build trust and loyalty, which in turn build business.

Cultivating Truly Loyal Members

“The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture.” 
(Edgar Schein, professor MIT Sloan School of Management) 

On average, only 22% of  credit union members are “truly loyal” to their credit union. “Truly Loyal” means they choose your credit union as their primary financial institution, recommend the credit union to others, and contact the credit union the next time they need a financial product or service. These members are proven to use more products and services than those who only meet one or two of the “truly loyal” criteria. And true loyalists are three times more likely to have actually recommended your credit union than members who don’t meet all three criteria.

SO, HOW DO YOU CULTIVATE TRULY LOYAL MEMBERS?

In this business, the price of admission includes a couple of key factors: competitive loan rates, minimal service charges or fees, broad range of services and high quality of service. While you may not be able to make significant changes to the first three, the last factor is within your immediate control. Service quality depends on the performance of your staff. The performance of your staff is directly impacted by the mindset and environment as a whole: your internal culture.

Come back next week  to learn more about how internal culture can help improve membership and employee retention...

The Good News... and The Bad News...

THE GOOD NEWS... 

The number of credit union members in the U.S. has increased byalmost 4.5 million over the past three years, thanks in part to the well-publicized bad behavior of banks.

THE SO-SO NEWS.... 

 Only 33% of all U.S. adults are credit union members.

THE BAD NEWS... 

About 8% of members leave their credit union each year.

According to a recent CUNA study, if fewer than 20% of your members have joined within the past four years, your growth may not be sufficient to outpace your attrition or to see any gains in product usage. To strengthen your credit union, you not only need to focus on attracting new members – it’s also crucial to find ways to improve retention and increase share of wallet among existing members. That means finding a way to increase the number of members who are loyal to your credit union. This is where internal culture comes in.

Stay tuned… 

Principle #7: Cooperation Among Cooperatives

The last of the 7 Cooperative Principles for Credit Unions is the principle of cooperation among cooperatives.
Not sure what exactly a cooperative is?  You’re not alone, and you might be surprised how many organizations you interact with are actually cooperatives.

A cooperative (or co-op for short) is a business that belongs to the people who have organized to provide themselves with the goods and services they need. For example, a farmers’ market is considered an agricultural cooperative: farmers organize a place where they can share the cost of making their produce available for public sale, and each participant benefits from the opportunity. In the case of a credit union, each member participates by putting money into the credit union so that they can also have the opportunity to take additional money out in loans or use other financial services.

Some cooperatives you might be familiar with include Dairy Farmers of America, Ace Hardware, and Ocean Spray.  Many electric power providers are also cooperatives.
As cooperative organizations, credit unions look for opportunities to partner with other cooperatives to better serve members.   Does your credit union partner with other credit unions (such as shared branching) or other cooperatives?  Spread the word!

Throughout this series, we’ve discussed each of the 7 Cooperative Principles for Credit Unions in order to help you identify opportunities to strengthen your credit union’s unique internal culture. Help your employees understand all seven principles and how your individual credit union supports them both internally and externally.  You may just find that suddenly your members are becoming more knowledgeable as well.

Principle #6: Concern for Community

The sixth of the 7 Cooperative Principles for Credit Unions is the principle of concern for community.
In addition to focusing on member needs, credit unions are committed to the sustainable development of their local communities.  This not only means providing a stable local financial resource, it also means undertaking non-financial initiatives to help the community.  Examples include holding fundraisers for a local charity, supporting literacy efforts in neighborhood schools, sponsoring teams to participate in races or other events that support various types of medical research or support, and pitching in to clean up the local community.

Many credit unions are already good at getting employees involved. Is concern for community already part of your internal culture? Then look for ways to get members involved too for a common sense of pride.

It seems like a lot of credit unions are hesitant to talk much to members or the public about their community involvement.  Credit unions by nature tend to be humble.  While humility is an excellent quality, so is sharing – particularly if you share what your credit union is doing in such a way that it inspires others to get involved too.  This presents a twofold benefit: increasing support for the charitable effort, and solidifying your credit union’s brand identity within your community. People tend to do more business with organizations they like, so encourage your employees to share all the likeable things your credit union is doing.