What is marketing? Ask a hundred people, and you will probably get a hundred different answers. A common thought is “Just send it to the Marketing Department, and they will ‘make it pretty’.” But marketing is so much more than adding colors and fonts to a page filled with information.
Marketers aren’t just trying to make something LOOK better, but actually trying to figure out WHY it is better. They test software, try the product, and ask others what they think. Finding out how to promote something to the right audience is the most crucial step. In order to do this one must have the ability to read business analytics. You have to recognize the trends and understand what is working and what is not. Next, you need to create a beautiful design and concept that will help sell the product or service. The key word in that sentence is SELL. It is our goal as marketers to increase revenue and capture market share. At United Solutions, we rely on market data and industry knowledge to create successful marketing campaigns.
Digital marketing is more prevalent than ever and a prime example of where industry knowledge plays a big role. Digital marketing was growing prior to the pandemic, but now it seems it is the only way to market. Selecting a digital channel that fits best with a credit union can be a complicated task. Credit Unions need to understand the return on investment (ROI) for every dollar spent. They also need to know where the correct target audience may be and how to get their attention. A prime example is trying to reach the Generation Z members. Credit Unions try to guess which social media app is popular with the younger generation and advertise there. However, depending upon the marketing content and your ability to guess what’s popular at the moment, you may be just throwing your money away. Good marketers consider where their target audience goes to research information and targets specific campaigns to different age demographics and digital channels.
Business Analytics are another great resource for Marketing Departments. The ability to analyze and understand BI data and use this information to target specific members with specific products and services is a game changer. United Solutions uses our business intelligence platform in conjunction with our marketing tools to find new opportunities for credit unions. We examine the products and/or services that are used frequently and are selling to make decisions. We identify a credit unions market trends through BI data to increase sales. The data helps provide the information a marketer would need to steer the credit union to a great marketing campaign that will provide tangible and measurable results.
United Solutions Company wants to help our clients grow. That is why our core offering includes BI reports, unlimited marketing consultation, and quarterly marketing campaigns designed to help our credit unions. It’s very important to our Marketing Department to assist our credit unions in a consultative way at all times. We want to be able to guide our credit union’s management team by providing them with strong information and a clear, concise marketing campaign. It is fun putting together a sophisticated campaign, seeing the positive results, and, of course, we have a blast doing it!
…and yes, our desks are sprinkled in glitter with lots of color. But don’t let our Arts and Crafts corner fool you!