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GTE Financial Credit Union is having fun with videos on social media
When you tune into GTE Financial Credit Union’s OpenMic on YouTube, you’ll find employees chatting about credit basics and the home-buying process, sharing tips on completing a scholarship application—and nailing a mannequin challenge and the Harlem Shake.
This combination of financial education and employees having a good time is intended to “put a face to a name” of credit union staff engaging members and prospective members via their favorite social media channels, says Brian Best, president/CEO of the $1.9 billion Tampa, Fla., GTE Financial credit union.
Online videos developed by GTE Financial CU’s internal marketing team are also posted to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
“Overall, our social media strategy is to communicate with our members instantly and efficiently, while creating positive brand recognition,” Best says. “Our social media channels, especially Facebook and YouTube, are used so frequently, and by such a wide demographic, it would be unfortunate to overlook such a valuable channel.”
Videos range from just a few seconds, to remind members they can earn triple rewards by using their credit card at a gas pump, for example, to longer segments offering tips on how to prepare winning applications for the credit union’s $2,500 scholarships or how to take advantage of GTE Financial’s new credit card line and mobile app.
“More than anything, it never hurts to make them laugh. Social media is a place to have fun with our members,” Best says. “Our members really give back to us what we put in. We get a lot of reaction and engagement from our more humorous and creative posts. Our social media team has learned that if there is a message to communicate, you will always get a better response with a creative image, video or headline. Getting a message across is all about how we choose to package the information, which is why OpenMic has been so popular with our members.”
Karen Bankston is a long-time contributor to Credit Union Management and writes about credit unions, membership growth, marketing, operations and technology. She is the proprietor of Precision Prose, Middleton, Wis.
