Sep. 9, 2008 at 5:13pm

Banking with Google

Posted by Jamie Chase in Choose the Right Target Audience, Strategic Communications, Talking to Members
Comments (1)

Sensational theory alert: A single press release acts like an advertisement in the phone book in the age of Google. Why? Consumers aren’t using the Yellow Pages like they used to. They are Google-ing.

Consumers use Google to find:

• phone numbers
• addresses
• basic business information
• and, yes, a new bank or credit union

The chances of the consumer finding your credit union online to consider joining depends on the words they use to search and the words included in your press release, credit union website and other content online. For example, if the word “bank” isn’t on your website anywhere and the consumer searches using the word “bank.” He/she is not likely to realize that your credit union exists, if this is his/her primary means of researching to choose their new place to bank.

Reminder: Google is the consumers’ choice for research. Couple this with the knowledge that even the majority of credit union members call their credit union a bank reveals a missed opportunity. Ouch!

Strategies for press releases and online content that drive new members to your credit union:

1. Don’t confuse consumers. Avoid jargon. Industry reporters understand credit union lingo that consumers do not.
   1. ex. “SEG” or “select employee group” are foreign terminology to the average consumer.
2. Help consumers find your info by using THEIR words – not ours. Yes, your organization is a credit union but your members call it “banking”. Google and search engine spiders scan words and generate listings based on the words consumers use in their search. It’s nice that your information appears when you do a search with your credit union name, but a new resident to your area is more likely to search Google using “your city name” and “bank” to find phone numbers and addresses.
   1. Do this search now and see where your credit union is in the list: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=bank+and+spokane Ex.
   2. Include the word “banking” or “bank” in your press release as a verb when appropriate. Use the word “checking” instead of “share draft”.
3. Create an implied call to action to drive consumers to your website. Include a live link to your web URL in the press release. If using a distribution service, ensure the link is active by using basic html.

Comments (1)

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Alena

http://www.sunscreenstips.com

1 | Left by Alena | Dec. 11, 2008 at 6:55am