From the rise of Threads to the rapid advancement and adoption of generative AI, it’s certainly been a year to remember for bank marketers. So, what can we expect to see in the next 12 months? Here are our bank marketing predictions for the year ahead.
Adoption of AI Tools
AI is here to stay and, as it advances, financial brands are continuing to adopt it to save time and streamline processes (albeit with caution). Marketing teams are harnessing the power of generative AI to make the content creation process faster and easier. Even so, there are definitely times when it doesn’t make sense to use AI. In the year ahead, we’re likely to see more and more adoption, and certainly some missteps. Brands must be discerning, ensuring compliance and security and compliance. They also must remain focused on customer experience. “As AI advances, brands will have to toe the line between tools that make us more efficient and content that is human and relatable,” says Social Assurance’s Ben Pankonin.
“AI tools can be incredibly beneficial, but they have to be combined with a human touch, and they have to stay rooted in elements of human connection that people find interesting, relatable, and engaging. Otherwise, our audiences tune out.”
A Focus on Sourcing Content
With so much AI content and AI imagery making the rounds on social media, there will be more emphasis than ever on real, human moments. That means memories, photos, videos, and posts about real moments featuring real people. Tools that make it possible to source photos, videos, and information from lenders at annual charity outings, leadership teams at community events, and staff facilitating financial literacy initiatives are quickly changing the way we think about social media content especially. Indeed, the role of social media and content teams is transitioning from content creation to content curation. For brands, this makes sourcing content from real people and real moments happening across the organization more important than ever.
Better Processes for Social Media
Social media remains one of the most effective ways to reach new and existing customers across demographics and geographies–and that doesn’t look like it will be changing in the year ahead. In fact, social is cemented into the marketing mix, making organization, efficiency, and accountability around sourcing, creating, editing, publishing, and managing social posts especially critical. With an emphasis on curating content, bank marketers will need to tap their teams at every level–client-facing staff at branch locations, commercial and residential lending teams, treasury management and business services teams, and more. To be successful, content teams need tools that make it easy to source content and manage it (compliantly), and ways to plan, coordinate, and manage the scheduling and publishing of that content so it is pieced together strategically to tell a broader brand story. For bank marketers, the added need for audit trails and transparency around approvals, reviews, and escalations means tools have to be built for the unique needs of the financial services industry.
Emphasis on Customer Reviews
Search algorithms are increasingly emphasizing the importance of consumer feedback and commentary, prioritizing content from social media platforms and online forums where individuals discuss the quality of a product or service. This includes customer reviews, which live on an organization’s online listings (the Google Business panel that appears when you search for a business on Google). These reviews and the content individuals include in the reviews they submit through online listings play a crucial role in how visible your financial brand is when people search for it online. In the year ahead, we’ll see even more emphasis on customer reviews as bank marketers look for ways to compliantly initiate them and harness their collective power to ensure a positive online reputation.
More Storytelling
With generative AI tools making it easier than ever to produce content at scale, engaging and relevant storytelling is more important than ever. Current and future customers don’t necessarily speak the language of financial services. They may not be readily familiar with terms like HELOC, refi, or compounding interest. Even entrepreneurs and business owners may not have terms like liquidity and treasury management on the tips of their tongues. But, consumers know what it means for a bank to provide them with access to much-needed funds using the equity in their home at a competitive rate, and business owners know what it means to be able to offload operational tasks to a trusted provider so they can focus on growing their business.
To reach new and existing customers in 2025, community banks, credit unions, and financial brands must speak their language, telling real stories about the real humans that power their organizations and benefit from personalized service. As the industry becomes more and more consolidated, community-focused financial brands have this distinct competitive advantage. That is, they are better equipped to identify and meet the unique needs of the people in their communities–and their sales and marketing materials must be jam-packed with real, human, examples of exactly that. In this way, content marketing across channels (from social media posts to digital campaigns and from public relations initiatives to optimized website content) will take root in 2025–and financial brands are uniquely positioned to leverage it.
Make an Impact
Ready to dive into what’s trending in bank marketing? Social Assurance can help. Our teams are uniquely equipped with a combination of technology, expertise, and content services to build and implement sales and marketing programs that move the needle. Contact us at info@socialassurance or use the form below to learn more.
