You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, but do you know how to market your financial brand this holiday season? The growing trend toward digital mediums has only accelerated during 2020 and social platforms are the top location for brands to engage with their customers. This influx has made it difficult for financial institutions to stand out – but there are a few proven strategies to connect with your target audience. As the holidays draw closer, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Holiday marketing has a lot of potential to drive sales. With a high sense of urgency around the holidays, customers spend more than usual. This means that customers will also use your services more. Financial brands should use this as an opportunity to highlight their community involvement, showcase special offers, and tailor your brand to incorporate seasonal expressions. Ignoring these holiday opportunities could result in missing out on valuable content and insightful customer interaction.
Holiday Financial Tips
From setting up holiday budgets to making large purchases, customers are checking their bank accounts and transaction histories more frequently this time of year. This gives bank marketers an opportunity to continuously catch the consumers eye with promotions and hold their attention. Use your mobile financial app to share some of the products and services you offer. From small business loans to financial education tools, remind customers why you are the best financial institution for meeting their needs. Offer advice on how to make smarter, safer spending decisions. Send a security-focused email about how to avoid holiday scams and provide shopping tips. Post-holidays, there is more buzz around financial wellness and budgeting. Tailor your marketing efforts towards savings starting in January.
Pro Tip
Review your analytics and engage your customers on the platforms they view most often. Concentrate your efforts on a few specific channels for maximum effectiveness.
Build Community
The holidays allow you to communicate the human side of your brand. Show the behind the scenes of your team. Share candid photos of your employees celebrating the holidays or tell their story online. People are less likely to be in “business” mode during this time of the year. As people spend more time with family, use this as an opportunity to better relate to your customers. Positive emotions are already associated with the holidays and emotions drive action. Use your authentic “brand voice” to share your message and grab consumer emotion and continue to build up trust with them.
Pro Tip
Create your brand voice through authentic stories and candid moments from employees or your financial institution. For more information on how to build community online, view our recent blog.
Integrate with Your Brand
Integrating your brand into the holidays doesn’t have to be extravagant. Simply update your header and profile picture to reflect the time of year or use phrases and jingles in your copywriting. Add a pop of color to your logo that reflects the season. There is a visual appeal to decorating and celebrating. Finally, the holidays are about giving back. Ask your customers for what resources would be helpful for them or how you could help support your community.
Pro Tip
Financial brands can showcase what they are doing in their communities through random acts of kindness, sponsorships, or other charitable events to solidify their brand identity.
Conclusion
As a financial brand, there is a lot of potential this holiday season. ‘Tis the season for sharing, giving, and fun – aim for this with your marketing efforts as well. Through financial tips, community building efforts and integration of the season with your brand, your financial institution can have an edge up on competitors and remind consumers why they should continue to use your services. For more information on how you can boost your financial marketing, be sure to download our Marketing and Compliance Report.
