Not Just a Number: Community Content to Elevate Your Financial Brand to New Customers

Many of the financial institutions we work with have deep roots in the regions they serve, but few make that community connection explicit. Often, prospects are tired of being “just a number” to one of the big, nationwide banks.

They want to develop a relationship with a financial institution that has a human face. Content about your bank’s commitment to the communities you serve can start to forge that relationship and differentiate you from your larger competitors. Here are three easy ways to elevate your brand:

1. Weave Community Commitment Throughout Your Story

Content and messaging about your connection to your region and community doesn’t have to be relegated to a few low-traffic pages in a community section that users aren’t as likely to navigate to. Instead, making it a point to share your local or regional commitment in the copy on your Home and About Us pages is an effective, compelling way to convince prospects that serving the community is a key part of your brand identity.

2. Community Case Studies

Showcasing your community development, financial education, and charitable programs are great ways to show your commitment to the local community. But, simply listing the organizations you donate to or the programs you develop only gets you so far. A short case study gives you the space to demonstrate your impact. Be sure to include:

• The problem—what you’re helping to solve, and why it’s important to the community.
• The solution—how the program you produced or the charitable initiative you’re sponsoring addresses the problem.
• The results—the tangible ways you’ve benefited the community.

Case studies make it simple for external PR or communications people to publicize your efforts, because they can easily link back to the full story. Case studies are also easy to share on social media. Ask the beneficiaries of your programs and donations to share case studies on Facebook or Twitter, or link back to them from their own websites. All of those back-links can drive additional traffic and improve your SEO rankings.

3. Show, Don’t Tell

When you’re talking about your programs, show concrete examples of how they’ve impacted community members and local businesses.

• Images of your volunteer events and money management classes for students can bring those programs to life.
• Quotes from participants or beneficiaries lend credibility and demonstrate that you’ve forged relationships in the community.
• Statistics on your programs’ impact clearly show the results of your initiatives.