In this world of automation and self-service, convenience seems to reign supreme but at the cost of connection and personalized attention. That's why local banking is still a critical part of communities. Sometimes, customers need a friendly face and knowledgeable advice to help and guide them, so positioning your marketing to reach clients and position your bank as top of mind with them is vital.
Why is this so important? According to Forbes, companies that focus on connection with their customers have up to an 85% growth in sales over their competition. Using local bank marketing to increase your presence helps you forge closer relationships with your community and achieve significant growth.
In this post, we’ll dive into the importance of local bank marketing in creating a deeper connection with your customers and how it establishes your enterprise as a critical part of the community.
Local Bank Marketing Forges Community Connection
Though much of modern banking has moved online, it's still crucial to forge local connections with customers and make sure they feel welcome when they do need to come in – and marketing is a key method for doing so. Even though banking customers can do many things themselves through ATMs or online, there is still a huge need for that personal touch, such as face-to-face interactions and person-to-person conversations. Every financial question cannot be answered via the internet, an app, or a terminal. It's up to you to let them know that your location is near, with friendly professionals waiting to assist them with all their financial and banking needs.
People often visit banks in person due to a desire for local community connection. Others may be overwhelmed by significant life changes and need support, such as applying for a home mortgage or opening a child's bank account. First-time homebuyers often don't know anything about escrow, interest rates, fixed vs. adjustable-rate mortgages, or what is required to qualify. New parents may not know what options they have for their child's savings accounts. Local bank marketing is how you tell them about your services and how it can help them.
Local Bank Marketing Tips
While many marketing options exist, some are more helpful for brand awareness and local market penetration. Banks can conduct local marketing through the following:
- Complete your local profiles – Complete your Google Business profile and optimize your webpage with local addresses and keywords. Make sure your profile is up to date with your physical address, website URL, clear pictures of your business, and descriptive keywords that describe your services, such as "checking accounts," "savings accounts," or "mortgage loans."
- Conduct customer research – Create local customer personas based on demographic data and segment your audience accordingly. Is your bank or branch near a major body of water? One of your local personas is likely passionate about boating.
- Make retargeting ads – Market to existing customers or people who visited your site before, maybe with extra emphasis on showing connection and loyalty. For instance, if visitors to your site check mortgage rates, a retargeting ad could explain more about how you help your customers throughout the process, your quick approval times, or other advantages you offer your home loan customers.
- Create helpful content – Use content or email marketing (that can be location-specific) to share personal finance and banking advice. If your bank is in a community of young families, you could consider posting blogs or emails about balancing work and parenthood, advising young children and families on finding the right daycare, or community activities. You could then remind your customers that you have advisors to help establish college savings accounts.
- Sponsor local entities and events – Sponsor local newspapers, community newsletters, and sporting or theater events to establish a community presence. Your bank logo on programs, flyers, banners, and web pages shows you have a vested interest in giving back to your local community.
- Make distinct landing pages for each service – Tailor web landing pages to showcase the different services for each demographic. Ensure every page your customers land on has the same look, feel, and tone of voice for consistency and brand recognition. Tailor the content to the point of view of your intended audience for the most impact.
Establish Your Bank Presence with McClatchy
Local bank marketing is crucial for establishing your bank as a steadfast and trustworthy presence in the community. McClatchy is an established and respected media company that has a national presence with granular, local reach. When you partner with us, you benefit from distinct audience access and local content sponsorships with the advantage of leading-edge digital strategies to help you achieve a new level of success.
Contact our team when you’re ready to learn more about reaching your target audience easily and effectively.
