The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

How does anyone expect to be heard, when everyone is talking?

Why does everyone seem to be talking all of the time? And how does anyone expect to be heard, when everyone is talking?

Thanks to the web and social media, everyone who wants to share their thoughts with the world can do so, using a constantly changing array of platforms. The lines between creators, media, and advertisers blur and blend. Everyone is constantly creating and borrowing, treating content as currency, with sheer volume passing for strategy.

Credit Union marketers seem to be caught up in the turbulence, valiantly pumping out new images, new promos and new tweets in order to fill what they see as the public’s insatiable need for MORE.

So what’s a credit union marketer to do? Maybe it’s time to listen to some Old School advice:

“You’ve got two eyes, two ears, and one mouth.
You should use them in that order.”

People want to be seen as real, live humans, not just account numbers, and they want to be valued and heard. So look, and listen, before you speak. Because you can learn four times as much than you’ll ever have to say.

“Don’t talk. Do. Then talk about what you did.”

They say talk is cheap, and actions speak louder than words, so get going. Launch that food drive for hurricane relief. Start a downtown vegetable garden. Offer a little financial education with your Mom & Me self-defense classes. Use your results as a way to build your brand in the community and find an audience that can’t wait to be a part of your credit union.

“Wise men talk because they have something to say.
Fools talk because they have to say something.”

In order to be heard, you have to say something people want to hear. That takes planning ahead instead of simply trying to fill space. Take the time to create a strategy that builds on your brand. Find and target a receptive audience, don’t waste their time with low-quality content, and use the media they use.

Bottom Line:
If your messages have no value to your audience, then they add no value to your marketing. Turn off your content faucet and start over with strategy. Look and listen before you speak. Do something worth talking about.

And absolutely no more cute puppies or kittens on your Facebook page unless you are holding an event at the local Humane Society.

 

 

Kent Dicken
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