Ready to make a splash at your CU? 💦

Hi there, credit union friends!

It’s almost Memorial Day, which traditionally marks the unofficial start to summer. As a mom, I am both excited and terrified by this season. On one hand, I’m ready for extra quality time and fun in the sun with my three-and-a-half-year-old. (According to her, the “and-a-half” is quite an important distinction! 😉) But at the same time, I can identify with my fellow manatee here:

Specifically, the rush is on to sign up for summer enrichment activities! (Gymnastics classes, princess camps, and swim lessons are currently on our radar.) And I know I’m not alone on my quest for the perfect mix of engaging and educational pursuits. As parents and guardians across the country are searching for ways to entertain their kids, now is the time to kick your youth programming into high gear. So read on to discover some strategies to connect with your youngest members this season.

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Set the Summer Scene: As I’m sure you’re aware, the summer months usually result in increased traffic, as children often tag along (willingly or unwillingly 🤣) with their parents or guardians during breaks from school. So welcome your young members into your branches this season with a themed kids corner!

Check out this amazing job done by the team at Indiana’s Chiphone Federal Credit Union:

Once you’ve caught your young members’ attention, invite them to participate in some financial fun! Here are a few ideas:

Distribute themed activity sheets or coloring pages. 🖍️
Invite children to curl up with curated picture books. 📖
Install tablets preloaded with money-smart apps and games. 📱

Little convincing is needed for kids to interact with these materials, which can serve as engaging and relevant distractions while accompanying adults conduct business. And truthfully, you’ll likely find the hard part to be getting your youngest members to put down these resources when their parents or guardians are ready to leave!

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Color Your Members Happy: Since the seasonal scene has been set, let’s now take a deep dive into one of the recommendations mentioned above. On a recent CUbroadcast episode, our Chief Mammal, John Lanza, and SECNY Federal Credit Union’s Chief Experience Officer, Courtney Fulmer, joined host Mike Lawson to discuss the institution’s annual summer coloring contest.

SECNY’s young members pick up or download a themed activity sheet to decorate and submit in person or online. Check out these recent works of art:

The credit union then shares these masterpieces to their Facebook page, which has become the contest’s official polling “place.” All members are invited to vote by liking the picture of their favorite entry. The winners then receive ice cream gift cards, for, as Fulmer admits, “Like any good parent, we bribe with ice cream!” 🍦

What’s more, SECNY also creates an inviting institutional atmosphere by wallpapering each branch with the year’s submissions. This act encourages families to plan a visit to admire their children’s work and helps introduce the budding artists to the credit union. So by leveraging seasonal increases in traffic, SECNY is creating a community.

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A Digital Oasis: Since many of your young members and their families will also be on the go this season (Hello, vacay! 😎), allowing them opportunities to interact with your money-smart resources at any time and place is critical. Rhode Island-based Westerly Community Credit Union does just that by filling its Instagram page with financial tips and tricks aimed at children, teens, and parents. Let’s take a look at some of the clever content it shares!

Tip Tuesday posts build trust in the Westerly team by providing pointers for tweens, teens, and young adults. The copy also includes calls to action to explore the credit union’s educational materials, thereby encouraging future branch and website visits.

Fun Fact Friday posts trigger money-smart discussions thanks to eye-catching statements and stats. These conversations can then continue either on Westerly’s website or in the credit union’s branches.

Themed Event posts generate even more website traffic for Westerly by referring members to specific digital content. This particular post even highlights the credit union’s commitment to youth financial wellness!

Clearly, Westerly’s social strategy helps it share advice, resources, and services with its young members in an age-appropriate fashion. Leveraging Instagram allows users to access content when and where they need it, and themed posts provide a fun approach to the seemingly boring subject of financial education.

Well, I hope these strategies serve as inspiration for converting summer’s parental predicaments into opportunities to engage valuable lifecycle segments. If you have other ideas for reaching kids and families at your institution this season, then please share! I’m sure your fellow credit union colleagues will be much obliged. And this frazzled mom certainly will! 😜

As always, here’s to putting our best fin lit flippers forward!

Erin Prim

Marketing Manatee