What makes a house approachable? Potential visitors to your house don’t always want to reach the front door if things look sketchy. They need a sign first. At night, your porchlight is that sign. And your organization must turn on its proverbial porchlight. You need small signs welcoming consumers to experience your bank and credit union service experience and see what you’re all about.
Have the Best Front Porch
The most appealing houses are often the ones with the best front porch decor. They project an image inviting passersby to ring the doorbell. What is your public image?
Welcoming new consumers starts with your external branding, marketing and public relations.
An active social media page showcasing your community service broadcasts an image (and presumably a reality) of dynamism and compassion. Well-designed and well-written marketing shows people you are professional and reliable. A beautiful and easy-to-use website encourages people to stay engaged. Even your branch signage or building structure invites or disinvites visitors.
According to Forbes, 94% of first impressions are related to design. For websites, users form impressions within 50 milliseconds and 38% promptly leave if unimpressed.
Don’t let your image drag you down. Polish it to a mirror shine.
Behavior Reflects Personality
But “image” isn’t enough to make a truly good impression. Your behavior must reflect the personality you project in your marketing and branding. Otherwise, you look hypocritical. Here are a few examples:
- “We care about everything that matters to you, even the small stuff!” -> Forgetting to clean your bathrooms or parking lots doesn’t reflect attention to small details.
- “We provide personal, neighborhood service!” -> Using a frustrating robot call tree won’t evoke personal, local service.
- “We give you timely financial guidance!” -> Untrained or confused staff won’t give great financial recommendations.
Match your brand behaviors to your brand image. Make your brand internal and external, cultural and collateral. Work hard to close brand gaps and provide an experience that’s consistent across the consumer journey.
When to Shut Off Your Light
Your porchlight isn’t on all the time. Certainly not during the day. Definitely not when you’re deterring visitors. Whatever the reason, you shut your light off.
Your organization doesn’t need it’s light on at all times, either. What does that mean? It means you don’t have to welcome everyone. Have a constant flow of marketing and brand-aligned behaviors…addressed to the right people.
A while back, we asked a planning client who they targeted with their marketing. Their answer? “Yes!” They were targeting everyone and not seeing great results with such a scattershot approach.
Determine three-to-five core groups you serve. This isn’t strictly demographic or socioeconomic. It might be psychographic or life-stage related too. Choosing target audiences grants you greater focus, and people in those niches respond to messages aimed at them.
So, don’t be afraid to shut off your porchlight. It’s ok not to welcome every niche out there.
Keep your porchlight on for the right niches…with some assistance. On The Mark Strategies helps organizations with journey mapping and bank and credit union service experience training so you can operationalize your brand and make the right impressions. Book a free consultation today!
