LAS VEGAS – Social media fundamentally changes the relationship between credit unions and their members, according to Jay Baer.
Baer, a social media consultant and author of two books on the medium, said communication today no longer flows “master to servant,” it is peer to peer. “Every member is a marketer and every member is a reporter,” he told attendees of the California and Nevada CU Leagues’ Annual Meeting and Convention Wednesday. “Having a Facebook page is not transforming a business. Some companies treat it as a tiny press release machine, but social media success is about culture, not technology. Credit unions must empower their employees to respond. A company cannot call a committee meeting every time there is a tweet or a Facebook post about it.”
According to Baer, four magic words would make a CU better at social media than 80% of the organizations in America – “Thank you” and “I’m sorry.” Sweet Leaf, a tea maker, does well with its “give lollipops” program, he explained. “If someone says something nice about the company on a blog, the company sends coupons within four hours. If someone posts that they don’t like a certain flavor, Sweet Leaf apologizes and sends a coupon for a different flavor.”
Look for more coverage of the CCUL/NCUL Convention in the print edition of Credit Union Journal.
