Use targeted marketing to present the right offer to the right customers at the right time

Strong relationships are a significant strategic advantage as competition for customers and share of wallet increases. Fortunately for customer-focused financial institutions, those relationships can grow even stronger with data.

Thoughtful analyses of customers and market data reveal where and how financial institutions can successfully pursue growth. Financial institutions can use data to dial in their marketing efforts, creating action-oriented, targeted campaigns that present the right offers to the right customer at the right time.

Data helps pinpoint which products and consumer groups have the greatest growth potential. Once ideal targets are set, it's time to build an actionable campaign.

Build Actionable Campaigns

Actionable campaigns inspire customers to do something. They connect with audiences when they are relevant, timely and helpful. If successful, a campaign’s intended audience feels compelled to take a next step and has all the necessary information to follow through.

Building a campaign isn’t purely a creative or persuasive writing exercise. Instead, data should drive the process, keep campaigns on target and help achieve the relevance consumers crave.  

Consumers do have specific communications preferences and high expectations, especially from organizations with which they do business. Nearly 75 percent of consumers said they expect specialized treatment for being a good customer, according to a 2018 report on digital banking from Accenture.

Every day, customers tell you what’s important to them; it’s how they spend their money. Using technology, banks and credit unions can take advantage of that information to create personalized offers and deepen relationships. Customers and members expect – and trust – their information will be put to good use.

Using technology, take advantage of information to create personalized offers and deepen those desired relationships. 

Layer Up

Most marketers start campaign planning with demographics. The presence of children in a household or an age range might signal a potential product opportunity. But demographics alone don't provide enough information to issue an actionable campaign.

For example, a demographic profile may include a customer or member's single marital status. Transactional data, such as jewelry, bakery and bridal store purchases, might indicate that status is about to change. Individually, they're just transactions. Combined, they tell a story.

Predictive analytics tools can be applied to data, such as ACH transactions, to mine predictable behavior. Armed with extensive information, financial institutions can target customers and prospects with the most relevant products at the most appropriate times.

The trick is to look for patterns, not single payments. Layering customer and transaction data can reveal personalized needs. Banks and credit unions can use that data to fine-tune target audiences and enable more relevant offers and messages.

One-to-One

As data is added, prospect profiles get richer and more meaningful. Driven by data, campaigns shift from massive blasts to targeted, seemingly one-to-one messages. Each interaction can strengthen the individual relationship and potentially grow wallet share.

One-to-one marketing doesn't mean creating an individual mail piece for every single person but interjecting personal information and relevant elements can make it feel customized. For example, use images that reflect a lifestyle, such as having a pet, young children or a sports car. Leverage the information you have to create connections and inspire action.

Maintain the Connection

Actionable campaigns integrate across every channel, including the physical branch. Communicate inside the organization so tellers and staff can follow up on recent campaigns, reinforce messaging and present a strong, united organization. A connected organization builds confidence.

Maintain trust by respecting customer’s communications preferences and demonstrating that you understand their core concerns and motivations. Needs and preferences evolve; keep up with customers and meet them where and how they want.

Next Steps

Build actionable campaigns by using information and technology to present the right products to the right people at the right time with the right messages. As you add data points, the right elements become easier to find.

Start somewhere. Leverage whatever data you have access to. Then evolve.