BECU is everybody's favorite credit union...well mine at least. I've been a member since I was twelve and they've helped me with several key financial decisions such as opening my first line of credit and purchasing my first car. The credit union "offers services designed to improve the economic and social well being of all members, and return financial value to them as part of their participation in the member-owned financial cooperative." It layman's terms it's all about people helping people. It's the reason why I love doing business with them.
Enough with the praise, now it's time to assess how well BECU is using their website and social media platforms in order to fulfill their commitment to its members. First a disclaimer, as a member I visit their website on a daily basis and have become well accustomed to their website...but not their social media platforms. As a result, I've seen their website go through several redesigns and their current iteration is by far the most user friendly. At first glance it may seem busy or cluttered, but the site navigation is quite simple. The top navigation bar is designated for member resources while the hero images highlight special offers and events. Along with the member login, the widgets at the bottom give a quick glance at key deposit and loan rates. All-in-all, the site is pretty straight forward and intuitive. The first recommendation I have is for their bottom widgets to give an option for a side-by-side comparison with other key rivals (BofA, Chase, Wellsfargo, etc.). The other recommendation would be to allow members to customize their homepage to suite their needs. Few banks or credit unions offer this, but it is a growing trend for news and media sites such as CNN, Cnet, and YouTube. It'd differentiate themselves in a positive way all while making members happy by enabling them to rearrange the site in ways that make it more efficient to process their most common transactions.
Facebook & Twitter
You're probably wondering why I'm lumping these together, but my reason is quite simple...they execute the same strategy for both - to post daily on credit union news, contests, financial educational opportunities and more. Sure, BECU's Facebook page has more flare (imagery), but the way they communicate with members is the same for both platforms.
Here's an example:
Here's an example:
The exact wording may be different, but their message is the same. While a consistent message is important, BECU is missing the mark in utilizing the key differences and advantages between Facebook and Twitter. Facebook pages enable a company to establish a presence within a network in which people happen to spend the most time on the internet. It enables a company to host live discussions and polls in order to engage the audience while finding ways to improve upon their existing business services. Meanwhile, Twitter is a great tool for quick customer service response and sharing urgent information to followers.
In order for BECU to be more effective in it's social media strategy, it must utilize the services that make Facebook and Twitter unique and intuitive. I'll delve into more detail in later posts.
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