A Direct Line Blog

By Michelle Skinner, MCU Communications Director

I attended a webinar a few weeks ago, and I haven’t stopped thinking about the keynote speaker’s words. I’ve been pondering what he said, rolling it around in my brain like a rock tumbler, and making a mental pros/cons list about the merits. I’ve remembered what he said several weeks ago, even though I can remember little else beyond the last 24 hours, other than ’90s hip hop lyrics and almost every word to the movie Prefontaine. Are you ready to know what triggered my brain and has occupied multiple daydreams? It was “everyone is in marketing.”

When an all-play term like “everyone” is thrown into marketing conversations, of course, my hackles are going to rise. “Everyone?” Are we sure they mean everyone? What about ‘so and so’ or ‘what’s his name’?” “But what about brand standards?”

After clutching my pearls and gasping over the “buts,” I realized I don’t even wear pearls and calmed down enough to consider the merits of a similar philosophy. While I still haven’t decided if everyone really should be in marketing, I do know that board members should add marketing to their resumes. Luckily, I have three easy ways for board members to become best friends with your favorite marketer with very little effort and even less experience.

1. Ask how you can help. Every organization is different, but in my opinion, there’s no problem that a good brainstorming session can’t solve. If you’re ready to become a bigger advocate, i.e., marketer, ask how you can help. Spend five minutes thinking about what you’re already doing that could be repurposed and shared. What are you comfortable doing? What would you be willing to try? What can you commit to seeing through? And please, for the love of Pete (whoever that is), confirm how you can maintain brand integrity.

2. Share your story. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me “we are terrible at telling our stories,” I could retire with my sheep in the English countryside, for at least a few weeks. Turns out, very few people care what I have to say, and that’s totally cool with me – I like talking about other people. Also, I’m just a faceless entity behind an organization. However, an employee who has worked at the same place for 40 years and shares defining moments of their career? Swoon. Board members who tell their authentic stories of why they serve and what they love about their credit union? Double swoon! This is brand personification in action! What’s your story? Whatever it is, it’s impactful, important, and deserves to be shared. People want to know about the faces behind the organization.

3. Get social. The easiest way you can become a marketer is by amplifying efforts on social media. I see you out there liking and commenting in social media land, but are you sharing your own credit union’s posts? Do you feel a little called out with that question? Good; that was the plan. Depending on your personal branding, try to react to and share what your organization is up to on social. By sharing a post and adding a sentence of your own, you amplify your credit union’s storytelling efforts and start establishing yourself as an authority on social media. Especially on LinkedIn, that’s kind of a big deal. And the best part is that it takes less than a minute.

In conclusion, the idea that “everyone is in marketing” may initially seem overwhelming, but it holds significant potential for showcasing and celebrating your credit union on a larger scale. So, let’s all take a collective step forward and explore how each of us can play a part in marketing, sharing the credit union difference, and celebrating the industry we love.