Local Bank Marketing: Unique Ideas To Get Clients
Most bank managers agree that finding new customers is the best thing. It can be hard to find clients who aren’t applying for accounts.
Some banks have a local brand or location and bring in new clients simply by clicking the “Submit Application” button. To market your bank, especially if you compete with MegaCorp.
I’ve worked with large FHLB banks in the country, as well as local businesses on SEO.
Create a page for your city
Searching for banks in your area can be difficult and confusing.
Despite it being obvious, financial companies that I have worked with do not place much emphasis on neighborhoods or cities. But it can be worthwhile.
If you want to rank for the “bank [city/neighborhood]” search, there should be multiple pages for each branch. This page should contain information about the area around each branch.
If you have only one branch, you can rank for “bank nearby me” or “bank in my area” searches.
Create Niche Offering Pages
You should not try to list everything. Many potential customers have specific needs and requirements. Instead, make pages that detail each feature.
Google Suggest is a great tool to help you find ideas. Enter “[city] bank with” in the search box, and hit space to get suggestions.
You can do this with any combination or alphabet of modifiers.
Pages that match the search query are created to be found by people searching.
This step can be taken to the next level by using tools like SEMrush’s Keyword Explorer. It allows you to bulk-produce phrases matching search terms such as this one for “Atlanta apartments”.
This idea may seem complicated, but it is possible. You just need to modify the details of your service.
The truth is that many potential customers are already searching for banks offering these services.
I enjoyed listening to a podcast last week about finding banks that provide house rehab refinancing loans. The podcast host gave a thorough tutorial on how CoreLogic works and how to sign up. It’s much easier to find these customers by researching than by actually being able to do it.
I was able to get a Health Savings Account from my financial institution and an explanation page about how to set it up.
Make Local Data Pages
Create resource guides to help people find and move to your city.
Google Autosuggest will help you to understand the financial terms people are searching for in your local area.
People are already researching the topic. With their $$$ advertising dollars, big financial sites could influence them.
Review and Create Local Citations
You must have a Google My Business Account to be aware of Google Maps.
Make your brand stand out by taking it to the next level.
First, you need to create your Google My Business profile. You will need to add photos, posts, and complete listing details.
Second, ensure you verify every local business listing site. All listings must match your Business Name (NAP) and address. Google uses these “local citations” to verify and confirm business.
SEMrush’s local listing management tool can be used for quick audits.
Develop a strategy to get local reviews. A Google My Business page that has multiple, unique, and frequent reviews are the best way for you to improve your visibility (aka leasing applications) on Google Maps.
Ideas from big local businesses/competitors
I don’t like brainstorming. It’s more efficient to use ideas that have been tested and proven effective.
No matter your size, you can always look to larger businesses and competitors for inspiration.
List local businesses that you believe are creative in bank marketing. You could also include other companies, as well as Megacorp banks that are making a big local push.
I use to spy on these competitors. Type in the URL of a competitor to get an example.
This is an example from the local automotive industry.
It may seem like a lot. But you can drill down to sort each link.
Drop into a national banking institution and get local attention.
You should not copy their ideas. Take the best parts of your competitors’ work and make it your own.
Participate in local blogs
Regardless of how small a city is, some local publishers and bloggers drive traffic to it.
A popular Curbed blog is located in Atlanta. AJC Real Estate and the Atlanta Business Chronicle are also available. You can also find real estate blogs and smaller newspapers in my area.
These blogs are well worth your time and you’ll soon become a regular contributor.
You can also use the Content Explorer tool from SEMrush, Ahrefs, or BuzzSumo to see what news is driving social media sharing.
These links and more attention will benefit all ideas on the list. Social media users find URLs via hyperlinks.
More links to your neighbor pages, offer pages, and service pages will improve your site’s performance
Create Facebook ads that are hyperlocal
Local businesses have a distinct advantage over national brands that try to do business locally. They live in the area and are familiar with the area.
Find out more about the areas where retirees are moving into. Get to know the local business networks.
Facebook permits hyper-local advertising. While it can be tedious to set up, it can prove very efficient.
Learn how to target customers based on geography and demographics to reach many people
You can run small targeted campaigns to target multiple locations at once.
Use hyperlocal Google Search Ads
Google Search Ads are famously effective and costly. Someone who searches for “bank near [neighborhood]”, is the best customer.
But, clicking on the search button will cost you a lot.
Google Quality Score will give you an advantage.
Google will reduce your cost per search when you search for “local banks in Atlanta” as compared with Chase and Bank of America. Because your landing page matches the query better than Chase and Bank of America, this is why it’s so popular.
It is not as simple to set up as Facebook. But, you can get Google Search traffic to your site if you create a hyperlocal campaign.
Display Ads from Google Hyper-Local
The Google Display Network allows local advertisers to make a positive impact.
Google offers text and banner ads in the most popular spots on the Internet.
Google will show relevant ads with low prices over unrelated ads with high bidding, but again.
These are the Top-Rated Review Sites
There are a lot of financial review websites. This will bring you traffic. It’s expensive and requires extensive research.
It’s important to identify top review sites in your local area and then list them.
Find out which websites are showing up for your brand and get to work
Google Trends, customer interviews, and SEMrush all offer options. To find the most popular people in your area, you can also check out Google Search Results.
Register on NextDoor & Local Forums
NextDoor can be found on a variety of social media websites and forums. This is a unique opportunity for local bank managers.
These networks can be very useful for financial companies. To advertise locally-owned businesses, you can sign up for an early adopter program.
Advertise in local subreddits
Reddit, a popular website, appeals to many industries. Bank managers may find subreddits in their local area particularly interesting.
They also serve as hubs for discussion and recommendations.
These are the best places to get started planning your move and asking local questions
They’re non-commercial and have many rules. You should get to know them before commenting on or posting about a commercial entity.
You can also visit their sidebar wiki for further research.
Contact moderators to learn more about their rules for business posting. Consider running giveaways and ads there.
*Personal aside. This is how my bank found me. Many Atlanta subreddit members praised Delta Community Credit Union.
Create a local financial Pinterest Board
People searching for financial advice in their local area will find Pinterest an excellent resource. A Pinterest board can help you reach potential customers.
Use local photos, websites, and other information to get ideas. You can promote local artists, entrepreneurs, businesses, and events through your customer experience.
Identify Government Resources
Think about how you can attract attention with your financial and local status.
These profiles might not bring in much traffic, but they will increase your visibility and rank in search engines and other marketing channels.
Find and Market Local Employers
All your customers work somewhere. All potential clients want to be near their jobs.
Locate all major employers and potential customers within your locality. Create resource pages for them if they are large.
Get discounts, bonuses, and more Talk to these employers about ways to work together.
Identify & Market Local Schools & Amenities
Do the same thing as with local businesses and with local employers.
Pages can be used as information hubs to provide local amenities and schools with useful information.
Identify & Market Popular Customer Sources
Take into account past and present customers. Learn about their origins and how they found you.
Learn how to build upon that success.
Promote Local NonProfits
Non-profits have a strong offline network but a weaker online network If you are serious about your online marketing, you can cross-promote them.
Promote Local Business
Clients frequently visit local businesses.
It’s a smart idea to link your site to their website. This will make it easier for you to succeed in your online ventures.
Use events to grab social media attention
Banks are well-known for their marketing strategies, which include holiday shows, financial classes, and openings.
You can get more exposure by listing your event on multiple social media platforms
You can sponsor local events and make sure you are included in all social media promotion
Social media hacking – Use videos that are either industry-focused or local.
The majority of social media users prefer video over text. Watch an interesting video from a local perspective.
The file can be posted directly to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Search for ways to embed the file on your website.
You can use digital referral fees for Word of Mouth
Referral fees are also a major influence on Bank marketing.
To send codes manually, you can use the bit.ly link (i.e. You can use software services or your account numbers to send out codes manually. Referral codes digital are a great way for limited words to be converted to unlimited digital words.
Locate and Sponsor Local Charities
There are a few marketing benefits to sponsoring local charities.
You may be able first to get a backlink to your site. This will help your other efforts.
It is possible to tap into well-connected companies with a lot of word-of-mouth potential.
To solicit reviews for your Google My Business campaign, you can also tap into your neighborhood’s goodwill.
Next steps
Bank managers have many marketing options. You can do just a few.
Find the one that best suits your needs and budget, and give it a try. Learn from your first experience to improve.
