Independent Banker - April 2020 - 54

should volunteer at events and visit prospective customers
where they congregate. Dropping in at the local coff ee shop
and becoming part of the fabric of your community can
spread awareness.
Community involvement is an integral part of the
customer acquisition strategy at $115 million-asset New
Market Bank in Elko New Market, Minn. Its 35 employees
take turns participating in parades and expos in the three
communities where it operates branches. For example,
" What works for one
customer may be different
for another. You should
have a defined program of
touchpoints in place. "
-David Acevedo, 360 View
they dress in bright blue shirts-the bank's signature
color-and throw candy to the crowd during the Fire
Rescue Days and Lakefront Days parades. The community
bank sponsors or sets up tables at local events and even
gives away discount tokens at a nearby farmers market.
" It's hard to quantify the results, but I just think you're
raising that brand awareness, and the community sees your
name over and over, " says Karen Ramola, New Market
Bank's assistant vice president and branch manager.
The community bank is also boosting its social media
presence by regularly posting useful articles, such as
those about credit or mortgages, on LinkedIn. And every
month, employees pick a charity, make a donation and
post about it on Facebook for the bank's Giving Back to the
Community campaign.
" We try to hit home that we've been in the community a
really long time-over 100 years; we're fourth generation, "
Ramola says, " and our mission is to make banking as easy
as a handshake. "
For $522 million-asset Franklin Savings Bank in
Franklin, N.H., a combination of in-person and online
eff orts bring customers in. The community bank uses
Putting together switch kits
Older customers, who have often been with their
bank for many years, usually need more handholding
during a switch, while millennial customers are not as
intimidated by the process. Community bankers say
customers are more aware of what's involved because
of access to information online. That said, there are
things your community bank can do to make switch kits
more eff icient.
Put yourselves in your customers' shoes. Daniel
Rivera, marketing coordinator at The Bank of New
Glarus in New Glarus, Wis., went online to see what
a potential customer would find about the process
and prepared a switch kit that would anticipate any
questions new customers might have. The kit can be
downloaded or printed out at a local branch.
The kit at New Market Bank in Elko New Market, Minn.,
has a direct deposit and withdrawal form to record
54 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q April 2020
money that comes in or out from the current account,
a direct deposit change request form to notify any
companies that send direct deposits, an automatic
payment authorization form for direct withdrawals and
an account closing letter form to notify your old bank.
Franklin Savings Bank in Franklin, N.H., recently
updated its switch kits, according to Dawn Beers,
the community bank's vice president and marketing
off icer. Staff uses the kits to collect information from
new customers on direct deposits, ACH transactions
and more to set up their new account up accordingly.
Staff will fill out the forms upon request and even go to
a business customer's location to complete them. Its
kit includes a close account request to be sent to the
customer's old financial institution, as well as direct
deposit and automatic payment authorization forms for
the customer's service providers.
Independent Banker - April 2020

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