Independent Banker - September 2024 - 55

" PARTICULARLY IN SMALLER COMMUNITIES, WE SAY
TO OUR MANAGERS OF OUR BRANCHES, 'YOU'VE
GOT YOUR OWN BUSINESS HERE THAT WE'RE
ALLOWING YOU TO GROW. DO THE THINGS THAT
YOU NEED TO DO TO GROW THE BUSINESS FOR US.' "
-JOHN " JV " EVANS III, D.L. EVANS BANK
Haynie suggests that successful
marketing in a new community should be
sure to tell stories. Customers-especially
those who can attest to a bank's
top-notch service-can be powerful
marketing advocates.
And the most ancient form of
marketing-customers talking to their
friends-is also essential to a bank
expanding to new territory, says Evans of
D.L. Evans Bank.
" We do some marketing-radio,
billboards, digital marketing-in those
[new market] areas, " he explains, " but
it's mostly word of mouth. "
ICBA's Haynie stresses that the
community involvement banks
undertake when they enter a new
community should not be superficial.
The involvement should demonstrate a
deep commitment to the community.
" So, it's not like they put up a tent once
a year and cook hot dogs or something, "
Haynie says. " No, they're involved in
the various aspects of that community
with the local schools, the government,
whatever it is, being an active part in
that community. That's a big expectation
that they have for their staff. "
Unity Bank's Hughes, who serves
on the board of a local hospice, agrees
with Haynie. He says that when local
managers become active on the boards
of nonprofits, they create relationships
with other community stakeholders and
learn their perspectives on local issues,
all of which helps establish the bank in
the community.
And of course, sometimes those
relationships translate to business for
Unity Bank. " It's good business to help
the community, " says Hughes, " and we
get a lot of business from other board
members that our employees meet
serving on these boards. "
W
Harness the power of marketing
Naturally, marketing plays a large
role in building a bank's reputation in
a new area. For example, when Lake
Ridge Bank was formed in 2022 with
Unity Bank
staff meets
with local
leaders to
establish their
presence
in new
communities.
the merger of State Bank of Cross Plains
and Monona Bank, the new entity had
to be introduced to the communities
served by its 18 branches. Using press
releases, LinkedIn promotions and other
channels, bank leadership reassured
customers that the " new " bank would
continue to serve them well.
" We basically said, 'We are going to
still be your community bank,' " Loken
says. " We told the story about how
Lake Ridge signified two community
banks and what we stood for in the past,
coming together to form one community
bank and that staying local, staying
independent, was still the essence of
our success. "
Relationships over transactions
According to Haynie, when a community
bank expands to a new area, it is more
likely to succeed if it can bring along
the basic community banking values
that presumably led to its growth in the
first place.
" The strength of the community
banking model is the fact that it is
relationship-based and not necessarily
transactional, " Haynie says. " So, the
ability to do that as they grow is key.
These banks, as they grow from under a
billion to over a billion dollars and up,
strive to try to maintain that feel. "
Ed Avis is a writer in Illinois.
independentbanker.org // 55
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - September 2024

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