Insights Unlocked: How FNBO Leverages Its Content Marketing Strategy to Build Trust and Increase CSAT
Release Date: April 7, 2025
Introduction to the Episode
In the April 7, 2025 episode of Insights Unlocked, hosted by Cornelia Klimick and produced by Nathan Isaacs, the spotlight is on Regina DeMars, the Director of Content Marketing and Social Media Strategy at First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO). Regina delves into how FNBO, a venerable institution with a 167-year history, is navigating the digital transformation landscape to foster trust, engage younger audiences, and enhance customer satisfaction (CSAT).
FNBO's Digital Transformation
Regina begins by outlining FNBO's rich history and its evolution in the face of rapid digital advancements:
“FNBO has been around for a little while. We actually celebrated our 167th birthday this past December... Over the last 10 years, we've really had to look at how we approach digital overall.” (01:52)
She emphasizes the pivotal role of content marketing and social media in connecting with customers both online and offline. FNBO leverages traditional channels like print and TV while swiftly adapting to digital mediums to meet the evolving expectations of today’s banking customers.
Community-Centric Approach
Central to FNBO's strategy is a community-first mindset. Regina highlights the importance of being ingrained in the communities they serve:
“We are always looking for ways to surround our customers, both online and offline... Our content is more engaging, educational, and more of that entertainment and edutainment perspective.” (02:50)
This approach fosters deeper relationships by providing personalized educational content and ensuring FNBO is present where customers are, including platforms like TikTok to engage younger demographics.
Maintaining Personal Connections at Scale
Banking traditionally relies on face-to-face interactions to build trust. FNBO addresses the challenge of maintaining personal connections in a digital space by:
-
Featuring Employees: Showcasing staff from various roles to humanize the brand.
“We really feature our employees a lot. We know that people build relationships with people...” (06:42)
-
Content Diversity: Creating a wide range of content—blogs, videos, webinars, podcasts—to cater to different customer needs and preferences.
-
Personalization: Using customer data to tailor content, ensuring relevance and enhancing engagement.
Content Strategy and Customer Insights
FNBO’s content strategy is data-driven, relying on customer insights to guide topic selection and content creation:
“Customer feedback is definitely a critical component of our strategy... We're always pivoting and producing content based on... conversations on the social platform.” (09:57)
By analyzing social media interactions, surveys, and customer behaviors, FNBO identifies pain points and preferences, enabling them to produce timely and relevant content that resonates with their audience.
Enhancing Customer Satisfaction and NPS
Regina discusses how their content and social media efforts directly influence Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter Scores (NPS):
“When our customers feel that we are genuinely invested in their financial well-being, they become more loyal and that can help overall with the NPS scores.” (15:27)
Positive social media feedback, such as customers stating, “Wow, you really get me,” or “I’m so proud to bank at FNBO,” serves as testament to the effectiveness of their strategies in building trust and loyalty.
Proactive Engagement and Campaigns
A standout initiative discussed is the Be Kind Campaign, which successfully bridged offline and online engagement:
“We created an offline, branded experience with the mural in a really popular area... People love sharing photos of themselves with the mural.” (19:51)
This campaign not only promoted community involvement but also encouraged social media sharing, enhancing brand visibility and fostering a positive association with FNBO among younger audiences.
Adapting to Audience Demographics
Understanding the distinct preferences of Millennials and Gen Z is crucial for FNBO:
-
Digital Expectations: These demographics prefer digital interactions and expect prompt responses.
“They expect to hear from you quickly. If they comment on a post, they expect a reaction quickly.” (19:51)
-
Platform-Specific Content: FNBO tailors content to fit the unique culture and trends of each social media platform, ensuring relevance and engagement.
Future Trends in Customer Experience in Banking
Regina anticipates that customer expectations will continue to shape the future of banking experiences:
“Customers are expecting more personalized, seamless, and digital-first experiences... consistent experience across all channels.” (25:12)
FNBO aims to meet these expectations by maintaining a unified brand experience, ensuring that interactions—whether in-person or digital—are cohesive and satisfactory.
Strategies for Consistent Brand Experience
Maintaining consistency across various channels is a cornerstone of FNBO’s strategy:
-
Adherence to Brand Guidelines: Strictly following brand voice, personality, and visual elements to ensure uniformity.
“We follow our brand guidelines and make sure that we are consistent as possible across all of our channels.” (26:50)
-
Platform Customization: Tailoring content to suit the specific trends and audience behaviors of each platform, ensuring both relevance and engagement.
-
Authenticity: Balancing brand consistency with the flexibility to adapt messaging for different audiences without losing authenticity.
Conclusion and Key Takeaways
The conversation with Regina DeMars offers valuable insights into how a longstanding financial institution like FNBO successfully navigates the complexities of modern digital marketing. Key takeaways include:
- Authenticity and Community Focus: Building genuine relationships through personalized and community-centric content.
- Data-Driven Content Strategy: Leveraging customer insights to create relevant and timely content.
- Consistency Across Channels: Maintaining a unified brand experience while adapting to platform-specific trends.
- Proactive Engagement: Actively listening to and addressing customer needs to enhance satisfaction and loyalty.
Learn More
To explore FNBO’s strategies further, follow their social channels on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok, or connect with Regina DeMars directly on LinkedIn. For more insights and updates, visit usertesting.com/podcast.
This summary encapsulates the enriching discussion from the "Insights Unlocked" podcast episode, providing a comprehensive overview for listeners and non-listeners alike.