By Jennifer Simmons, Vice President, ADVANTAGE
Marketing reports often showcase big numbers – likes, clicks, impressions, and page views – but for community credit unions, these “vanity metrics” rarely translate into meaningful growth.
What matters most isn’t how many people see your ad – it’s how many become loyal members who not only bring long-term deposits and use your services, but also depend on your credit union as their primary financial institution (PFI).
When acquisition campaigns prioritize surface-level engagement, the result is often gaining new accounts that open but quickly close – or accounts that never become active at all. This drains marketing budgets without building lasting value.
Even worse, vanity metrics can disguise underperforming campaigns. A campaign may generate thousands of clicks, but if very few of those individuals fund an account or establish a relationship, the return on investment falls flat, and resources are wasted.
The solution is simple but powerful: shift your focus from volume to value. Growth doesn’t come from chasing impressions – it comes from acquiring sticky PFI households who will use their accounts, grow deposits, and engage across multiple services.
Executives know that not all new accounts are created equal. Accounts opened through promotions but closed within a few months add costs, not value.
What drives meaningful growth is identifying households that will not only stay but also see the institution as their primary financial partner. These are the relationships that lead to deeper product adoption, stronger balances, and long-term loyalty.
Instead of asking “How many people saw it?” the more critical question becomes: “How many profitable, engaged account relationships did we acquire?”
The most effective acquisition strategies are built around this very principle. By utilizing data-driven targeting and proven media strategies, your credit union can pinpoint and attract members who are most likely to open new accounts, thereby supporting your deposit growth goals and engaging them across multiple services.
This smarter approach goes beyond generic digital ads or broad demographic filters. By layering behavioral insights, market intelligence, and campaign optimization, credit unions can attract households that will:
By aligning campaigns with these outcomes, community credit unions lower acquisition costs while achieving stronger lifetime value from each new member.
More importantly, this shift moves beyond marketing – it establishes a sustainable growth strategy. When acquisition efforts deliver long-term account relationships, leadership teams gain financial stability and position their organizations for growth in a competitive marketplace.
A thousand clicks might look good in a report, but 100 new funded PFI accounts will do far more to strengthen growth, margins, and community relevance.
When acquisition strategies focus on quality over quantity, leaders gain three important advantages:
By optimizing for funded accounts rather than impressions, institutions stop wasting money on vanity metrics and start investing in sustainable, measurable growth.
What’s your potential?
It’s a competitive environment. Community credit unions can’t afford to chase numbers that don’t move the bottom line. Digital-only banks and megabanks already have scale and brand recognition. The opportunity for community institutions lies in building deeper, more profitable relationships.
Getting there requires prioritizing strategies that make your credit union the first choice – where your members turn first for deposits, lending, and everyday transactions.
Real growth comes from becoming the primary financial institution across more households – not racking up empty clicks.
Ready to see how a PFI-focused acquisition strategy can improve your results? Connect with ADVANTAGE to request your complimentary market assessment to uncover growth opportunities in your market.