The effect of social media on credit union revenue is a difficult figure to track, and the one that C-suites want to know the most. Marketing typically hasn't been a huge investment for credit unions, but with traditional media, no one asked, "How many loans did this print/radio/TV ad bring in?" Following the advent of digital marketing, and social media in particular, all marketers hear is Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Tom Cruise screaming, "Show me the money!" as in the movie "Jerry Maguire."

Stepping back and looking at overall trends, however, credit unions can catch a glimpse of the success of their overall programs. The $240 million AERO Federal Credit Union is a prime example of success using content marketing to drive dramatic loan growth, Meredith Olmstead, founder of Social Stairway and a strategic partner of Today's Credit Unions, explained. After implementing a digital content marketing and social media plan, AERO grew its home equity loans by 93% year-over-year and auto loans grew 40%. While not all that growth is rooted in the content marketing plan, educated assumptions about all the moving parts tell you it was certainly a significant piece of it.

Social media, content marketing and digital marketing provide key pieces to carrying members along the sales-marketing funnel. First, there's the brand recognition that comes from newsletters and social media posts that drive traffic to your credit union's site. They arrive at your educational content – either written in-house, outsourced to a company like Today's Credit Unions, or some combination of the two – that aligns with the company's goals, whether growing auto loans or HELOCs. Content that's helpful to the consumer helps the credit union earn trusted-advisor status. And adjacent to that content is the digital advertisement that links to the credit union's promotional effort. Performed in an integrated manner, these methods can provide credit unions with valuable leads that your credit union should be prepared to convert.