The "We Tried That" Problem

Real quotes:

"We tried Google Ads and they didn't work."

"We did SEO for a couple months and nothing happened."

"Direct mail was way too expensive for what we got out of it."

If you've heard, or said, any of these – this episode is for you!

We break down the real reasons bank marketing tactics fail, from our experience seeing these things play out at banks across the country. Spoiler: it's almost never the channel itself. Google Ads, SEO, and even direct mail DO work – but not if you only focus on the ad itself.

In this episode:

• · Why banks often blame the channel
• · The "underdosing" trap – what happens when you run a digital ad with too little budget
• · How the platforms themselves are incentivized to get you to spend, not to strategize
• · How to match tactics to your audience instead of just copying what bigger banks do
• · A framework for evaluating the root cause of success or failure of a campaign

Resources mentioned:

· The Bank Marketing Show Website: bankmarketingshow.com

· The Bank Marketing Minute Newsletter: bankmarketingminute.com

· Get in touch: contact@bankmarketingshow.com

Every community bank has checking accounts and loans. So the age-old question is, how do you stand out? First Financial Bank figured it out: they went deep in one niche, and then kept going, building many specialty lending divisions and driving massive growth.

In this episode, Amber Murphy, VP and Marketing Director at First Financial Bank, shares how FFB's niching strategy transformed their marketing from generic to powerful, and why your bank doesn't need to be huge to do the same thing - something we espouse on this show all the time!

In this episode, we cover:
- How specializing actually expands your marketing opportunities (not limits them)
- Why FFB runs 3-4 ads simultaneously for different audiences
- Using blog and newsletter content to become the trusted advisor in their niches
- Where community bank marketing trends need to go in the next 12-18 months

Resources mentioned:
- Book: Getting Things Done by David Allen
- Contact Amber Murphy: amurphy@ffb1.com
- First Financial Bank: www.ffb1.com
- The Bank Marketing Show: www.bankmarketingshow.com
- The Bank Marketing Minute (Newsletter): www.bankmarketingminute.com
- Contact: contact@bankmarketingshow.com

Chris and Dan sit down with Candie Simmons, founder of CL Simmons Consulting, to talk about the people problems that slow banks down: communication breakdowns, the gap between being a great producer and being a great manager, and why marketing and compliance don't have to be at each other's throats.

Candie spent 16 years in banking (including leading marketing for a top 50 institution), now runs her own consultancy, and sits on the board of a community bank in Mississippi. She's seen these issues from every angle.

What we cover:

- The number one problem banks call her about (hint: communication!) and how it shows up everywhere - between departments, between generations, between leadership and staff.

- How to tell the story of community banks' best built-in advantage: being small enough that employees see their impact, and customers can talk still to actual decision-makers.

- How banks can use tools like Gallup StrengthsFinder to align people's responsibilities with what they're actually good at (instead of just assigning tasks to whoever's available), for better employee satisfaction, a stronger culture, and better outcomes for customers.

Resources Mentioned:

- Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment (~$30, available at gallup.com)

- Books: The Kind Act; A Few Kind Words by Tracey WIllis Gates

Connect with Candie:

clsimmonsconsulting.com: Reach out for a free consultation.