Is Anyone Actually Reading Our Credit Union Blog?

Do you spend hours creating blog content, only to release it out into the world and hear … crickets? At PixelSpoke, we find that many of our client blogs get disappointingly little traffic, especially considering the time and effort they require.

Your blog can be a powerful tool. It can help your credit union position itself as a true advocate for financial wellness and your community’s collective prosperity. Plus, your consistent presence in the financial wellness blogosphere can help you rank higher in search results and drive more external websites to link to yours—increasing the chance that prospective members find your website.

But your blog can only do that heavy lifting if people are actually reading it. And unfortunately, we find that many credit union blogs are—excuse our bluntness—kinda boring. Many consist of generic financial advice that anyone can find with a simple Google search. They don’t help to reinforce or differentiate your brand in any definitive way.

Interested in a blog makeover for 2025? Here are five (and a half) tips that can help.

Tip #1: Say something meaningful about a timely subject

It’s smart to give your spin on current topics. These are the things that people are already talking about—why not join the conversation? But join the conversation in a way that’s fresh and shows you’ve got a perspective your reader won’t find on every other blog.

Tempted to do a write-up about budget-friendly Mother’s Day gifts? It could be timely, yes, and listicles are popular. But they’re also nothing new. With this topic and format, you’ll likely find yourself faced with loads of competition.

But what if you explored the financial ramifications of motherhood like Ellevest, an investment platform for women, did with this article: It’s Called Momwashing. Here’s a glimpse:

We love moms. Except we just don’t seem to love moms in the workforce as much as we love them when they’re “momming.” Perhaps we should call this phenomenon “momwashing”: claims and depictions of motherhood that have us believe that all moms are fully valued in society when, in reality, they’re simply not.

This brings a provocative new spin to the Mother’s Day conversation and gives readers something to think and talk about. I don’t know about you, but I want to keep reading.

Tip #2: Make it personal

Every credit union is looking for ways to help members improve their finances. Instead of another generic, ho-hum article about savings tips, can you offer financial education through a more creative lens? What about bringing a first-person perspective to the conversation? Enlist your most creative team members (and best writers) from across departments to share their thoughts and experiences about money.

After all, financial wellness cannot always be distilled down into one-size-fits-all formulas.

Everyone has a unique, emotional relationship to money that we would be well-served to both acknowledge and talk more about.

Here’s a great example from EastRise Credit Union: Ten Songs that Have Informed My Thoughts about Money. It’s a fun read that will likely have people humming and thinking of songs to add to the list while painlessly imparting a few lessons on smart spending and saving. Here’s a sneak peek that discusses Pink Floyd’s song, Money:

This satiric take on capitalism starts with the literal sounds of money—a cash register dings, coins jingle, a receipt tears. My takeaway is that money is paradoxical. We want everyone to have the money to make ends meet … as long as it doesn’t come out of our share. They say money is the root of all evil, and yet … not very many people are giving it away. Money is complicated, tied up in emotion, psychology, social norms, current events, and many other tangled webs.

Content like this both humanizes your credit union and offers potentially new perspectives on the range of relationships your members might have with their money.

Tip #3: Showcase community members

Here’s a surefire way to deliver content your readers literally can’t find anywhere else: feature your employees, members or local community groups (say, a nonprofit your credit union supports). Everyone loves a good “real life” story, and you’ll be able to use something other than stock graphics. Content like this helps to engender a sense of connection and belonging—and might even get employees, members, and nonprofits asking if they can be part of a future story.

Here are three credit unions that are putting their own spin on community stories.

With their Employee Spotlights and Business Spotlights, OnPoint Community Credit Union offers a shoutout to staff and local businesses that are making a difference for members and the local community. Members always appreciate “behind-the-scenes” peeks at businesses they support, including your credit union!

BluPeak’s Dreammakers in Action series showcases members facing major life challenges, from COVID-19 to bankruptcy, and how they worked to overcome them. PenAir takes it one step further with their financial fitness competition. Through regular video updates from competitors, it features authentic and intimate glimpses into fellow members’ financial journeys. The updates have a reality show vibe that likely keep members coming back for more.

Perhaps more importantly, they also help members understand that they are not alone in their financial journeys. Though many financial obstacles can be overcome, the path is rarely straightforward, and we all struggle with challenges and setbacks. Content like this can help members both feel seen and inspire them to prioritize their financial wellness.

Tip #4: Repurpose social media content

Think you have to come up with a new topic and content every time you need a blog post? You don’t!

If your credit union has a podcast, you’ve got everything you need for a great post. Feature every episode on your blog and include a transcript, key takeaways, and an audio link.

If you’re using TikTok or posting videos on YouTube, you’re already halfway to your next blog post. Embed the video, or a series of videos, and add relevant content to support the key points. Is there other “bonus” content you can include, like helpful links or additional insights from the people featured in the video?

Like your blog, social media can be a heavy lift these days, and the more you can repurpose and cross-post the better. It’s not cheating! It’s simply meeting your members where they’re at. Some will only engage with you on social and some will prefer to navigate to posts on your website or from an email.

When my coworker Kerala Taylor jumped down a TikTok credit union rabbithole last year for our CUInsight article, Hey credit union marketers, it’s time to talk TikTok, she found that credit unions gave themselves permission to be playful on TikTok in a way we typically don’t see in other credit union communications. Bringing this playful spirit to your blog may be just the thing it needs to start attracting more eyes and ears.

Tip #5: Look beyond the marketing department for ideas

Your blog can be a group effort. If you find people who truly enjoy contributing, rather than see compiling posts as just a task to check off their to-do list, their passion will be apparent to your readers.

Reach out across departments to solicit ideas and perspectives. Is there a staff member who serves as your credit union’s unofficial historian? They may have great stories to share that capture your community-first ethos. How about an employee who has a varied job history or volunteers to help incarcerated people get back on their feet financially? How do their experiences make your credit union more member- and community-friendly?

Do you have employees who have used your financial services to get to a better place themselves? That personal experience is invaluable and can make a world of difference for a struggling member.

Remember, these days content creation skills are not unique to marketing departments. Many of your employees are likely posting and creating content on their own time, and some might be darn good at it! Find the brilliant writers or standout video personalities, and ask if they might be interested in a regular contribution.

If employees don’t have the bandwidth or skills to compile their own post, consider interviewing them—in writing or via video—instead.

Tip # 5 ½: Go for quality over quantity

Sure, it’s great if you can deliver a weekly blog. But if you’re reaching your frequency goals by compromising on quality, you could do your credit union more harm than good. That said, we’d recommend aiming for at least one to two high-quality blogs a month to maintain momentum when it comes to engaging your members, attracting prospects, and ranking in search results.

No credit union blog will hit a home run with every post. But with a commitment to quality and connection, you’ll set yourself apart from all the other financial voices out there and give members and prospects a reason to keep you top of mind.

This article was originally published on CUInsight.