Twenty to Follow on Twitter: Credit Union Mavens

As a Web Designer for Callahan & Associates, Matt specializes in the relationships between good design and successful email & print marketing campaigns. He is a resource for design techniques as well as marketing methods and prides himself on being a bridge between those two camps. His focus on email campaigns eventually led him to explore the opportunities inherent in online social networks. He now is a frequent contributor to our company’s Twitter accounts. Matt’s professional experience in design and marketing is over seven years.

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Matt Hand ,Web Designer, Callahan & Associates
9/2/2009
Read Count:2855
Avg. from 21 Rating(s) - Comments (10)

Tags: Delivery Channels , Web 2.0

Update #1: The Power of Social Networking

Update #2: A Better Way to List the Twitter Twenty

There is a divisive topic bouncing around the pages of newspapers and blogs, stretching the attention span of their readers; a burning question that pits friend versus friend, children versus their parents.  Everybody is facing off in public and choosing sides.  Family members want to know, are you for or are you against it? 

No, we are not talking about the passionate debate surrounding Health Care Reform.  We are talking about the apparent scandal known as Twitter.  A scandal so scathing that on August 25 USA Today ran a half page story under the headline "Twitter haters see no point in tweeting."  Twitter irks some people so terribly, they become hypercritical of a service they do not even use. 

After reading such off-putting remarks as Twitter is "look-at-me technology" or "stalkerish" there is only one way a self-confessed Twitter-holic can respond.  Who do you follow?  That simple question solves everything for me. 

Twitter is not one single entity, it's a vast collection of voices.  If you find no value in a particular user's tweets, then choose to not follow them.  On Twitter, you are solely responsible for your own sources of information and entertainment.  If you are not enjoying the experience, rest the blame squarely upon your shoulders and please do not project it on the greater Twitter community.  Trust me, the Twitter community-at-large is not following anybody who is "mundane" or spouting "pointless babble."  They are following people who are funny, clever, insightful and have the inside-scoop. 

So, who are some credit union people worth following?

In the spirit of sharing, we offer a list of twenty Twitter users that we follow with our account, CreditUnionsCom.  These users frequently bring a smile to our face and sometimes a bonafide LOL.  They often impress us with the stories they are able to dig up on topics relevant to credit unions.  Each of them puts forward a unique take on current events.  Some are cheerleaders, others are critics, but they all are worth tuning-in.  Even though we numbered our Twitter Twenty list, they are truly unranked and all of equal significance. 

If you would like to suggest that we follow a Twitter user that is credit union relevant and not on this list, please leave a comment below with their Twitter username.  Don’t hold out on us if you know somebody else worth following!  We’re always looking to expand our credit union community network.  Enjoy our first Twitter Twenty! 

UPDATE #1 (09/10/09):

The response to this article from the credit union community on Twitter was stronger than I imagined.

As an example of the power of social networking, the article attracted around 500 page views, 10 ratings and 6 comments in less than 8 hours after it was first mentioned on Twitter. This large response made it one of the most popular articles on our website for the week. These results make clear to me that the phenomenom of the credit union movement using Twitter has matured and entered a new phase that demands attention.

Not only does the credit union social network on Twitter now command large amounts of web traffic, they also provide opinions and reaction to credit union relevant news. Since their commentary is built upon a wide array of voices each with their own opinions, it is a leading indicator for the overall credit union industry. If the credit union community on Twitter likes it, chances are the overall industry will like it, too.

As an example of how social media affects traditional credit union marketing, this very article ended up being published in a recent newsletter from the Credit Union Association of New York (CUANY). This development speaks to the power of social networking since our Twitter Twenty article is still waiting to be featured on our website's front page. So, Twitter and social networking are solely responsible for all of this attention.

In an attempt to improve this article further, I included comments on why each of our Twitter Twenty was selected in the list below the multimedia display. The comments are all copies of congratulatory tweets sent out via creditunionscom.

UPDATE #2 (09/23/09):

After collecting feedback from the many readers of this Twitter Twenty article, I realized I needed to clarify my intent. The main obstacle many readers encountered was that I numbered the list of twenty twitter accounts I recommended to follow. This created some confusion in that many readers thought it was a top twenty list of credit union mavens to follow. This was never my intention.

With the list, I attempted to highlight a wide sample of the credit union community on twitter. A mix of early pioneers to the platform, industry experts, credit union advocates, core organizations, vendors and innovative maketeers. I wanted to share some of the most popular twitter accounts as well as gain exposure for those who offer a valuable contribution but do not have a large list of followers.

There is a growing world of credit union focused twitter users and that is what I am trying to illustrate. I could write a Twitter Twenty article everday next month and not highlight the same account twice. The credit union movement has adopted twitter and everybody in the industry should take note.

With this feedback in mind, I reorganized the list of twenty to follow. Instead of ranking them by number, I put a gold star next to their tweets. The gold star is inspired by the way your save your favorite tweets on twitter, by clicking a star symbol in the top right corner of a tweet. I hope this will be a method of listing the Twitter Twenty that is more in line with my intentions. If you have any other ideas, please share in the comments section.

The last important topic to cover are the dangers of catching the twitter bug and becoming twitter-pated. Symptoms include a glazed look in the eyes, slack jaw from over-stimulation, and mild dizziness with visions of birds dancing around your head. In short, you will look like me below. No, twitter does not cause baldness, that came naturally! Thanks for reading!

	Sample Tweet:	My Feedback:
	PSCU_Amy: Good Morning Everyone! Hey Mega Millions is up to $250 Million - if you win come on over to PSCU and we'll help you manage it ;-)	creditunionscom: @PSCU_Amy Thank you! We like how clever you are with your tweets and wanted to highlight that. So glad you enjoy the article!
	CardAnalysis: Been communicating with Suze Orman the past several weeks....watch for a show on CREDIT UNION Credit Cards end of September! WOO HOO!	creditunionscom: @CardAnalysis You're welcome! You're our best example of twitter networking w/ big media players. Keep those feet moving!
	CU_Ninja: When auto loans dry up elsewhere, CUs come to the rescue. http://tinyurl.com/lz6wos	creditunionscom: @CU_Ninja We're happy to feature you in our Twitter 20! You are a tireless credit union advocate with true passion & grit.
	aplusfcu: Thinking about continuing your education- check out NYT's special section on going back: http://ow.ly/laNH	creditunionscom: @aplusfcu I'm glad you like! We enjoy your updates very much and appreciate your focus on financial education. Thank you for what your do!
	morrischris: Neat CU microsite by People's Trust Federal Credit Union: http://www.happyun-banking.com	creditunionscom: @morrischris You're more than welcome. You're a great CU resource and have one of the most entertaining twitter feeds. Good work!
	GHCU: Starts Sept. 1--our branches grow trees! To promote Green initiatives, we have fruit trees in our branches. Come hear about their journeys!	creditunionscom: @GHCU We featured you not just because you helped pioneer the CU movement on Twitter, but also you do great Green Values Based Marketing.
	Visible_Banking: Happy 1-year twitter anniversary to @TX_CU_League ! #VBTW http://bit.ly/VBTW2 #creditunion #social	creditunionscom: @Visible_Banking You're on our Twitter 20 list because you track the CU movement on Twitter so well, w/ great data & anniversary reminders!
	CUWarrior: Hmmm...1,000 banks will fail in the next two years? Not sure I buy that, but who knows? http://www.cnbc.com/id/32581463	creditunionscom: @CUWarrior You're on our list of 20 to follow because you're so dedicated to the CU movement. You often share the best CU related news.
	DMI_CUSoapbox: Cash for Clunkers is going away Monday: http://bit.ly/UCH9f Any parting words for the "huh?"-est program ever? http://bit.ly/snmlA	creditunionscom: @DMI_CUSoapbox HAHAHA! So glad you're excited!! You all are a great example of effective social media and email campaign marketing.
	Paulsworld: Bank failures a silver lining for some. Predicts another 150 to 200 bank failures ahead http://tinyurl.com/l9czvo Can CU's benefit?	creditunionscom: @Paulsworld We like how informed & balanced your views are on CU events and that your aren't afraid to share valuable feedback.
	Sample Tweet:	My Feedback:
	CUrevolution: Credit card statement stuffer helps inform members on what the new (CARD) Act of 2009 will mean to them http://tinyurl.com/l358kq	creditunionscom: @CUrevolution Thank you! You show that twitter is a handy tool for the most core organizations in the CU industry.
	TSCU: Life or Debt? 41 Financial Calculators for Major Life Decisions: http://bit.ly/gC5mU	creditunionscom: @TSCU You're Welcome! We like CU's that reach out to Gen Y, and you're tweets are a great example!
	Pioneercu: Helping a member get his confidential docs shredded now (his shredder broke) so he doesn't have to store until our next shreadfest in Spring.	creditunionscom: @Pioneercu You're welcome! We liked that example tweet of yours so much. Shows how you go above and beyond member's expectations. Nice job!
	Ent_CU: Think of this as your "Ent Suggestion Box" – what could Ent do that would help you? What info do you want us to tweet more about?	creditunionscom: @Ent_CU You sure did! And besides being well-rounded w/ your tweets and forward-thinking w/ your contests, you have the best background pic!
	AdvantisCU: In the news "Firing your bank? Try Credit Unions" http://smub.it/y6ii CUNA News Now	creditunionscom: @AdvantisCU We featured you in our Twitter 20 since you show how involved you are in Portland community and are advocates for great causes.
	FCFCU: It's time to deep fry your bank. http://bit.ly/wdDuW	creditunionscom: @MKHostetler We had to recognize @FCFCU! I like your use of multiple personal accounts, gives a good "face" to your CU.
	tmg: The NY Times loves credit unions! http://shrinkify.com/11kk	creditunionscom: @tmg You're on our list of 20 CU mavens to follow on twitter! Your use of blogs paired with social networking is a good example to us all.
	CreditUnionGuy: Very interesting...Verity Credit Union is hiring a mommy blogger to promote brand. http://www.veritymom.com/ (via @tawitham)	creditunionscom: @CreditUnionGuy You're very welcome! Thank you for digging up great links to interesting happenings in the credit union industry.
	DayAirCU: Are your kids 11 or younger? Stop by Day Air CU to join the Money Mammals "Saving Money is Fun" Kids Club today! http://bit.ly/2h4Xaz	creditunionscom: @DayAirCU We included you in our Twitter 20 because you use social media so well to highlight your community involvement. It's working!
	mmpartee: I just emailed the CEO of the CU that's voting to merge into a bank in Maine, inviting to her to comment: http://bit.ly/uJYKx	creditunionscom: @mmpartee We're just happy to be following people like you, who don't hesitate to ask the tough questions and speak their mind.