You know exactly what to expect this time of year, a whirlwind of holiday events and traditions that while all good things, can chip away at productivity. Today, I challenge you not to neglect your PR plan, but to embrace the most wonderful time of the year in your work
In a recent #bankonsocial Twitter Chat, moderated by WMA-client Kasasa® by BancVue®, we discussed how financial institutions can leverage social media to amplify their PR efforts. This topic continues to be of tremendous interest to banks, credit unions, fintech providers, influencers and others, as demonstrated by the discussion’s “trending” status
5 tips for successfully using social media to connect with members
In today’s mobile-first environment, it’s no longer optional for credit unions to use social media to facilitate and maintain solid member relationships–it’s a necessity. According to PEW Research Center, 74 percent of American adults now use social networking sites,
In the middle of 2012, William Mills Agency started looking for a marketing automation platform that best fit the needs of our clients as well as use here at WMA to maximize our content marketing efforts. We did our due diligence and evaluated a number of platforms in the marketplace.
It’s that time of year again—thousands of people travel across the country in the hopes of rubbing elbows with the industry’s latest and greatest names. No, I’m not talking about the Oscars or the Super Bowl, I’m talking about the MBA Annual Convention.
This year’s convention took attendees to sunny
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…since September. Malls and stores across America are already decking their halls with boughs of holly, but is this premature hype effective? Christmas carols are my favorite genre of music, but I refuse to play even one “Little Drummer Boy” song until after
Use your public relations team to support your program
As we approach the end of 2015 and look to the future, it is apparent that content marketing has been, and will continue to be, an important part of the marketing strategy of credit unions. While traditional marketing techniques are still
William Mills, CEO of William Mills Agency, provides a quick update on events and sessions during Money 20/20 in Las Vegas.
More than 200 exhibitors and more than 2,000 retail banking leaders gathered in Las Vegas earlier this month for the annual BAI Retail Delivery 2015 event to discuss industry trends and issues. The show was kicked off Tuesday morning with a packed general session featuring “Sharks” (aka hosts) of ABC’s Shark
November and December have long been perceived as a time when the business world slows down a bit. With many taking time off during these months to visit family and observe the holidays, this notion is partially true. However, the media certainly does not come to a halt. Monthly, weekly
With 2016 presidential election campaigns in full gear and gaining momentum, more and more candidates are the subject of news stories. In fact, candidate news is often the top story in media outlets these days. Candidates and their personal lives are under intense scrutiny. Whether they are caught in an
I had the privilege of joining a client to announce his company launch at American Banker’s Banking Analytics Symposium a couple of days ago in Boston. Although we had a tight schedule, we still managed to complete quite a few briefings and interviews, check out some of what makes Boston
The 5 components of a successful strategy
Historically, credit unions have relied on traditional marketing techniques, such as developing brochures, investing in radio advertising, maintaining a strong website, conducting informative webinars, to draw in new members as well as keep themselves top of mind among existing members.
While these marketing
As public relations professionals, our job is to help companies tailor and fine-tune their public voice. Traditional PR strategies and tactics help to accomplish this goal, but in today’s digital landscape, many PR campaigns are not complete without a blogging strategy to communicate important messages directly to prospects and customers.
William Mills, CEO of William Mills Agency, and Stephen Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc, give a final recap of demos and events at FinovateFall 2015.
Stephen Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc, interviews David Eads, CEO of Gro Solutions, at FinovateFall 2015.
William Mills, CEO of William Mills Agency, and Stephen Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc, reflect on highlights from Finovate Fall 2015 and discuss different types of innovations the financial industry can expect to see at upcoming conferences this year.
William Mills Agency and Beyond the Arc will be live blogging at FinovateFall 2015. Check back for new updates throughout the day.
William Mills III, Chief Executive Officer of William Mills Agency is live blogging today at Finovate Fall 2013 in New York City. William has more than 30 years of experience in financial technology and is a
William mills, CEO of William Mills Agency and Stephen Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc, discuss Finovate's morning recap highlighting Blockstack.io and Yodlee.
William Mills Agency and Beyond the Arc will be live blogging at FinovateFall 2015. Check back for new updates throughout the day.
William Mills III, Chief Executive Officer of William Mills Agency is live blogging today at Finovate Fall 2013 in New York City. William has more than 30 years of experience in financial technology and is
Over the years, blogging has become more than just an online page to journal about your hobbies or chronicle the intimate details of everyday life. Modern day blogging has evolved into a content machine for businesses of all sizes. Blogs have become a reliable place for potential customers to find
Four strategies to break down barriers between leadership, members and staff
Credit unions pride themselves on many things that set them apart from other financial institutions. Great rates, strong member service and a commitment to community are just a few aspects credit unions tout when seeking new members or retaining
There are a host of strategies that our agency employs to help secure media coverage for our clients and one that is used regularly (particularly leading up to major industry conferences and events) is the embargo. We often get questions from clients about embargoes – what it is, how it
10 best practices fintech companies should follow when developing a social media policy
If you ever doubted the power of social media, this past month should have convinced you otherwise. Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer quickly found himself in social media hell after killing a famous lion during a hunting trip
So you want to get the attention of the press? Good luck finding someone to take your call.
In July, the American Society of News Editors released its annual census of journalism jobs, and the results are sobering. From 2013 to 2014, newsroom jobs dropped 10.4% at the 1,400 U.S.
Four key audiences that feel the impact of your announcements
Achieving your primary goals of member retention, acquisition, security and everything else on your plate is not easily done without establishing relationships with service and technology providers. As one of the driving forces of an effective business strategy, these connections
Implementing a successful content marketing initiative can be a challenge to many organizations. This requires a definitive plan and people with a range of specialized skills to be successful. Smaller companies often assign a single person to run such programs and struggle to find someone capable of executing all the
Last year we saw a decreasing number of financial institutions, and this consolidation trend has continued to pick up speed. According to figures from the FDIC and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), there are a total of 13,066 financial institutions in the U.S. However, there are 640 fewer
It was another exciting year at Wimbledon – not the nail-biting games themselves – but rather the excitement of watching the vastly different personality types that really stood out in such an individual-driven sport. Three personalities in particular made their presence known to the public at large – whether for
Each year William Mills Agency invests considerable time and resources to research and better understand the trends occurring within the financial industry. From what we discovered, it seems that more investment is flowing into financial and payment technology solutions than in years past, especially when it comes to technology around
Once a company’s needs and capacity for public relations services outweigh resources, the debate shifts to do we: 1) hire an individual or a team or 2) engage an outside firm? Initially, many wonder why they’d enlist an agency if they can hire individuals to be dedicated solely to their
How credit unions can connect with the next generation of members
Millennials are an increasingly important demographic for marketers to reach. In fact, Whole Foods recently launched a new chain of stores under a separate banner that will be geared to appeal to Millennials—in product selection, pricing and marketing strategies
Do your feet hurt? Are you tired? Have you gone days without breathing real outdoor air? Do you have a ball of lanyards and pile of plastic name tags tucked in your desk drawer?
If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, you are probably in the
In today’s environment of increased Internet usage, content marketing, social media, and marketing automation, how we engage with prospects and potential customers is changing. However, traditional marketing methods of developing sales materials, advertising, maintaining a strong website, and attending industry events remain important tactics to compete in today’s FinTech marketplace.
Have you ever wondered what the expression “sailing the seven seas” means? In ancient Greek literature, the Seven Seas were the Aegean, Adriatic, Mediterranean, Black, Red, Caspian Seas, and the Persian Gulf. The phrase has held many meanings for many cultures for thousands of years. It wasn’t until the age
How credit unions can secure effective speaking engagements
Securing a speaking engagement can be a very valuable tool for credit union executives when they are trying to increase their exposure and position themselves as thought leaders throughout the financial industry. However, being selected to speak at an esteemed trade show
Earlier this year, the state of Indiana took a huge reputational hit after Gov. Mike Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law, which allows both individuals and corporations to cite religious beliefs as a defense when sued. This law was immediately criticized as potentially giving business owners the right
Steven Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc and JP Nicols, President/COO of Innosect and Co-founder of the Bank Innovators Council bring FinovateSpring 2015 to a close highlighting Finovate's diversity over the years including the growth of wealth management, small business and back office solution focused companies. The stand out for the
Steven Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc and Kendrick Wakeman, President & CEO of FinMason discuss FinovateSpring 2015 and highlights of day two including, Hedgeable.
William Mills, CEO of William Mills Agency and Steven Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc wrap up FinovateSpring 2015 with insights on the final presenters such as Malauzai and Trizic and discuss major themes such as wealth management technologies, authentication, text analytics and big data.
*Note: FinovateFall is September 16-17, 2015
William Mills, CEO of William Mills Agency and Steven Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc discuss the highlights of the morning and key presenters including Context Relevant, Vanguard, CBW Bank and Slice from FinovateSpring 2015.
William Mills Agency and Beyond the Arc will be live blogging at FinovateSpring. Check back for new updates throughout the day.
William Mills, CEO of William Mills Agency and Steven Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc recap Finovate Spring day one including the advancements of presenting companies Dwolla and Kabbage.
William Mills, CEO of William Mills Agency and Steven Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc discuss FinovateSpring 2015 morning recap highlighting Stratos and Yodlee.
William Mills Agency and Beyond the Arc will be live blogging at FinovateSpring. Check back for new updates throughout the day.
Four questions to ensure a clear, concise and accurate brand for your Credit Union
With the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently citing a mortgage originator for false advertising, more financial institutions are likely to be on full alert about how they present themselves to consumers. Keep in mind many times,
A growing number of people are turning to video for more than tutorials on DIY home projects or viewing the latest cat video compilation. With a growing number of tech savvy millennials becoming consumers and harried executives using their smartphones more than computers/laptops, videos are being sought after for information
Beginning today, April 21, Google is rewarding websites optimized for mobile viewing by not only labeling them as mobile-friendly, but also using that to determine if those sites should rank higher in mobile search results. This change is the latest in
With spring arising, the season brings to mind the memory of the crack of the bat and the sound of a leather ball hitting a leather glove in the ballpark or in the back yard. Baseball has an entire culture tied up in it – movies from The Natural to
With more than 70 exhibitors and 500 mortgage technology leaders gathering in Orlando last week for Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) National Technology in Mortgage Banking Conference & Expo 2015, it was no surprise that compliance was a primary focus.
Overshadowing the show’s “connect” theme, the overwhelming majority of chatter centered
4 steps credit unions must take to assess successes (and failures) to maximize growth
One of the keys to any successful project is knowing when the initiative is successful. Only by successfully measuring the impact and results of a project can credit union executives make informed decisions on whether to make changes, continue the project
Parallels between PR and online dating
Match. eHarmony. Tinder. OkCupid. Hinge. The list of online dating sites and apps is endless. Today, one in ten American adults is registered with an online dating service in their quest to find their match. But that doesn’t mean those millions of people registered
While many of our clients in the credit union industry already work with – or are at least familiar with – Credit Union Service Organizations (CUSOs), many others are unfamiliar with the CUSO landscape and why it is important to their business.
Some regard CUSOs as large credit unions or
Using images to boost your financial PR program
By Sheryl Gudelsky, Senior Account Agent
It has now become common for William Mills Agency associates to receive requests from editors and reporters along the lines of, "Is there an illustration you can provide along with the article?" Or, "Do you have
Five ways to prepare for your conversation with the media
On a typical day, credit union executives likely wear many hats. They are undoubtedly accustomed to holding various roles within the institution, overseeing different departments
#fintech #paymenttech #payments #compliance #branchtransformation @wmagency
William Mills Agency, provider of financial public relations and marketing services, today released its annual financial services industry research, “Bankers as Buyers.” The twelfth annual report is a collection of research, observations and articles about what technology, solutions and services U.S. bankers will buy
What the FinTech industry can learn from the top five PR nightmares of the year
By Mary Cox, Account Director, William Mills Agency
Crises are all too familiar for the FinTech industry. From data breaches to hefty fines imposed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – and let’s not forget
by Mary Cox
Receiving an award – whether an industry award or local – can be extremely valuable for a credit union. Awards recognize excellence and validate the relevance and success of products, services, initiatives and even executives. They have the power to enhance
