5 tools for your banking utility belt
No one ever fought a behemoth alone and won. If you’re going to take down the megabanks and stop the neos, you need resources — and allies. There are tons of valuable tools out there to help you learn, grow, and reinvent the banking industry by connecting you to ideas and fellow financial leaders. You just have to know where to find them.
We’ve rounded up a few to help you on your banking journey. Think of them as your weapons to win the war — and change the state of banking for good.
1. Blogs
Ah, the written word. Whether you like think-pieces on the state of fintech or succinct how-to’s for email marketing, a blog is a safe place to turn. We rounded up a few of the ones we think are worthy of your time:
- BankThink | American Banker
- American Banker’s blog, BankThink, is an excellent platform to find informed opinions about the ideas, trends, and events reshaping financial services.
- ABA Banking Journal
- The ABA’s blog is a great resource for all things banking — from compliance insight to social media marketing and more.
- The Future of Fintech | Bank Innovation
- As its name suggests, this blog focuses on what’s next. It’s a good place to see where the industry is heading and where threats could be coming from.
- Industry Insights | Callahan & Associates
- Banks, look away! This blog is devoted to the challenges facing credit unions.
- Community Rising | Kasasa
- This is our very own blog where we provide resources to help community banks and credit unions take back their fair share of the market and keep banking local.
2. Podcasts
The age of the podcast has fully dawned. These days it seems as though there’s a podcast that caters to virtually any interest. While professionals in the banking industry aren’t renowned for their ability to entertain a crowd, there are a few financial podcasts out there that won’t put you to sleep on your commute. These are some of our favorites:
- Banking Transformed with Jim Marous: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Stitcher
- Around the Coin: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Stitcher | SoundCloud
- Finovate Podcast: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud
- Fintech Insider by 11:FS: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Stitcher
- Thinking Outside the Vault: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Stitcher
3. Conferences
Conferences provide a great opportunity to build relationships with people who are experiencing similar challenges. Sure, with plane tickets, meals, hotels, and event costs to consider, sending your team to a conference can be a pricey endeavor. But think of it as an investment in your growth, as the ideas, strategies, and inspiration you bring home can give your institution just the competitive edge it needs.
Here are some coming up in 2020 that you might want to start planning for now:
Obsessed with all things digital? Bank Innovation’s Ignite 2020 conference is a good place to meet up with professionals from the online banking, mobile banking, payments, and UX sectors of the financial services industry. Immerse yourself in the world of fintech and learn where it’s going next. Check out the agenda here.
Kasasa Nation is unique because it’s designed exclusively for community banks and credit unions. It’s a place where your specific and singular needs as a local financial institution are understood. Hear thought leadership and get actionable insights you can take back to your institution. This year’s theme is community in focus. View the agenda to see what we have in store for 2020.
Finovate’s annual conference is ideal for anyone with a stake in the future of banking, from marketers to developers. Dedicated to innovation in the financial industry, it’s a chance to hear about new products that will shape future banking trends. Take a look at the agenda for next year.
4. Digital roundtables
Hosted by Kasasa but led by you, digital roundtables are the perfect way to build connections with your peers across the country and gain valuable strategy advice. Past roundtables have included deposit strategies for a changing industry and growth strategies for the new year. The conversations are private, so you’ll have to join in on the fun to hear what happens. Sign up for our next roundtable here.
5. The Kasasa Exchange
You might’ve been able to guess this one since you’re already here. We created this platform to help community banks and credit unions unlock valuable insights into the constantly changing landscape of the financial industry. The goal is to help EVERY local institution win — whether or not you do business with us.
Stop by the Exchange for best practices, actionable strategies, industry research to show the Board, or plain ol’ inspiration. Here are some of the best pieces from past episodes in case you missed them:
- Who do consumers trust? (infographic)
- Be the hero and take back banking (video)
- What borrowers want (quiz)
- A foolproof rate plan (infographic)
- Taking community support to the next level (slideshare)
Have a blog, podcast, or other resource you swear by? Let us know about it at ExchangeStories@Kasasa.com. Sharing is caring and if we’re going to take back market share, we have to do it together.
