Member Benefits: ICBA updates BankLocally.org

This year, community banks have proven once again that they’re capable of great things. Collectively, they served nearly 58% of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan recipients looking for much-needed stimulus funds amid the COVID-19 crisis. Plus, they put in hard work and long hours to make these loans happen. On average, community banks came through for existing—and often new—customers five to 10 days faster than other lenders.

Following this monumental effort on behalf of the country’s community banks, ICBA has relaunched Bank Locally (banklocally.org), a platform to showcase community bank and small business success stories, positive customer experiences, news and more. The revamped site serves as a hub of perspectives on why banking locally and having a solid relationship with a community bank matters.

In addition to videos and blog posts focused on the needs of small business customers, the site still includes ICBA’s popular Community Bank Locator, a widely used tool that helps potential customers find member banks in their area and start the process of switching where they bank.

“We want community bankers to know that we have their back and fully recognize their heroic PPP efforts,” says Aleis Stokes, ICBA’s senior vice president of communications. “ICBA’s marketing and communications team has been working around the clock during the pandemic to ensure the media, small businesses and consumers recognize the community banking difference. ICBA’s revamp of Bank Locally and the PPP video series is a big step forward as we continue our efforts to differentiate community banks in the marketplace.”

PPP customer video series

ICBA launched the banklocally.org page with a video series featuring entrepreneurs from across the country who successfully received PPP loans from a community bank, often after a big bank proved unresponsive or incapable of helping them.

Community banks can share the videos, which are now available at banklocally.org, with the hashtag #BankLocally and promote the series with their own followers. ICBA encourages member banks to share their own PPP success stories and customer testimonials. Just go to the Bank Locally page and click on the “share your story” button.

There is also banklocally.org content that your community bank may want to share with customers or potential customers. For example, there’s a breakdown of frequently asked questions on the process of switching a business’s banking relationship to a community bank. The blog post features six questions and answers to demystify what many potential customers may think of as a complicated and tedious process, but what can be easier than they think.

“We need every community bank across the country to amplify this effort by sharing their unique and positive customer stories,” Stokes says. “We encourage all community banks to reach out and submit a story so we can continue this robust effort to elevate the community banking industry.”

Eric Best is deputy editor of Independent Banker.