Mid-Atlantic credit union boosts engagement 450% with automated member onboarding

Overview

A Mid-Atlantic credit union with $1.1 billion in assets sought to deepen its engagement with members who hold indirect auto loans. These members represented significant growth potential, but most had not converted into active, engaged relationships.

Challenge

The credit union relied on outbound phone calls to onboard indirect auto loan members; however, this approach proved to be inefficient and ineffective. Only 10% of new members were ever reached, and results were tracked manually in spreadsheets. Staff time was consumed with repetitive calls, yet engagement remained low.

Solution

To improve efficiency and engagement, the credit union implemented the Digital Onboarding platform to automate campaigns and results tracking. The initiative included:

• Five automated emails sent over 30 days, each tied to a specific action such as mobile app downloads or direct deposit setup
  
• Personalized microsites with step-by-step instructions tailored to each member
  
• Digital Onboarding widgets that removed friction:
  
  • SMS Text Opt-In Widget for compliant enrollment in messaging
    
  • Mobile App Widget for easy app access to accounts
  • Direct Deposit Widget for instant deposit switching
    

Results

The credit union saw dramatic improvements across key engagement and efficiency metrics:

• Increased digital service adoption to 45% of indirect members, a 450% improvement over the phone-based approach
• 9% of indirect members opened checking accounts as a direct result of the campaign
• Saved 90 staff hours per month by eliminating manual phone calls and spreadsheet tracking
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Impact

By replacing inefficient manual calls with automated, personalized campaigns, the credit union transformed engagement with a historically difficult segment. The initiative not only saved staff time but also turned indirect auto loan holders into deeper, more profitable relationships.

Conclusion

The $1.1 billion Mid-Atlantic credit union successfully converted low-engagement indirect members into active relationships by leveraging automation and personalization. By partnering with Digital Onboarding, the credit union dramatically improved adoption rates, opened new checking accounts, and freed up staff resources for higher-value activities.