Sound Credit Union triples industry text message performance with a 7% conversion rate

Overview

Sound Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in Washington state, manages more than $3 billion in assets and serves over 176,000 members. While the credit union had successfully leveraged email campaigns to drive adoption of products and services, it wanted to explore untapped potential in text message marketing.

Challenge

The team primarily used SMS for time-sensitive alerts but had not explored it as a channel for marketing and cross-sell initiatives. With a new, lower auto loan rate available, Sound Credit Union needed a way to strategically notify members and make applying simple, direct, and mobile-friendly. According to Gartner, 98% of text messages are opened, which is five times higher than the national email open rate.

Sound Credit Union hadn’t taken advantage of text message marketing in the past, and we knew we had untapped potential.”

Nate Keener, Marketing Automation Specialist

Solution

Using the Digital Onboarding engagement platform, Sound Credit Union created a text-only campaign targeted at members who had opted in for SMS communications. Messages were automatically triggered and included concise copy with a tappable link that drove members straight to the application page, making it seamless to act immediately.

Results

The campaign delivered impressive results, including the following key outcomes:

• Achieved a 7% conversion rate, more than triple the industry average for SMS campaigns
  
• Eliminated manual list uploads by leveraging automated targeting of opted-in members
  
• Demonstrated that SMS could be a viable, high-performing marketing channel beyond alerts
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Impact

By introducing SMS marketing into its strategy, Sound Credit Union unlocked a new engagement channel that complemented existing email campaigns. The initiative validated that text messages could be a powerful tool for cross-sell campaigns, strengthening member relationships and increasing loan adoption.

While we weren’t sure what to expect, we were blown away that this effort resulted in a 7% conversion rate and are excited to explore text message marketing more within the platform!”

Nate Keener, Marketing Automation Specialist

Conclusion

Sound Credit Union successfully proved that SMS can be an effective marketing channel when paired with automation and strategic targeting. With strong results in its first campaign, the credit union plans to expand its use of SMS through the Digital Onboarding platform to drive additional adoption and deepen member engagement.