GUIDE

Helping Members Save During the Holidays: The Value of Seasonal Content

As the holiday season approaches, credit unions have a unique opportunity to support their members by providing valuable holiday content. Your credit union can be a trusted resource that helps your members manage expenses, reduce stress, and enjoy the season without breaking the bank. If you're a credit union professional planning events or seeking inspiration for holiday initiatives, this guide is for you.

Let’s explore how your credit union can make a meaningful impact this holiday season.

Holiday Content Ideas for Credit Unions

Here’s how your credit union can craft impactful content for the season:

1. Offer a Holiday Savings Plan

Create Downloadable Tools: Share a holiday budget worksheet that members can customize for gifts, food, travel, and events.

Highlight Savings Products: Promote your holiday savings accounts or automatic savings tools. Share member success stories to inspire others.

2. Provide Money-Saving Tips

Budget-Friendly Gifts: Suggest low-cost, thoughtful gift ideas like DIY projects or experience-based presents.

Frugal Festivities: Write blog posts about hosting affordable holiday gatherings or decorating on a dime.

Avoid Overspending: Teach members about setting spending limits and sticking to them.

3. Create a Holiday Campaign

Interactive Content: Host an “X Days of Savings” series with daily tips, challenges, or trivia.

Engagement Campaigns: Encourage members to share their favorite money-saving traditions for a chance to win small prizes.

Video Content: Post short, engaging videos featuring savings hacks or member stories.

4. Go Live on Social Media

Engage in Real Time: Host live sessions to connect directly with your members. This builds community without the need for heavy editing or graphics.

Going Live Helps You Get Seen: Platforms with a live feature usually displays a notification of your current live status to all following you.

Showcase Events: SStream live during seasonal events to amplify your reach.

Go take a look at this article by Community First CU of Florida where they help readers plan ahead and navigate the holiday season. By linking back to helpful sources and tools, they give value to their members by putting everything all in one festive place.

Increased their members’ trust in them by hosting educational webinars about avoiding scams and debt during the holidays.

AmFirst Credit Union added a holiday twist to their Financial Tip Friday posts. A great example of creating a consistent series of posts. 

They created a carousel post with adorable holiday illustrations for parents to share holiday budgeting skills with their children.

They created a post that is perfect to introduce parents to their checking and savings accounts for children. 

They shared photos of them giving back to several companies in the month of December.

Taking advantage of current trends, Texas Trust CU made a video using Starbucks’ iconic red cup. What other trends can you think of that only happen during the holiday season? 

Helpful Sources

In September, Reuters posted an article about US holiday spending trends that was packed with helpful information. An idea we had was creating content about the dangers and advantages of growing firms like Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm.

Posted in the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s site, there is a helpful article on how to pay off holiday bills. Simply written and with a great example on why only paying the minimum payment will take forever to pay off a credit card  balance. 

The numbers on this article might be, but the advice isn’t outdated. Posted in 2022, the article depicts the rising holiday debt trends and sources. I would double check with what they put down as their solutions for the debt and recommend substituting some tools available from your credit union.

Go Create Seasonal Content!

Wrapping it Up

Holiday savings content is more than advice—it’s an opportunity to build trust, strengthen relationships, and empower members. By sharing actionable tips and fostering a sense of community, your credit union can help members navigate one of the most financially challenging times of the year.

Start planning your holiday savings content today to show your members you’re there for them—during the holidays and beyond.