The Brief

Due to economic development and an increase in job opportunities, the Buffalo, Wyoming, area has experienced rapid growth in population among 25- to 34-year old adults. In fact, the city is ranked 22nd among the nation’s fastest growing cities for that age group. Reaching this audience has become increasingly difficult across all industries (especially the financial sector) due to their changing media consumption habits, including watching less television, reading less newspapers and an increased usage of social media. Traditional methods of advertising are no longer completely effective.

Our Solution

First Northern Bank of Wyoming, the oldest bank still in operation in the state, recognized that they needed to think outside the box to reach Millennials and were open to trying something new. Plaid Swan suggested a Facebook contest and the Bank readily agreed to this unique marketing technique that has grown in popularity across social media channels.

The contest, in support of September’s Mortgage Professional Month, featured the Bank’s expert mortgage professionals. To enter, participants “liked” and commented on one – or more – of the expert’s bios that were posted on First Norther’s Facebook page. At the end of the month, one winner was randomly selected to win a house payment of $1,200.

The Result

The contest was a hit. In the month of September, First Northern Bank of Wyoming’s Facebook page grew by 10% likes and has continued to gain more in the following weeks. The posts from the contest accrued over 600 likes, 474 comments, 114 shares and over 15,000 people were reached. The comments under each post associated with the contest generated meaningful conversation, a critical piece of the Facebook algorithm to increase visibility on people’s timelines. The organic shares on each post also increased the reach of the contest, which in turn allowed First Northern to gain more exposure in the community through the vast network of social media.