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FIs get creative with ATM advertising

March 5, 2014 by Terry Dooley — SVP & CIO, ITS, Inc

Today, ATMs are so much more than cash withdrawal machines. The most sophisticated units are now full-service banking channels, offering significant potential for enhanced service delivery.

ATMs are also an underused marketing channel. As revenues from interchange and transaction fees decline in many markets, and with nearly 2.5 million ATMs in service worldwide, ATM advertising has the potential to open up a strong revenue stream.

Often the ATM is the ideal outlet for FIs to increase brand awareness and cross-sell products and services to a targeted audience — while they're already banking.

Transforming the ATM receipt from simply an account balance reminder into a piece of effective take-home advertising can turn an ATM into an ROI machine.

A recent ATM Marketplace white paper outlines a few ATM advertising and communications tips for FIs to consider with their receipts. Specifically:

• Direct customers to your website — Print your Web address on the back of the ATM receipt. Once customers get to your website, encourage them to opt in to email communications from your FI that provide information about new products and services, promotions, and FI news.
• Promote your social media channels — Use the ATM receipt to encourage customers to like your Facebook page or follow you on Twitter.
• Educate and inform — Provide added value by offering financial education on the receipt. Consider listing a few tips on a specific topic, then directing customers to your website to read the rest of the tips.
• Promote offers with a coupon — Generate a voucher on the front or back of the receipt that customers may redeem in order to take advantage of limited-time promotions.
• Encourage loyalty — Create a rewards program that encourages customers tosave receipts and redeem them for points. Consider using the points to lower an interest rate on a specific loan product, or raise the rate on a savings account.

The receipt is just one way to use the ATM as an advertisement vehicle. Static ads can act as "billboards" to ATM users, as well as passers-by, while rolling screen advertisements can deliver a variety of messages to customers as they wait for their transaction to complete.

No matter which method you ultimately choose for ATM advertising delivery, it's worthwhile to consider the potential reach this built-in marketing tool can offer.

About Terry Dooley

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