“Call me Ishmael.” It’s perhaps one of the most famous opening lines in literature. (Bonus points if you can name the book!) It immediately invokes intrigue.
“Is your name not Ishmael?”
“Why are you unwilling to tell us your real name?”
“And why did you choose the name ‘Ishmael.’”
“Are you hiding from someone?”
“And if so, why?”
It’s what I call the “throat punch.” When I’m working with our creative team, I’m always encouraging them to find the throat punch. We have a very limited time to capture the reader of any credit union marketing piece we are working on, so that opening line better be a throat punch that catches their attention immediately and draws them in with more questions.
You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. That’s why marketers need to keep these three things in mind with your credit union marketing:
- The job of your opening line is to engage the reader, listener or viewer enough to ask another question.
- If your opening isn’t a throat punch, it doesn’t do its job and you risk becoming invisible (and wasting a lot of marketing dollars).
- If your members turn their attention away from you, you cease to exist. Your credit union becomes irrelevant.
Do you accept this credit union marketing challenge? Can you craft a 3-word statement that invites the reader, listener or viewer to engage and ask more questions?
