Bank Marketing Show
by Chris Bates & Dan Novalis
The BANK MARKETING SHOW, the podcast that engages and informs you for success in today's marketplace. It's the show that will make you a better marketer with trends, tactics and inspirations from experts and industry leaders. If you're wanting to impact your personal success and position your company as the best choice in your market, then you're in the right place!
Episodes
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Ep 124 - Tammy O'Shea - Own Your Niche
Plenty of banks say they have a niche. "We do small business." "We love our farmers." Most of those aren't niches — they're brochure copy. A real niche is specific enough to build a program around, and the difference shows up in the results. This week on The Bank Marketing Show, we interviewed...
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Ep 123 - Ann Barilleaux - Practical Social Media Strategy
At a community bank, your best social media content is already happening in your branches, your communities, and your customers' businesses. You just have to go find it. Yet when planning social media content, most banks think "What am I going to post today?" instead of collecting stories from...
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Ep 122 - Patrick Dix - What's Your T-shirt
If someone walked past wearing your bank's tagline on a t-shirt, would anyone in town recognize it as your bank? For most banks, the answer is decidedly no. But there's real value in distilling your brand down to it's most memorable elements. Patrick Dix spent 25 years in broadcast journalism...
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Ep 121 - When The Unexpected Happens
A tornado. A big event coming to town. A system outage. A competitor getting acquired. Sooner or later, something unexpected happens, and everyone at the bank is asking, "How do we get the word out?" Most banks don't have a plan for these moments. In this episode, Dan and Chris walk through...
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Ep 120 - Marketing Department in 2030
The headlines say 65% of marketing jobs won't survive AI. The same kind of headlines many years ago said ATMs would kill the teller. What actually happens is different: the job survives, but the job description doesn't. Dan and Chris look a few years down the road at what the average community…
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Ep 119 - Where Marketing Meets Main Street – Making Your Digital Experience as Good as Your Lobby
Every community banker says some version of the same thing: "If we could just get them into the lobby, we'd win them over." And they're right — the in-person experience is the community bank superpower. But customers touch your bank digitally more than ten times for every one time they walk…
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Ep 118 - Your Website Is a Brochure (And That's the Problem)
We've looked at and designed hundreds of bank websites over the years, and 9 out of 10 – maybe even 9.9 out of 10 - lead with products. "Here are our accounts." "We're a better option." "Here are our rates." They're digital brochures — and they all say the same thing. Nobody wakes up wanting a...
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Ep 117 - Beyond The Hashtag
Scroll through any community bank's social feed. You'll find rate posts, holiday closures, "we're hiring," and the occasional stock photo with a tagline. But one thing you usually won't find is high post engagement, because there's not much to engage with. Most banks do the media part of social...
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Ep 116 - Marketing and Lending
At most community banks, marketing puts out ads and tries to pull people in the door. Lending makes calls, shakes hands at Chamber meetings, and occasionally asks marketing for a brochure. Both teams are trying to bring more business into the bank, but only coordinate infrequently. Community...
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Ep 115 - DIY AEO
Last episode, we told you to go ask AI about your bank. If you did, you probably didn't love what you found. We gave you some actionable next steps, but we go much further into the "Now what?" this week. Most of the mass market AEO advice out there is written for e-commerce companies and big…
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Ep 114 - Can AI Find Your Bank
Go ask ChatGPT or Claude who the best bank in your town is. Or ask Google AI where to get a small business loan in your county. See what comes back. If your bank isn't in the answer — or worse, if a competitor is — that's not a future problem. That's happening right now, every time a potential...
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Ep 113 - Finding The Whitespace
Every community bank knows they need to differentiate. But how? Most banks skip the hard part — figuring out what the market actually looks like from the customer's perspective — and jump straight to writing a tagline. The result? Messaging that sounds like every other bank in town. The answer is...
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112 - Peter Ort - Marketing and Culture
You can't fake culture. You can put posters in the break room and bring in an ice cream truck on Fridays, but your employees and your customers will know the difference. Real culture is lived, not declared — and when it's real, it shows up in your marketing without you having to force it. Peter…
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Ep 111 - AI Insights #2 - Where It Is Going
AI isn't going to replace your entire marketing team tomorrow. But it is going to change what you do, and how fast you're expected to do it. It's already reducing marketing hiring and eventually will impact team sizes. Banks and bank marketers that start learning these tools now, will get ahead…
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Ep 110 - AI Insights #1 - What You Should Be Doing Today
AI can write your tagline in 5 seconds. Should it? Not in 5 seconds, because you'll sound like every other bank. AI gives you the average of the internet, and the average community bank's marketing is, well, average. Dan and Chris break down what bank marketers should actually be doing with AI...
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Ep 109 - Go Niche or Go Home How Community Banks Win by Serving the Overlooked
Every bank has checking accounts and loans. Every bank says they care about relationships. So when your marketing sounds like every other bank's marketing, why would anyone switch? They won't. The way to stand out isn't to shout louder — it's to get specific. In this episode, Dan and Chris make…
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Ep 108 - What Actually Works for a New Location
Opening a new branch is a huge investment — a new build can run into the millions. Most banks do the demographic research, study the traffic patterns, and pick the right spot. But then when it comes to actually marketing the thing? They show up with a grill in the parking lot and call it a grand...
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Ep 107 - Bold with a Purpose - with Rich Jones of BankIn Minnesota
Every bank says they want to stand out. But most don't go beyond tweaking a logo, or updating colors, and continue to rely on the number of years in business to build trust. That's important – but no longer enough to differentiate your bank against the thousands of others with a similar history....
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Ep 106 - The We-Tried-That Problem
The "We Tried That" Problem Real quotes: "We tried Google Ads and they didn't work." "We did SEO for a couple months and nothing happened." "Direct mail was way too expensive for what we got out of it." If you've heard, or said, any of these – this episode is for you! We break down the real…
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Ep 105 - Amber Murphy - The Case for Industry Specialization in Bank Marketing
Every community bank has checking accounts and loans. So the age-old question is, how do you stand out? First Financial Bank figured it out: they went deep in one niche, and then kept going, building many specialty lending divisions and driving massive growth. In this episode, Amber Murphy, VP…
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Ep 104 - Candie Simmons - Passion, Purpose & Communication in Community Banking
Chris and Dan sit down with Candie Simmons, founder of CL Simmons Consulting, to talk about the people problems that slow banks down: communication breakdowns, the gap between being a great producer and being a great manager, and why marketing and compliance don't have to be at each other's...
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Ep 103 - Building the Next Generation of Community Banks with Rebeca Romero Rainey - CEO of ICBA
When it comes to advocating for the future of community banking, few voices carry more weight than Rebeca Romero Rainey. This week we had the privilege of sitting down with Rebeca, the President & CEO of the ICBA, for a candid and thoughtful conversation on where the industry is heading. Top of...
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Ep 102 - IT for Today's Community Banks - Scott Stevens
Cybersecurity, AI, and IT modernization aren't just "IT problems" anymore — they directly impact how banks market, grow, and protect their brands. In this episode of The Bank Marketing Show, Chris and Dan sit down with Scott Stevens, Chief Information Security Officer at Integrity Technology...
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Ep 101 - Emily Schwartz - From Content to Education: Building Trust Through Financial Wellness
Community Banks produce a lot of "educational" content, but a lot of it is thinly disguised sales material, or sounds the same as 1,000 other "how to buy your first home" blogs. In this episode, we sit down with Emily Schwartz, Director of Financial Education at MidFirst Bank, about how her team...
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Ep 100 - 100th - Chris & Dan in the Hot Seat
100 episodes. Four seasons. Many dozens of conversations with bank leaders and innovators – and we're just getting started! In this milestone episode, Chris and Dan look back at what they've learned from these conversations, and where they think community bank marketing is headed next. They also...
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Ep 99 - The Future of AI Agents - How Community Banks Win SMB Relationships - with Jared Shulman and Jerry Shu
AI Agents are quickly becoming the biggest competitive edge for community banks to win and serve small business customers. Chris and Dan sat down with the co-founders of Daylit, Jared Shulman (CEO) and Jerry Shu (CTO), to break down what AI agents actually are, how they work, and why banks should...
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Ep 98 - Randy Dorn - Lessons from a Rebrand
What happens when a 120-year-old community bank decides to take a bold leap forward? Randy Dorn, President of My Kind of Bank (formerly First National Bank of Henning), joins Chris and Dan to share the story behind their rebrand — from internal debates to a powerful cultural transformation that...
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Ep 97 - Charles LeFevre - AI, Compliance, and the Marketer's Dilemma
Compliance and marketing don't have to be enemies, especially in the age of AI. In this episode, Charles LeFevre, Director of Compliance Operations at Kadince (and self-proclaimed "Taylor Swift of Compliance"), joins us to break down how these two sides can work together to move faster, stay...
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Ep 96 - Crucial Considerations for your 2026 Marketing Strategy
If your 2026 plan looks like 2025's...you may not be adapting to all the technology- and user behavior-driven changes that have happened this year. In this episode, Chris and Dan chat about all these changes, and lay out a simple checklist to use as your 2026 strategy comes together - including...
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Ep 95 - AI Search - How to Stay Ahead of the Curve
Is SEO really dead—or is AI search just the new shiny object? In this episode, Chris and Dan break down the buzz around Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and what it actually means for community banks. (spoiler: SEO isn't going anywhere, but banks that act now have a huge opportunity to get...
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Ep 94 - Sharveen Kumar - How Banks Can Adopt AI While Adding To Their Personal Touch
There's lots of hype in the marketplace about how AI is taking over – and while the promise is that AI can help personalize customer experiences at scale, community banks are worried that it will actually make customer service feel more generic and less personal. This week, Chris and Dan talk…
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Ep 93 - Use AI to Build a 90-Day Content Calendar (in Real Time!)
EP 93: Use AI to Build a 90-Day Content Calendar (in Real Time) In this second hands-on demo (see Ep 89: AI Starter Kit for the first one), Dan shares his screen to walk through a real example: how a custom GPT can take just three real customer questions and instantly generate 90 days of social...
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Ep 92 - Justin Stayrook – The Opportunities of AI Beyond LLMs
AI isn't just for the big players—it might be your small bank's biggest advantage. In this episode, Chris and Dan interview Justin Stayrook, Chief Growth Officer at EYEMAGINE, about how AI is transforming operations for lean marketing teams in community banks and credit unions. From cutting…
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Ep 91 - Autumn Jose – Creating Social Stars for Marketing Success
Can your employees become your most powerful marketing tool? In this episode, we sit down with Autumn Jose, AVP and Brand Marketing Coordinator of Civista Bank to talk about how she turned a simple idea into a thriving employee advocacy program—and what it takes to grow a brand from the inside…
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Ep 90 - The Power of Connection with Neil Stevens (RERUN Ep 38)
The Power of Connection with Neil Stevens Connection – with your team, your bank, your customers, and your own self - is the key to great leadership and to creating a truly engaged team. It starts at the top. Your bank's leadership needs to feel confident in and connected with the values, vision,...
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Ep 89 - AI Starter Kit for Community Bank Marketers
Feeling stuck when it comes to using AI in your bank's marketing? You're not alone. In this episode, Dan and Chris walk through five simple and safe ways to start using Gen AI—without tripping compliance alarms or sacrificing your brand voice. In this episode, we don't just talk about it—we do…
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Ep 88 - Skill Building In The Age of AI
In this episode, Dan and Chris explore how AI is reshaping the bank marketing world— and what marketing professionals need to do to stay ahead. From prompting effectively in ChatGPT to building efficient workflows and bringing human insight to the table, this episode outlines the skills that will...
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Ep 87 - Essential Website Strategy Insights with Brent Feldman
Ep 87 – Essential Website Strategy Insights with Brent Feldman Many community banks don't hesitate to invest hundreds of thousands, or even millions, in a new brick and mortar branch—but balk at the cost of a new website. In this episode, we dive into why that mindset needs to change—and what a...
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Ep 86 - Banking on Knowledge: How Teaching Builds Trust
Financial education isn't just about blogging — it's one of the most powerful tools a community bank can use to connect with its audience, build trust, and drive long-term growth. And, it's one that many customers are requesting – information and education from an institution they already trust.…
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Ep 85 - Turning Stories Into Strategy - Humanize Your Brand
Turning Stories Into Strategy: Humanizing Your Brand Think you need a massive ad budget to stand out? Think again. This episode is all about how community banks can turn everyday staff and customer stories into powerful, memorable marketing—while keeping spend to a minimum. If your team's...
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Ep 84 - Guerrilla Marketing - High-Impact Engagement & Tactics
Forget billboards and banner ads — this episode is all about unexpected, low-cost, high-impact marketing moves that big banks simply can't pull off. Chris and Dan share real-life guerrilla marketing campaigns from community banks that sparked attention, built goodwill, and drove serious local...
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Ep 83 - The Future of Community Bank Marketing with Caleb Stevens
Podcasting isn't just for influencers anymore—banks are getting in the game. In this episode, Chris and Dan sit down with Caleb Stevens, VP of Marketing at SouthState Bank's Capital Markets Division and host of the Community Bank Podcast. From demand generation to practical AI use, Caleb breaks...
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Ep 82 - Building an Army of Brand Ambassadors
How do you grow your bank's social media presence without relying on your bank's own profiles? Most banks don't - but in this episode, Chris and Dan explore a different strategy: using your own staff as influencers and brand ambassadors. You'll learn why employee-led content consistently...
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Ep 81 - Traits of a Successful Marketing Director
We've met a lot of bank and credit union marketing teams – and we've noticed some commonalities among those that see more success in their efforts. In this episode, we talk about the role of a marketing director (or VP, or manager, or any lead marketer at a bank) – and the things we see in our…
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Ep 80 - Marketing in a Cookieless Future with Hollie Brown
Many community banks are missing out on valuable marketing opportunities. Statistics show that many community banks aren't currently utilizing cookies, which used to put them at a disadvantage. However, with cookies being increasingly phased out, updating your website pop-ups and refining your...
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Ep 79 - How Much Should You Spend on Marketing
Regardless of your asset size and marketing bandwidth, budgeting is a challenge. Marketers never have as much as they would like, and those setting the budgets might see it as an expense (hint: it's not! It's an investment!). In this episode Chris and Dan discuss the crucial strategies for...
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Ep 78 - Good Marketing Starts With Culture
Chris and Dan discuss the critical importance of business culture in impacting and enhancing marketing efforts. They explore how a positive internal culture can translate into authentic and engaging marketing & content that connects with audiences. Highlighting real-world examples, they emphasize...
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Ep 77 The Essentials and Benefits of Brand Messaging with Erin Fults
With over 5,000 community banks and credit unions in the US, your brand is the only thing that differentiates you in your community and online. "Brand messaging" is the collection of words, imagery, and stories that you use to explain the value your community bank brings to customers. It's not...
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Ep 76 - The Power of Local - Banking in the Community
Chris and Dan discuss strategies for community banks to enhance their local marketing efforts. They emphasize the importance of connecting digital and brand initiatives with local engagement to build trust and visibility. This episode provides a checklist for banks to leverage local strategies…
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Ep 75 - Personalized Banking - Driving Engagement in a Digital World
Chris and Dan continue the three-part series by exploring the impact of digital marketing on community banks. Building on the previous episode's discussion on branding, they both dive into digital personalization, emphasizing the importance of creating tailored customer experiences and engaging...
About this show
The BANK MARKETING SHOW, the podcast that engages and informs you for success in today's marketplace. It's the show that will make you a better marketer with trends, tactics and inspirations from experts and industry leaders. If you're wanting to impact your personal success and position your company as the best choice in your market, then you're in the right place!
Hosted by
Chris Bates & Dan Novalis