The celebrated author C.S. Lewis once said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” That’s true even for our nation’s financial institutions – whether they’re 10 years old or 150+.
The financial services industry saw seismic changes in 2025. Institutions of every size faced existential questions. But 2026 offers another chance to take stock, return to core values, and adapt for the year ahead.
Here are seven resolutions your financial institution should consider for success in the new year and beyond.
Your Roadmap for 2026 – Industry and Marketing Ideas for Banks and Credit Unions
The past year brought digital shifts, executive orders, mergers, acquisitions, and increasing fraud. Interest rates fell and stocks soared, but through it all, there you were, giving boots-on-the-ground financial advice in your community.
Now, Main Street is offering a roundup of continuing trends that will have an impact on our industry’s future. Choose one or all and start small!
Embrace Data-Driven Marketing
It's Not as Scary as You Think
Like it or not, data is the most valuable resource in the modern world. The age of hunches and instinct is extinct, especially when it comes to our marketing. In 2026, financial institutions that embrace data-driven marketing will go further and accomplish more – regardless of their size or number of branches.
Fortunately, data is also more accessible. Thanks to purpose-built marketing platforms and data visualization, you don’t even need experience with data to use it effectively.
Start small by using data for just one marketing message or campaign in 2026.
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Double-Down on Brand Awareness with Custom Print
Make Every Interaction Count
What could you do with a Wells Fargo budget? For starters, you could run sleek commercials on every local affiliate throughout the nation. Your digital ads would cover the internet like papier-mâché. You may not have the functionally-infinite funds of America’s largest institutions, but you can still invest in your brand.
Adding your logo to a teller receipt, deposit form, or festive gift envelope during the holidays can seriously boost account holder loyalty. More than that, it generates goodwill and increases word of mouth. You don’t have to own the world – just your own backyard.
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Invest Seriously in Multi-Channel Marketing
From Mailboxes to Inboxes
Speaking of awareness, getting the word out about your institution comes down to using every tool in your toolbox. If you’ve been ignoring email marketing in particular, you’re leaving money on the table.
We’ve known for some time that different channels appeal to different demographics. Our senior population prefers print. A sizable portion of adults pay attention to email. And today’s youth can be reached on social if you play your cards right. Simply put, putting your message out in only the ways you’re comfortable with can hold you back.
Make 2026 the year you commit to a three-dimensional marketing approach. We promise it’s not as complex or expensive as you think.
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Leverage Direct Mail Marketing
There’s Power in Ink and Paper
Email marketing is a powerful way to deliver relevant messages to the right audience, but it can’t do it all. In an age of bloated inboxes, some emails are easily overlooked and deleted. That said, a message is harder to ignore when it reaches us in several ways.
Physical marketing through direct mail guarantees engagement of a kind – at a minimum, recipients will need to take your postcard or letter out of their mailbox. Furthermore, while email gets by with a 1.36% response rate, direct mail enjoys a 2.7% to 4.4% response rate.
At the end of the day, some campaigns benefit from email, others from print. But for the best results, we recommend combining the two.
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Plan for Consistent (Rather than Constant) Outreach
Marketing Fatigue is Real
We’ve touched on marketing fatigue already, but let’s emphasize the issue again. Modern consumers receive tons of marketing messages nearly everywhere they go. On social, in inboxes, in mailboxes, on video streaming platforms, on billboards – it’s easier to say where marketing isn’t.
So, how do we cut through the noise? In 2026, consistency of outreach, timing, and the value of our communications will beat out the usual bombardment. By planning ahead, using data to segment our audiences, and offering genuine guidance or a helpful tool, we can secure the eyeballs we need without becoming another casualty of the frantic marketing moment.
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Go Local with In-Person Meetups and Sponsorships
Takin’ It to the Streets
In 2025, more people chose smaller community institutions for their financial business. Why? Better customer service and competitive rates are among the leading causes. But there’s a trick couched in that bit of good news – your community can’t choose you if they don’t know you exist.
The best way to meet your customers is just that – meeting them in person at events in your community. From shaking hands with potential customers to deepening relationships with existing account holders, there’s no better way to put your brand out there than hosting live meetups.
If you already know the demographic makeup of your community, choosing a topic should be simple. Host a lecture on retirement planning for the middle-aged, estate planning for the elderly, or investment opportunities for young parents.
Better still: announce these in-person sessions with a combination of print and digital communication to watch attendance soar.
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Audit Your Check Vendor Relationship (and Contract)
Hidden Fees Lurk in Fine Print
When it comes to check programs, some of us profit, some of us break even, and some of us operate as loss leaders. Checks get people in the door where our people can make the most of those relationships.
That said, your check vendor relationship may not be as healthy. Even if you’re okay with operating at a loss, nickel-and-dime fees combined with dismal customer service can cost you more than you’re comfortable with.
To save money and reduce headaches in 2026, compare your check vendor today.
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Got Your Goal for the New Year? Let Main Street Help You Reach it.
As your account holders set their sights on stronger financial habits for the new year, every campaign you create has the potential to reinforce that momentum. Whether you’re helping them pay down debt, save smarter, or plan ahead, the start of a new year is your moment to connect inspiration with action – and remind your community that healthier finances start close to home.
Sources:
Feldman, Jamie. “Why More People Are Using Small Banks and Credit Unions.” Kiplinger, February 4, 2025. https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/banking/more-people-are-using-small-banks-and-credit-unions
American Marketing Association. “Direct-Mail Campaigns Aren’t Dead: 7 Ways to Boost Responses and Save Money.” AMA. October 13, 2022. https://www.ama.org/2022/10/13/direct-mail-campaigns-arent-dead-7-ways-to-boost-responses-and-save-money
