Extole

Gen Z trusts people, not brands. That might be a hard truth for marketers to swallow, but it’s also your biggest opportunity. With 77% of Gen Z relying on recommendations from friends to make purchases, peer proof is your ticket to reaching this younger cohort of consumers. Rather than relying solely on paid campaigns, invest in programs that let your customers speak for you. For Gen Z, a personalized referral from a friend will hold more weight than a polished ad ever could. Ditch the marketing sizzle and build the perfect referral program to reach Gen Z with these best practices: https://lnkd.in/eUbtWBUN

It's not hard to reach Gen Z if you know where they are. For the overwhelming majority of the younger generation, the answer to this question is simple: they are on their phones. New data from Velara revealed that 87% of Gen Z uses a digital banking product at least once a week, with 36% doing so daily. Not surprisingly, they outpace every other generation when it comes to mobile banking frequency. Whether budgeting, tracking their spending, investing, or planning for the future, Gen Z gravitates towards seamless, embedded digital experiences–especially when explicitly designed to fit their financial needs. Curious what that looks like? We've compiled some trends, best practices, and real-life examples for banks and credit unions looking to grow their Gen Z membership. Link in comments!

From PayPal’s famous $20 referral bonus to Chime’s attention-grabbing $100 referral reward, some of the most successful fintech companies have fueled viral growth through referrals. Here’s why referrals are such a powerful channel for financial services: ✔️ Lower and more predictable CAC than paid ads ✔️ Strong appeal to Millennials & Gen Z ✔️ Built-in trust through peer recommendations ✔️ Higher-value, longer-retained customers In our latest blog, we share 5 powerful examples of fintech referral programs from leaders like Chime, PayPal, Robinhood, Coinbase, and SoFi—plus what makes them so effective. Head to the comments to see our full breakdown ⬇️

If Google Ads cut you off tomorrow, would your business keep growing? For US Mobile CEO Ahmed Khattak, this question was more than just a hypothetical. It was a challenge, and he decided to take it on. Head to the blog to see what happened when US Mobile fired Google Ads, and what marketers can learn from the surprising results: https://lnkd.in/eTKXfXxv

Gen Z is the future of credit unions, but right now, they make up only 10% of members. With their spending power projected to hit $12.6 trillion by 2030, the question is: How can credit unions attract and retain this powerful generation? In our latest blog, we explore: -What Gen Z really wants from their banking experience (according to new research) -The hold “finance influencers” have over Gen Z -How referral programs can spark real engagement -Creative strategies to connect with teens and young adults Check the link in the comments for the ultimate Gen Z strategy guide for CUs ⬇️

You shouldn’t have to choose between an optimized referral program and a workable launch timeline. Referral programs have become increasingly sophisticated, especially those that deal with industry-specific use cases. Credit unions and retailers in particular are managing journeys that are more complex, customized, and interconnected than ever. At Extole, we’ve spent years refining the referral architectures that consistently drive 20–30% of new customer growth—and we’ve made our highest-performing program structures available as pre-configured flows in Flow Builder. With intelligent default rules, relevant events, and templatized creative experiences, each industry-specific flow is built to support maximum complexity with minimal setup time. Explore our latest blog to see Extole’s out-of-the-box solutions for retailers and credit unions, including: • CU-specific Welcome Offer & Refer-a-Member journeys • In-branch and printable share tools • Retail workflows aligned with Shopify events • Flexible ambassador program structures Head to the link in the comments to see the tools designed to cut your launch times in half ⬇️