Ep 15: Adapting Your Community Bank And Customers To A New Digital Reality

OUR GUEST

Joette Barr

Vice President – Director of Marketing, First State Bank and Trust

Just because you are a smaller bank doesn’t mean you can’t evolve and adapt. Joette and her bank, First State Bank and Trust in Minnesota, prove that. 

The transition through COVID went surprisingly well, as her team developed a variety of communications for their customers and the bank transitioned 60-70 employees to work from home. 

With only one employee on her team and a small amount of marketing support, how has she served an older clientele, many of whom engaged with FSBT’s digital tools for the first time during this crisis? As marketers we sometimes neglect the fundamentals when serving a customer base that may have never engaged a bank's newer digital services. But, Joette’s team was able to clearly showcase the “step-by-step” process of using their digital tools, so customers felt more comfortable with the transition. 

And how does she plan to handle the uncertainty that lies ahead? Joette discusses how “one message” to your customer base won’t be enough. Everyone feels differently about how to “reopen their lives" just as counties, cities, and states differ on how to reopen their communities. 

Joette sees her bank continuing to invest in important digital priorities that marry up with their client needs, including digital appointment scheduling and online account opening. 

Also, what do Minnesotans love to eat? Tacos. Or at least that’s Joette’s favorite delicacy. 

More About Joette

Joette Barr has had a career in banking since 2002. She is currently the Vice President – Director of Marketing at First State Bank and Trust headquartered out of Bayport, MN. She holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict and lives in Stillwater, MN with her daughter. In her free time, she enjoys cheering on her daughter at dance competitions, running, and gardening.