Last week we pulled together our favorite articles from across the digital marketing community. All articles looked forward at what 2016 might hold for digital marketing. Today we look ahead at where we think credit unions are going in the year ahead. These are some of the trends you'll see us discuss on this blog in the year ahead.

The holidays have come and gone in a flash. Left in their wake is a new year.  A clean slate. No matter where you are in your credit union's digital marketing journey, the year ahead is loaded with potential. As the year unfolds, we'll see new tools, tactics and strategies for reaching new members and growing share of wallet.

Happy New Year!

Reaching millennials isn't a hidden, hot topic among credit unions. It's all hanging out there and has been for quite some time. In a July 2015 Focus Report, the Credit Union Times dives into different ways of thinking about Gen X and Gen Y and their roles as members, employees and board members. Credit Union Consulting Group Founder & CEO, Ryan Ruud, shares perspectives that instead of trying to reach younger generations, credit unions should look at what can be learned about these generations that will influence the entire member experience regardless of generation.

One of the most frequent digital marketing questions credit unions ask us at the Consulting Group is how can my credit union improve its organic search presence.

I've said in the past that I think content marketing is one of the greatest opportunities facing credit unions and other financial institutions when it comes to digital marketing. It serves both acquisition and retention efforts and is fuel to both increased organic search and paid advertising efforts.

I've written off and on about credit unions and millennials. I've had the privilege to speak to credit unions and leagues/associations on the topic. Mostly, I think because I'm unabashedly a Millennial myself. Albeit on the older end of the spectrum.

The U.S. Hispanic population continues to be a rapidly growing segment of super consumers and one that is increasingly digitally savvy. U.S. census data shows that since the 1970s, the population of Hispanics in the United States has grown 592%. In the first decade of the 2000s alone, Hispanics made up more than half of total U.S. population growth.

I've written in the past about how credit unions can better reach millennials. The truth is, the millennial opportunity is a well-known one for credit unions. The generation shows a high loyalty for socially responsible, community-oriented brands and are willing to spend more supporting those brands. Contrary to popular belief, Pew Research indicates their top priorities are being a good parent among other family-oriented concerns. Credit unions and millennials should be a match made in heaven.

The Credit Union Consulting Group's CEO, Ryan Ruud sounds off on the Credit Union Times website about the dangers of over-investment on "single acts of digital" and what the whole digital eco-system looks like for credit unions.