EXCLUSIVE – For all the talk about appealing to millenials, not that many banks or FIs out there have figured out social media. Sure, most of them (if not all) use various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, or even YouTube to promote their products and services, but it wasn’t easy to find ones that were a good mix of product placement, humor, entertainment, and information. However, a few of them seem to be doing a pretty good job. Here are our five picks for the FIs and fintechs that are #winning social media.
JPMorgan Chase’s Instagram
While Instagram may not be the first social media platform that springs to mind when one thinks of banks (or the second, or the third) some banks are using the picture-based platform right.
Take JPMorgan Chase, which currently has accounts for both J.P. Morgan, with 76,400 followers, as well as for consumer-facing Chase bank, with 62,300 followers. Rather than focusing solely on shots of cellphones, reward screenshots, or bank posters, the bank’s instagram account appears to be taking its cue from the locals: the account showcases scenic shots in locales like Morocco or Colorado, as well as many, many pictures of food and coffee (from local Chase businesses).
The bank’s products and services have their place on the account, of course, but crafted a bit differently than the approach of its other platforms: a post about saving money by buying fresh fruit to make jam, with a picture of ripe blueberries, might be accompanied by a hashtag for one its credit products, for instance. Or, the bank might promote savings with a spotify playlist.
Of course, sometimes there are shots of the bank’s headquarters in low light, with the bank’s logo shining through the windows, but if there’s any place to forgive the occasional selfie, it’s Instagram.
Loot’s Twitter
Loot is a U.K. based current accounts fintech startup that caters to an audience between the ages of 18-25, so naturally it takes well to Twitter and other social media platforms. With a young team (its CEO Ollie Purdue is only 24), Loot’s tweets are funny and light-hearted, but also educational.
The company, with 2,400 followers, has a good mix tweets that range from celebrity (check this one on Meghan Markle) to #millennial topics (for instance: The lessons I learnt being single in my 20s) to strategic marketing plugs for the brand. One reason Bank Innovation loves Loot’s Twitter account is because they are not afraid to comment on industry news, such as Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg’s recent testimony, nor are they coy about addressing topics like gender equality (check out this tweet). But on the other hand, Loot will also tell you if you are attending the right party or hand out drinking dos and dont’s. Not sure if any other bank or neobank does that.
Based in London, Loot was launched in 2014, as a mobile-first app centered around PFM capabilities. Loot doesn’t have a banking license, but instead works with Wirecard on the banking front and Mastercard for its debit cards.




