The biggest determiner of your next campaign’s success isn’t the rate you advertise or the channels you activate – it’s the words you use. Language is the most important make-or-break component of your marketing efforts (and it’s why we talk about it so much).

You don’t have to be a super wordsmith to make your language friendlier and easier to understand. A few small changes can help you sound more human and give your audience the confidence to convert.

Here are a few places to start:

1. Say “car loan,” not “auto loan”

Search data shows people look for “car loan” about 20% more often than “auto loan.” Why? Because a car is what you drive, an auto loan is something a credit union holds on its balance sheet — the distinction is important.

Using the language your members use might sound obvious but a quick look at your own website might surprise you. A simple change like “car” instead of “auto” can make a big difference: matching your product pages to the words users are typing into their search bar puts you in front of more people; it’s also SEO table stakes.

Think about other product names too. Are you using internal jargon or outdated terms? You can use Google Trends for free to explore different search traffic. Go there now and type in “signature loan” versus “personal loan” versus “unsecured loan” and see what you get. The answer might surprise you!

Next step: Why not try an A/B test on the subject line of your next email campaign. Use “car loan” versus “auto loan” versus “vehicle loan”. You’ll get instant confirmation of what resonates most with your members.

2. Ditch the dreamy language

We’ve agreed as a system to use some certain terms. There are words and phrases that we all use, every day, that simply don’t exist in common parlance. We have teams named after them, we host events focused on them … and yet no members are Googling “financial wellbeing” or talking about their “financial journey”.

Your members (and your employees!) aren’t talking to their friends about how they want to improve their financial literacy or find a partner to support their financial success. These words sound great in a marketing plan or at a team meeting and are fantastic aims for your organization, but they aren’t how real people talk, and they don’t give your audience tangible goals or solutions.

People search for things like “buy a car” and “get out of debt” – phrases that reflect what they actually want to achieve. Make sure your copy uses the action-oriented, everyday language that people actually use. It improves trust, builds connection, and helps folks find you better in the first place.

Next step: Take a look at your marketing materials “financial [wellness/journey/wellbeing, etc.]” and replace it — or make plans to replace it — with something more specific.

3. Explain the acronyms

The shorthand we’ve all agreed to use is riddled with acronyms. APY, YTD, LTV, etc. these all means something to us, but only because we’ve agreed they will. To the average American (who reads at a 7th or 8th grade reading level) these are easily misunderstood or misinterpreted as “gotcha” moments, particularly when the only explanation about them is asterisked small print.

Maybe this is why just over a third of our members understand fee structures? And maybe that’s why trust in credit unions compared to banks — what for years was a gimme for our system — is starting to level out?

Next step: Take a look at your website; look for where you can increase understanding about some of these fundamental terms. Call-out boxes, sidebars, etc. are prime real estate to help provide clarity on a page about some of the terms and acronyms your members may be confused by.

4. Lead with outcomes, not features

For years, we’ve been telling credit unions to “Put your mission where your mouth is.” It’s nice to be validated. J.D. Power’s 2026 Credit Union Satisfaction Study found an interesting disconnect in credit union marketing:  

“The topics credit unions communicate to their members most frequently — new products and features, current products and features and special offers — deliver low levels of member satisfaction, while topics correlated with higher levels of member satisfaction, such as ways to save money or financial advice, are not communicated as frequently.”

In other words, credit unions are focusing on the wrong topics, talking about the what (i.e., accounts, loans, rates, terms) that don’t give the warm fuzzies, instead of explaining the why and the how. Why do I need a savings account? How is refinancing going to help my budget?

Next step: Try adding more context to your next campaign. Instead of just “we have personal loans with low rates and a range of terms” think about how to focus on solving problems. Maybe, “Need to pay for a big purchase, home improvements or an emergency? A personal loan could provide the money you need.”

5. Make your calls to action specific and reassuring

Specific, member-centered button copy consistently outperforms generic prompts. Small, easy upgrades:

• “Click here” → “Apply now”
• “Apply now” → “Apply for my car loan”
• “Check my rate” → “Check my rate in 60 seconds — won’t affect your credit”

Tell the user exactly what happens next to reduce friction and confusion and give your members more confidence.

Next step: Audit your website and update any link that uses “click here”. Rewrite it to name the action and/or benefit.

6. Test, test, and test again … on humans

We have a rule at Mission Brands, that nobody can ever proof their own work and that should apply at your credit union, too. Whether you’re writing an email to members or all staff, or you’re creating a new web page, for the reasons listed above and so many more, you should make sure someone else is involved in the process.

It’s that second pair of eyes that will call out if your marketing copy rambles on in long sentences, or how many complex terms or jargon are sprinkled all over the place.

If you’ve written it, and you understand what you’re saying, how could you reasonably, objectively assess if your writing requires your members to connect the dots?

Simple words, short sentences, direct language – three rules to live by, that you should ask another person to hold you to account against. You’re not dumbing down your marketing copy, you’re ensuring more people will understand what you’re saying and be able to act.

Next step: Aim to keep your copy at Harry Potter reading level. Have someone read your next email or landing page out loud. If they stumble or have to re-read a line, simplify it. Challenge yourself to make each sentence as simple as possible without losing the core meaning.

None of these changes require new tools, a bigger team, or a redesign – just a closer look at your existing content through your members’ eyes. The result is members who feel instantly seen and understood, and what could be better than that?

Want help putting your member language to the test?

Get in touch with our team to explore how to make your marketing more effective.