Top 5 Salesforce Marketing Cloud Features to Drive Deposit Growth in Banks & Credit Unions

Growing deposits in an evolving financial environment is a huge priority for banks and credit unions. Salesforce Marketing Cloud (MC) equips financial institutions with powerful tools to automate, personalize, and optimize their marketing efforts. MC makes it easier to boost deposit growth. Here are 5 top features in Marketing Cloud that a Salesforce admin can leverage, along with examples of how they are used in real banking scenarios. 

1. Journey Builder for Personalized Customer Engagement 

Journey Builder helps banks and credit unions create automated journeys to engage with customers at every stage of their financial lifecycle, including onboarding, cross-sell opportunities, and loyalty programs. 

Example:   

A regional credit union implemented a welcome journey for new members using Journey Builder. By offering educational resources about the benefits of high-yield savings accounts and incentives for early deposits, the credit union was able to increase average initial deposits by 15%. Personalized email sequences triggered by account activity ensured new members remained engaged and increased their savings balance over time. 

Why it works for deposit growth:   

By tailoring an automated customer journey based on account activity, financial institutions can provide offers that capture the consumer’s intent when it’s happening and offer a reason to complete the action or take the next step toward engagement, such as deposit matching. 

2. Audience Builder for Precise Targeting 

Audience Builder allows financial institutions to segment customers based on demographics, account activity, and other data sources. This precise targeting can be invaluable for creating successful deposit campaigns. 

Example:   

A midsize bank segmented their customers by transaction history, identifying high-income earners who had only opened checking accounts. By targeting these individuals with tailored offers for savings and CD accounts, the bank saw a 20% boost in deposits from this segment within six months. 

Why it works for deposit growth:   

Audience Builder makes it easy to find and target key customer groups who may be more likely to respond to specific deposit growth strategies, such as high-yield savings accounts or promotional rates. 

3. Email Studio for Targeted Campaigns 

Email Studio empowers admins to send personalized emails that drive engagement and action. By integrating customer relationship management (CRM) data, emails can include dynamic content to personalize offers based on individual customer behavior. Now your emails can be as responsive and customized as those from big retailers. 

Example:   

A large national bank used Email Studio to send automated campaigns encouraging customers to open new savings accounts by offering tiered interest rates based on deposit amounts. By personalizing emails according to each customer’s financial behavior, they increased deposit contributions by 12% over a three-month campaign. 

Why it works for deposit growth:   

Email Studio allows for personalized, targeted communication, which is essential for encouraging customers to increase their deposits. Admins can automate email triggers based on customer actions, such as low balance notifications or promotions for additional deposits. 

4. Advertising Studio for Cross-Channel Marketing 

Advertising Studio connects CRM data to advertising platforms, allowing financial institutions to reach customers across social media, search engines, and other digital channels. This is a big one. Do you know how hard it is to target across channels without enlisting additional resources? 

Example:   

A credit union used Advertising Studio to retarget members who had visited their website but hadn’t completed a savings account application. By integrating Salesforce data with Facebook and Google Ads, they delivered personalized ads that highlighted competitive interest rates. This approach resulted in a 30% increase in completed savings applications. 

Why it works for deposit growth:   

Cross-channel advertising ensures that banks and credit unions can maintain consistent messaging across all platforms. By retargeting people who are already familiar with the brand, financial institutions can encourage them to take action, such as increasing their deposits. 

5. Einstein for Predictive Analytics and Recommendations 

Einstein Analytics uses AI-powered predictive insights to identify account holders who are most likely to increase their deposits, allowing for more efficient and targeted marketing efforts. 

Example:   

A regional bank used Einstein to predict which customers were likely to need new deposit products, based on their recent financial behavior. By sending these customers personalized offers for savings products, they saw a significant increase in deposits. Additionally, Einstein’s real-time analytics helped the bank adjust their campaign based on customer responses, further boosting their success. 

Why it works for deposit growth:   

Einstein’s predictive capabilities enable financial institutions to anticipate consumer needs before they arise, making deposit growth campaigns more proactive and successful.