How data analytics in banking helps financial institutions create meaningful, measurable growth
Most financial institutions are sitting on more data than they know what to do with. Engagement marketing is simply the act of turning that data into something useful, like a message that reaches an account holder the moment they need it, or a programmatic ad that reconnects with someone already exploring a product. It’s practical, achievable, and, as our recent webinar showed, becoming a major driver of growth across deposits and lending. Institutions using data‑activated campaigns see nearly 3X faster product adoption on average, based on an Alkami customer survey.
During the webinar, Hocus Focus: Sharpen Your Marketing Skills with Data That Works, marketing leaders Jeffrey (Jeff) Wright, digital communications strategy manager at Colony Bank and Ethan O’Day, business intelligence analyst at Thomaston Savings Bank, shared how data analytics in banking is helping them move faster, personalize more deeply, and deliver real results across deposits, lending, and digital engagement. Their stories were refreshing, sometimes surprising, and full of practical takeaways any financial institution can put into play.
Here are the top insights and the moments that made the ideas feel practical and achievable.
Data you can actually use makes all the difference
The session began with a familiar challenge: data is everywhere, but that doesn’t make it easy to use. As Jeff Wright put it, when you can trust the data you have, you can figure out the impact you’re having. Trustworthy data makes everything downstream easier. When marketing teams don’t have to wait weeks for reports or wonder whether their targeting is accurate, they can:
- Validate ideas quickly
- Anticipate account holder needs
- Personalize with confidence
- Automate and test without fear
- Show their value internally
It also makes engagement marketing feel less like a heavy lift and more like a natural extension of how institutions want to serve account holders.
Turning data into growth: the case studies that stole the show
The webinar highlighted real, revenue-driving campaigns. The results stood out for their speed and simplicity.
$4M in certificate of deposit (CD) growth in four months
Thomaston Savings Bank launched a 13-month and 30‑month CD campaign targeting account holders who didn’t already have those products. Using online banking, the public website, mobile, and print channels, the team was able to activate the campaign quickly.
What happened:
- $4M in new CD balances
- Most of it was new money
- Quick build using intuitive segmentation
- Consistent activation across channels
For a community financial institution, those numbers, driven by focused execution and clear targeting, matter.
$3.5M more from a six‑month CD campaign
A similar approach produced another $3.5M. Together, the two CD initiatives brought in $7.5M, driven by Ethan O’Day, who described Alkami’s Data & Marketing Solution as so intuitive it could be used right out of college.
It’s a reminder that strong engagement marketing doesn’t require a large team or heavy technical support, just the right tools, reliable data and clear strategy.
$21M in new consumer loans
A Midwest institution deployed an out‑of‑the‑box mortgage cross‑sell campaign aimed at renters, competitive mortgage holders, and individuals showing signs of home shopping. The entire campaign ran through email.
Outcome:
- $21M in new loans in 60 days
- Minimal lift required
- Built from a preconfigured, ready‑to‑use campaign
Key insights uncovered in the demo
After results like these, many attendees wanted a closer look to see how campaigns like this come together. The demo walked through the process in detail, showing how teams move from behavioral data to activation. A few parts drew the most attention:
Finding unexpected influencers in your data
- Analyzing transaction patterns revealed several account holders with meaningful followings, including creators and local college athletes already monetizing their influence. The lesson wasn’t to go find influencers. They were already account holders with the institution. From there, a brand ambassador program emerged. It’s a great example of how data analytics in banking can uncover creative, non‑obvious opportunities without compromising privacy.
Identifying hidden commercial opportunities inside consumer data
Jeff shared a story about identifying account holders who appeared to be running business expenses through a personal checking account. Using actionable behavioral data, marketers could hand bankers a targeted outreach list, turning cold calls into warm conversations. It’s an insight that is hard to surface without the right tools.
Building personas from real behavior, not assumptions
Ethan described how demographic and behavioral data informed web experiences, factoring in recent shopping categories, lifestyle indicators, and financial priorities. One standout example was seeing which merchants certain segments visited just days earlier. The team was empowered to build behavioral segments that guided more relevant product recommendations.
Teller‑line personalization still matters
For account holders who prefer in‑branch conversations, data doesn’t replace the human touch, it enhances it. With appropriate permissions and privacy‑safe prompts, frontline staff can reference recent needs to support more natural conversations.
Automation replacing time‑consuming renewal calls
Colony Bank automated CD renewal outreach with a 14‑day reminder, a seven‑day follow‑up, and clear options. This routed inbound inquiries to the team instead of forcing them to chase outbound calls. The shift saved time, reduced voicemail dead ends, and made account holders feel more supported.
The “easy button” for campaign creation
When the team demonstrated a streamlined workflow to build an audience and launch a campaign quickly, interest spiked. For financial institution marketers juggling dozens of priorities, going from idea to data to activation in minutes removes intimidation and accelerates testing.
Programmatic: extending your reach beyond digital banking
A standout theme was the power of pairing engagement marketing with programmatic digital advertising. When account holders visit your website, show interest, and leave, programmatic lets you:
- Reconnect with them on trusted news and content sites
- Reinforce product interest
- Retarget based on real behavioral signals
- Stretch media dollars further
- Tie conversions back to ad views
This is where data analytics in banking becomes a competitive advantage. You’re no longer guessing who might be your target. You’re responding to signals with precision. With capabilities like always‑on campaigns, predictive AI, and automated attribution reporting, your team can prove impact and optimize faster.
Five takeaways you can use right now
- Start with data you trust. Everything else builds from there.
- Personalize around moments, not demographics. Behavior > broad categories.
- Automate the predictable things. Journeys create consistency and free your team to think bigger.
- Expand channels thoughtfully, especially programmatic. Reinforcing interest outside digital banking unlocks higher return on investment.
- Stay curious. Engagement marketing rewards teams who explore, test, and iterate.
Engagement marketing works best when it’s backed by clear, trustworthy data. When teams can see what account holders are prioritizing and respond with timely, relevant outreach, the experience improves for everyone involved. Over time, that consistency builds trust and strengthens relationships in ways teams can measure.
Ready to put these ideas to work?
