More Mobile App Functionality – And Lower Fees – Drive Greater Value for MnCUN and Its Members
The Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) works to ensure the success of its 90 plus member credit unions, and their 4,000 plus employees, by providing leadership, political advocacy, and education. When MnCUN decided to replace its older, higher priced, event mobile app, it found the feature-rich, lower-priced GoEngage platform from MobileUp. MnCUN not only runs its annual conference and monthly events with MobileUp, but also engages members year-round with peer-to-peer groups, solution directories, job boards, and advocacy updates, providing more value to members while lowering overall licensing fees.
“We saw that not only could we run our events with it, but we could also create groups, directories, job boards and news updates in one place, in one app. The icing on the cake was the very reasonable MobileUp annual licensing fee that was over 60 percent less than our previous provider.”
Benjamin Hering
MnCUN Director of Engagement
Challenge: Find a Lower Priced Event App with More Comprehensive Member Engagement Capabilities
Ben Hering wasn’t looking for a new mobile app for member engagement when he was first introduced to MobileUp. But as director of engagement at the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) he thought he should at least take a look and learn more.
“A comprehensive member engagement mobile app wasn’t in our plans or budget, but we were pleased by what we saw in MobileUp,” Hering said. “We saw that not only could we run our events with it, but we could also create groups, directories, job boards and news updates in one place, in one app. The icing on the cake was the very reasonable MobileUp annual licensing fee that was over 60 percent less than our previous provider.”
Solution: Pay Less, Get More with MobileUp
“MobileUp is a powerful platform and it’s pretty amazing what it can do,” Hering said. “We thought we were just upgrading our event capabilities, but we were able to add other benefits for our members that we thought were going to take years and cost much more.”
The MnCUN communications team was able to quickly build out the event app component for MnCUN’s 500-attendee Annual Conference. Using MobileUp’s no- code content builder, the MnCUN communications team created the main sections including the Agenda, Speakers, Sponsors, and FAQs.
MobileUp’s API integration with MnCUN’s AMS, MemberClicks, quickly enabled importing of member information, login IDs, and password. Other major MnCUN events housed in MobileUp include the CEO Conference, Fall Leadership Conference, and Impact Day at the Capitol.
With the extra member engagement functionality of MobileUp, Hering was also able to create peer-to-peer groups focused on various subjects such as compliance, marketing, and operations. Those groups have provided an additional value to the peer-to-peer programming.
“Our members tell us they join our association for the idea-sharing, networking and continuing education, which have all gotten faster and easier to access via our mobile app,” Hering said. “They join for those promises, and they stay because we deliver on them in our events, through our website, and with our mobile app.”
Results: Meetings and Member Engagement Made Easier and Less Expensive with MobileUp
Member feedback on the mobile app has been overwhelmingly positive and app downloads are at 800 and growing.
Users now have access to over 20 Groups, providing functional department executives, CEOs, board executives, and advocacy experts the ability to share resources and stay in connection. MnCUN also puts Groups functionality to work for other special one-off events such as the CU Forward credit union awareness and community outreach day.
“For CU Forward Day, which is our day to spread kindness around the state and give back, we were able to coordinate the activities and schedules of 66 credit unions and their employees, as well as create Groups within the app to post photos, videos, and other information about the day,” Hering said. “It’s very easy and convenient to collect all these assets in one place for social media, news releases and archiving.”
Hering said the move to MobileUp has been a positive one for association staffers and members alike. The association gets a more flexible and powerful mobile app platform, and members get more access to association benefits, and their peers.
“Our mission is to ensure the success, growth and vitality of our member credit unions and MobileUp supports that,” Hering said. “The mobile app helps us produce events and programming that bring our members together, keep them connected, and allow them to learn, improve, and grow throughout the year whether we’re in-person, online, or on the move.”
