Social networking has turned people into oversharers. Until it’s time to talk about banking.
Consumers need to take the approach that a certain toilet paper manufacturer is taking in a series of new commercials, where they say, “It’s time to get serious about what happens in the bathroom.”
The notion is a little bit off-putting when it comes to discussing bathroom habits, but when it comes to banking products, sharing is caring.
I was reading about a new app, called Trippy, which acts as a social travel planner for individuals. You can set up boards, similar to Pinterest, and share places you’ve either been to, or places you’d like to go. You can share the boards on other social networks to get advice or comments from your friends.
This would make a great banking product. Part of the reason that people have long been afraid to buy new cars is because they don’t like the process. The haggling, the back and forth, the fear of being taken. But if people would use their social networks to share the terms of their car purchases and finance products, it would remove much of the mystique behind buying a car, and give consumers more leverage in determining their financing options and terms.
Instead of sharing a post about the size of dead raccoon you just saw on the side of the road, post something that will actually help people. Tell them how you managed to get a new car for $1,500 below sticker price with a 2.9% rate on a 60-month loan from Main Street Bank without needing to make a down payment.
Aggregating all that information into an app would provide a tremendous advantage to consumers.
