millennials-5-11-16.pngIn my work advising community banks on capital and liquidity issues, one of the more common concerns I encounter is how to deal with a changing shareholder base. As existing shareholders age or pass away, they are bequeathing their stock to children and grandchildren, many of whom have no connection to the bank or no longer live in the same community.

Engaging and retaining these younger shareholders has become a challenge—they might sell the shares at a discounted price or fail to support the bank or subsequent capital raises. After all, as all community banks know: A bank’s best shareholders are its customers. Fortunately, there are a number of things community banks can do now to foster better relationships with the younger generation, including millennials.

1. Embrace the Crowd

The recent adoption of Regulation A+, a provision under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, allows small companies to raise up to $50 million in crowdfunded offerings from non-accredited investors in any 12-month period. Millennials are natural crowdfunding investors. In fact, millennials’ craving for connection and desire to give back to their communities makes them more likely to participate in crowdfunding than more traditional capital raises.

That’s a benefit to community banks that are looking to raise capital under Reg A+. Already, several community banks have filed Reg A+ offerings to either issue shares in connection with a merger/acquisition or to redeem preferred stock issued from the Small Business Lending Fund, or SBLF, program. We’ll be keeping an eye on these offerings to see how they progress.

2. Get Tech Savvy

While most bank directors will remember a time before the Internet and mobile phones, today’s youth were weaned on smartphones. Millennials have seen technology transform and disrupt almost every aspect of their lives, from how they communicate, to how they consume entertainment, to how they bank.

In fact, according to a Viacom Media Networks’ survey, The Millennial Disruption Index, 68 percent of millennials believe that in five years, the way we access money will be totally different. Seventy percent believe that the way we pay for things will be completely different and 33 percent believe they won’t need a bank at all. Eek!

For community banks, that means investing in technology is critical. Online and mobile banking services are no longer optional, they are essential. Also, young and old alike are relying on web sites and electronic delivery of company reports and financial information so they can make investment decisions. To meet that demand, banks on our OTCQX market are providing news, quarterly and annual financial reports, which can be easily accessed via Yahoo! Finance and other financial portals.

Banks that don’t invest in their web presence to ensure their news travels risk being overlooked by millennials researching them online.

3. Invest in Education

Millennials grew up during the recession and are more frugal than the generation before. At the same time, they are more skeptical of traditional authority figures when it comes to managing their finances. All this has a resulted in a certain anxiety around finances. A recent study by Bank of America Corp. and USA Today found 41 percent of millennials are “chronically stressed” about money. Only one-third (34 percent) of millennials feel content about their finances, while many are anxious (2 percent) and overwhelmed (22 percent).

For community banks, that presents a tremendous opportunity for education. Chicago-area Liberty Bank for Savings has held free workshops on reducing student debt, even bringing in a debt specialist. Virginia Beach, Virginia’s Bank @tlantic holds regular “lunch and learn” sessions with guest speakers on everything from first-time home buying to cybersecurity for small businesses.

4. Think Outside the Box

Heads buried in their smartphones and tablets, millennials have gained a reputation that they care only about themselves. But that’s just not true. In truth, millennials care deeply about their local communities and the world around them. They want to know that what they do makes a difference. That presents a significant opportunity for community banks which are already deeply embedded in the communities they serve.

But it also means thinking about your community involvement differently. Instead of simply donating to local organizations, organize events where millennials can get involved. Liberty Bank for Savings partnered with a local news site to sponsor a Saturday night “taco crawl” to five local taco restaurants. Other banks have had success inviting their millennial customers to exclusive events they might not otherwise be able to attend like high-profile fashion shows and sporting events.

Think outside the box and you’ll find other ways to engage today’s youth as customers and shareholders.

Maggie Chou