Webinar Recap: Scaling Smart: Building a National Brand Through Digital Acquisition

The financial services landscape is more competitive than ever. Customers expect seamless digital experiences, and acquiring high-quality deposits isn’t just about offering a competitive rate – it’s about building trust and investing in digital channels that actually deliver results.

In our recent webinar, Scaling Smart: Building a National Brand Through Digital Acquisition, FVCbank, Plinqit, and Fintel Connect unpacked how top financial brands shifted from traditional marketing to digital acquisition channels like affiliates and what it takes to become a digital-first institution while maintaining strong customer relationships.

Watch the full recording here!

The Panel

• Danielle Lauzon, VP of Growth & Strategy, Fintel Connect (Moderator)
• Kathleen Craig, Founder & CEO, Plinqit
• Patricia Ferrick, President, FVCbank

1. Setting the Stage

The webinar kicked off by setting the stage: FVCbank, a $2.3B community bank with eight branches across Virginia, Maryland, and DC, built growth in strong relationships and personalized service. Plinqit helps banks engage customers and grow deposits. FVCbank initially partnered with Plinqit to boost deposits – but they quickly realized that breaking into new markets meant digital reach was necessary.

That’s where Fintel Connect’s expertise came in. As the only affiliate platform built specifically for financial institutions, Fintel Connect helped FVCbank:

• Position their product in new markets
• Make the leap into digital acquisition channels and expand their reach
• Invest in performance-based acquisition through trusted affiliate partners

“We wanted to be able to diversify our portfolio mix, offer competitive products and see how to grow outside of our market. Get core customers and get core deposits outside of our market” – Patricia, FVCbank

2. Roadblocks to Scaling

Here’s the truth: even the best product and a competitive rate won’t move deposits by themselves. FVCbank’s first attempts? Not hitting the mark. And with liquidity pressures after 2023, it was clear – they needed a smarter approach.

They tried channels like Raisin to pull in out-of-market deposits – but what they really needed was a channel that could build trust, retain customers, and reach new markets efficiently.

Patricia explained that FVCbank was initially reluctant to spend additional marketing dollars – they already had a strong product and competitive rates. But after some discussion and guidance, they were introduced to Fintel Connect and realized they needed to take the leap: “We thought, we’ve got to try this, see how it works. We made the investment, set things up, and we’re ready to go.” She added that it took a little convincing to get there, but ultimately, making that decision made all the difference.

3. The Power of Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the most underutilized and cost-effective ways for financial institutions to scale. It helps you reach potential customers where they’re already researching and comparing options. By partnering with trusted third-party sites and comparison platforms like NerdWallet, you get credible exposure in front of high-intent audiences. And the best part? You only pay for customers who convert. Kathleen and Patricia shared that FVCbank’s deposit growth has grown by 160% through leveraging the affiliate channel.

4. Secret Words to Unlock Marketing Dollars

You’ve decided to take the leap and start utilizing the affiliate channel. Now what? Getting leadership buy-in can be tricky – but the panel shared a simple hack for asking for affiliate marketing budget:

“If the goal is $10M in deposits, can we just test with 0.5% of that budget for a year?”

Start small, measure results, and scale only when it makes sense. The beauty of affiliate marketing? You only pay for accounts that actually open. Every dollar is tied to real results, which makes it easier to earn trust and get leadership on board.

5. The Conversation Too Many Banks Ignore

Kathleen shared her surprise at how many bankers she’s spoken to who still haven’t opened an account online with their own bank – let alone with another bank or a fintech. She emphasized the importance of experiencing the process firsthand because if you’re not testing the user journey, you can’t compare vendors or understand what makes a good experience versus a frustrating one. Identifying friction points early is critical, because choosing a partner with a clunky process can cost you more in marketing and reduce conversions.

Danielle Lauzon added that a strong conversion funnel is just as crucial as a strong product. Even a highly appealing product won’t convert if the user experience is poor. The panel emphasized that investing in a seamless process benefits everyone: customers, affiliates, and the bank. It reduces wasted marketing spend, increases conversions, and builds trust in your brand. As Trish put it, “a partner needs to make your life easier, simplify things and for the customer”.

6. Key Strategies for National Expansion

1. Marketing as a Growth Lever
   Competitive rates matter, but they can’t do the heavy lifting alone. Keep your product rates in the top ~15% of the market, then allocate the rest of your budget toward marketing and building a strong affiliate program. Treat it as a test-and-learn engine: invest, measure, optimize, and scale based on performance. That’s how momentum turns into sustainable growth.
2. Driving Quality Acquisitions
   Affiliate marketing builds trust from the first interaction. Minimum account funding thresholds filter out unqualified leads, and trusted affiliates attract high-value depositors who stick around.
3. Budget Smart, Test, Optimize
   Strategically allocating marketing dollars allows banks to test, iterate, and scale while building confidence across teams and leadership.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, digital growth isn’t just about clicks or conversions – it’s about connection. The financial brands winning today are those that meet customers where they are, earn their trust through credible channels like the affiliate channel, and keep evolving with data-backed strategies.

If you want to learn more about how the affiliate channel can boost your deposit growth, contact us. Our team of experts will be thrilled to help you.

Check out the full breakdown in the recording here!