As the social media manager for SECU in Linthicum, Md., Linda Bernstein prides herself on solving problems for people and striving to respond to questions within five minutes.

“If our members have gotten to the point of going to social media and they’re upset, things need to happen quickly,” she says.

It’s that empathy and passion that have driven Bernstein to innovate and grow the social media presence of the $4.4 billion asset credit union by 117% in the past year.

When Bernstein joined SECU a little more than two years ago, one of her goals was to earn the credit union a spot on The Financial Brand’s “Top 100 Credit Unions Using Social Media” list. SECU made the list in 2021.

When word got out that Bernstein knew how to create professional videos, SECU immediately encouraged her to use those skills. Since then, she has created more than 50 videos.

When members experienced long wait times on the phone during the coronavirus pandemic, she developed a series of videos to help them access financial services on SECU’s website. 

She also created videos to raise employee morale and provide in-house training.

 During the pandemic, Bernstein noticed a need for social media content that could lift members’ spirits. 

“I worked on making our pages a place that could bring happiness to people,” Bernstein says.

She also implemented a giveaway campaign that ran for two months. The contests and prizes—and the positive energy they generated—kept members engaged with the credit union’s online channels and provided a venue for updates on the coronavirus and other news.

To keep a steady flow of new and inspiring content, Bernstein asked members to nominate outstanding first responders and teachers, who were featured weekly and awarded with gifts of appreciation.

Bernstein played a central role in bringing to fruition SECU’s first-ever Virtual End of Year Concert.

She emceed the livestream featuring a local ’80s cover band, which lifted the spirits of members and employees at a time when it was sorely needed.