Market where your customers live.
That advice still stands today, but in our current climate customers live in the social media world. Social media demands focused consistency. If you are not constantly posting relevant content, you could be getting lost in the noise. Just like any other form of marketing, social media marketing costs you the most precious currency - time. Since time is so valuable, it's worth it to put an emphasis on social media to reach prospects compared to traditional mortgage marketing techniques, like snail mail and email. The importance lies not only in the consistency, but also the type of content you are posting. It’s important to remain genuine and knowledgeable.
So, what does an LO have to do to stand out?
Pick the Most Effective Platforms
According to Pew Research, Facebook's demographics are distributed in three key areas of the country, 75% is Urban, 67% is Suburban and 58% are in Rural communities. This means reaching the full spectrum of home buyers is now a possibility. No matter what type of home loan product you offer, be it: FHA, VA, JUMBO, or USDA, having a Facebook presence can benefit you.
Instagram is owned by Facebook, so you can reach the same demographic. The biggest difference is the Instagram user's intent. Most people that are browsing their Instagram feed are not there to buy a house, they are looking at visually pleasing pictures and engaging video content.
Many people often say LinkedIn is "Facebook For Professionals." Most consumers are not searching for their dream home on LinkedIn. The biggest bang for your buck as a Loan Officer will come from networking and prospecting with other industry insiders. Add something about it being a great way to build relationships with referral partner prospects.
Commit
"I will do it when I have time,” is not enough to stand out as a mortgage expert on social media. You need to commit to consistent posting and it’s best to come up with a strategy. HubSpot analyzed Facebook data from their 13,500+ customers to see if posting more frequently would help businesses reach more people. They found that pages with more than 10,000 followers were the only ones that saw an increased number of clicks when posting more than once per day. Pages with less than 10,000 followers received 50 percent fewer clicks per post when they published twice per day. Posting once per day or 5 times per week seems to be the sweet spot. If you're a Loan Officer that likes to plan ahead, there are many options for scheduling out your social media posts ahead of time. This will give you more time to focus on your clients rather than trying to think of clever posts on the fly. Try these apps: Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Later, and Loomly just to name a few!
Know Your Audience
Consider your audience and what they want, not what you think they want. “I think the most important thing is to know your audience,” says Joe Pekula, Senior Marketing Manager at Princeton Mortgage. “Your general homebuyer is not going to be a mortgage expert. Be knowledgeable, but approachable and relatable.” Your social media audience should know that you are an expert in the mortgage industry, but feel comfortable enough to approach you with questions that will ultimately make them a prospective customer. You can accomplish this by joining your local community pages and regularly engaging with them. Another way to earn their trust and be more relatable is by posting genuine content.
Personal Content
People tend to move toward someone they know, like, and trust – someone they feel good or comfortable with. The first step is to position yourself as a likable, trusted advisor, not as a salesperson. Customers want someone they can trust to help them make a good decision. Sharing your personal content on social media makes your customers and referral partners see you as a genuine person that they know and can relate to.
Videos: Videos are a terrific way to be real with your audience. Use them to teach bout the home buying process, share a success story, or give tips. It’s the most efficient way to engage with your audience and quickly deliver your message.
Education: There’s so much misinformation on the internet. Use your platform to educate and inform. Think about the questions you get asked on a regular basis from customers and referrals and begin there. Current events are also a great way to stay topical. If a borrower reads that rates have dropped, find ways to educate your audience on how they can benefit.
Testimonials: When you have a positive closing experience, snap a picture and post it. When you receive a positive testimonial, share it! Testimonials are social proof to your audience that you’re a trustworthy resource in our industry. It shows them that other homebuyers have had success with you, and you can do the same for them! “As someone in the mortgage industry, you are helping someone make the largest financial purchase or decision of their lives,” Says Brian Nealon, Senior Marketing Manager at Princeton Mortgage. “Keep that in mind when posting on social media and remember to display the personal side of the story. That emotional pull will attract your audience.” Tagging the realtor, the title agency, the borrowers, and the location in your posts will also help to boost engagement and shares.
People move toward value. When it comes to customers, you create value by being likable and trustworthy, solving their problems, and making them feel good. You’ll also need to be in what we call flow with them. Flow is the frequency of interactions with people – face-to-face, on the phone, through the mail, through email, AND through social media.
Trust in the Law of Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you receive. Simply put, your mission is to give your borrowers and referral partners a better experience than they would get from other lenders. You may be able to do this by getting to closing faster, getting them in a product they didn’t expect, reducing their stress, keeping them informed and solving problems, or finding them ways to save money.
Customers want someone they can trust to help them make a good decision.
Remember the importance of your vibe. Do customers get the vibe that you are there to help them or to sell them? This is an important factor in our Princeton Selling System and 90% of our Loan Officers increase their volume 200% just by following it. Sound interesting? Connect with the Princeton Mortgage team today by visiting careers.princetonmortgage.com to learn more!