Marketing your mortgage business in the right way is one of the most important aspects of steady growth. Mortgage marketing can sound complex, but once you understand the basics of successful marketing all that is left to succeed is your mindset and motivation for implementing the strategies that will allow you to reach your goals.
In this mortgage marketing guide, I will first break down the basics of how to market your mortgage business, then I will give you marketing ideas as well as some of the key experts that my clients have used to scale their business to new levels.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
General Mortgage Marketing Tips
How Do Mortgage Loan Originators Get Clients?
How Do I Market My Mortgage Business?
How Do You Generate Mortgage Loan Leads Through Marketing?
What Must Be Included in A Mortgage Advertisement?
51 Ideas for Mortgage Marketing
Mortgage Marketing Experts and Paid Services
GENERAL MORTGAGE MARKETING TIPS
How Do Mortgage Loan Originators Get Clients?
There are a variety of ways that a mortgage loan originator can find clients. The first, and most important, is to leverage your connections and focus on relationship-building. Developing strong, trusted relationships is an important aspect in all your efforts to gain new (and keep existing) clients.
1. Consider the needs of your inner circle – your friends and family.
Often, we forget to turn to those closest to us when in fact these are the people who are most willing to give us their business. Your friends and family already know, like, and trust you, which is half the battle of gaining clients.
Are you positive your friends and family know exactly what you do and the mortgage services you offer? I once lost business to my sister-in-law because she thought I didn’t do refinances!
Educate your inner circle on how you can help them and pay close attention to the milestones in their life where you might be able to offer your expertise.
2. Leverage your day-to-day relationships.
How many people do you see daily that you could turn into a client?
You likely have a consistent hairdresser, dentist, doctor, even local grocery store employee that you see regularly. Make the effort to be present in your community and to have meaningful conversations with the people you interact with each day. You would be surprised how many of these people are open to using your services.
3. Develop your referral partner network.
Make an active effort to contact and develop relationships with realtors, financial planners, divorce attorneys, etc. in your market that can refer clients to you.
Set aside time each day or week to call new and existing referral partners. Find out their biggest problems so you can offer solutions and provide value.
Remember to focus on building a deeper relationship, which includes getting to know them as a person in addition to how you can mutually benefit one another as referral partners.
4. Nurture past relationships.
Your relationships with people should not end once you make a connection or secure a client and complete their transaction. In fact, these relationships are some of the best ways that mortgage loan originators can get NEW clients.
A satisfied client is more likely to leave a 5-star review or refer your business to their friends and family. Nurture these past relationships, remind them of your services and ask if they know anyone who could benefit from what you offer.
Past relationships that are well-maintained often become repeat clients as well. Stay top of mind so when they have a need for your service again in the future, they will think of you immediately.
5. Implement mortgage marketing strategies!
There are plenty of marketing strategies for your mortgage business. From social media marketing to print marketing and even marketing directly within your community – it is a necessity that you are branding your business and putting your mortgage company out into the world through mortgage marketing.
How Do I Market My Mortgage Business?
Before you jump into mortgage marketing it is important to understand the types of marketing you have available to you and HOW you can market your mortgage business.
1. Online/Digital Mortgage Marketing
Digital marketing is any type of marketing you can do online. This includes, but is not limited to, social media marketing, email marketing, your website and landing pages, content marketing (any free information you distribute i.e. blogs, videos), and search engine optimization (SEO).
2. Offline/Traditional Mortgage Marketing
Traditional marketing encompasses marketing that happens offline. For example, this includes print marketing (advertising in newspapers, magazines, on billboards), radio ads, or television ads.
3. Paid Mortgage Marketing
Paid marketing can be both online or offline and is any time you pay to run an ad. In the online world this is often referred to as “pay-per-click” marketing. Paying to run an ad online is a bit more nuanced than paying a fee for space in a newspaper but can lead to great results when done properly.
4. Relationship Mortgage Marketing
Relationship mortgage marketing involves getting out into your community and building those deeper relationships with your family, friends, and community members. This is where you develop the word of mouth and referral marketing.
How Do You Generate Mortgage Loan Leads Through Marketing?
Marketing your mortgage business means getting in front of more people, but you want them to be the right people, at the right time, and have an effective plan for capturing the leads and turning them into satisfied customers.
To generate mortgage loan leads through marketing you must:
1. Understand your target audience.
Your mortgage marketing needs to be a bit more nuanced than targeting “anyone who needs a mortgage.” Begin to understand the type of people you like working with and who you can best serve. Having a more defined target audience will help you connect and develop stronger relationships as well as help you know how to more effectively market.
2. Create a brand for your mortgage business.
Just like any other business, you will want to brand your mortgage business. Branding may sound like a complicated process to new originators, but it is simply the way you shape your company image to give a specific meaning and perception about your services to your customer.
Yes, this can look like picking colors and a font and using certain types of images in your marketing materials, but it is more than that too. Your brand image is what customers think about when they begin to understand your services.
Consider what values you stand for or what type of image you want to have. Do you want to be more professional or more casual? Do you focus on serving families? Maybe veterans? Once you have your brand figured out, your marketing strategy will become clearer.
3. Understand your competition and market.
Become extremely familiar with your mortgage market and get to know the other lenders. Who is their target audience? How do they tend to market? How are you different from them? Understanding your competition will help you go above and beyond and stand out to your clients.
4. Create an effective mortgage marketing plan.
To market effectively it is critical to develop a plan and system that is consistent and well-rounded. For example, you will likely want to be active on 1-3 social media platforms in addition to consistent email marketing, developing clear and profound landing pages, being present in your community, and maybe paying for a few ads as well.
Marketing in a few different areas helps to develop your brand and increases familiarity with your audience. Consistency is key, so you do not want to get into too many different streams of marketing that you can’t keep up with regular content production.
Consider where your audience is spending their time and focus on those channels. You may also want to consider hiring a marketing professional. It is easy to find part-time assistance through freelance websites such as Upwork or Fiverr.
What Must Be Included in A Mortgage Marketing Advertisement?
There are many ways to advertise your mortgage business, none of them necessarily right or wrong so long as you are staying true to your brand and niche. However, there are a few key elements that you should consider including for a good mortgage marketing AD:
- Your Name and/or Company Name
- Clear information on the services you are offering
- How you are going to solve your audience’s problem, or give information that answers a question they might have
- Why they should buy your service, this should be something that makes you stand out in comparison to your competition
- A CTA (call-to-action) – this is the action that you would like your target audience to take after viewing your advertisement. For example, this can be a “click to book an appointment” button, “call this phone number to schedule your consultation,” or even a simple “follow us on social media.”
51 Ideas for Mortgage Marketing to Generate Leads
1. Niche Down – A niche is a very specific part of an industry or field. Find your mortgage niche and narrow down your audience. Some may think this narrows your reach, but it actually creates much stronger relationships and referral partners as well as strengthens your marketing image. What makes you unique? Who do you want to focus most on serving? Define your difference!
2. Use Social Media – Go beyond posting and engage with your audience. Like, comment, ask questions, tag and share their content.
What are the TOP 10 social media trends the mortgage pros use? CLICK HERE.
3. Create a Facebook Page – Make sure to include what you do, how to contact you, and information to direct viewers to your website. Post on your page in a similar way to how you would post on your Instagram or LinkedIn.
4. Join Local Facebook Groups – Look for networking groups, social groups, or groups of people with an activity or interest of yours (groups for moms, crafting, golfing, etc.)
5. Host Virtual Events – These can be mortgage-related educational series, networking, office hours, giveaways, get creative!
6. Go Live on Social Media – You can do similar things on a live as you can with a virtual event, or you can be more personal and show some of your day to day life. People enjoy working with people they feel they can relate to and that understand them.
7. Show Behind the Scenes – If you are hosting any events for the public or your mortgage office, or are getting involved in your community in some way – post about what is going on behind the scenes!
8. Embrace Instagram Reels – Mortgage marketing should include videos, as they are the most popular form of content for viewers. Social channels tend to push out videos to larger audiences over photos. Reels can be educational, but they are meant to be more relaxed and light-hearted, have fun with them!
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For inspiration, check out our incredible Mortgage Mastermind Elite graduate’s Reels and videos on Instagram: @danwhiteloans
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9. Use Hashtags on Instagram – Hashtags are another way to make your mortgage marketing content more visible to people who might not be following you yet. Start with 1 to 4 hashtags of something relevant to your post in the description, and up to 15 tags in the first comment.
10. Use Locations on Instagram – Make sure to tag a location in each of your posts. This is a great way to shoutout your local brick-and-mortar business or show what you are up to around town. People can search by location and will see your posts!
11. Make it Personal and Relatable – The majority of what you post on social media should be relatable for your viewers. People like to see a glimpse into other people’s lives, personal content makes you more approachable. Your content should also largely speak to what makes sense to THEM, in plain words and terms they would understand without being an expert in the mortgage industry.
12. Create Seasonal Content – Posting about holiday events or time with family helps to make you more relatable. You could also post fun holiday tips such as how to decorate or your favorite recipes.
13. Reach Out to Social Media Influencers – Who are the social media influencers in the mortgage or real estate market that you could reach out to? Search for the right influencers on the right platforms that you could collaborate with.
14.Run a Contest Through Social Media – Contests can be an effective way to generate leads. Use social media to host a contest and offer a prize, such as a gift card to a local business or a free consultation.
15.Create a Facebook Messenger Bot – Live chatting can help to engage and qualify visitors to your website. You’ll save valuable time and gain deeper insight into user behavior and intent.
16.Use Emotional Storytelling – Utilize emotional storytellingwith compelling copy and powerful visual elements. Humans respond to stories – tell a good one and clients will flock to you.
17.Get Used to Sending Videos – Use an integration such as BombBomb to send a quick video for birthdays, celebrations, each step of the loan process, or to referral partners. Videos feel more authentic and personal than a text or email.
18. Work on Your SEO – Search Engine Optimization is a crucial way to bring visitors to your mortgage website organically through direct searches. SEO is made up of improving your site’s speed, incorporating keywords in the appropriate way, and ultimately proving that you are an expert in your field.
19. Hire a Team to Optimize Your Website – Most of us do not have the time to learn and implement SEO on our own. Hire a professional to do a site-audit and suggest ways to improve your website’s searchability.
20. Use HARO – Help a Reporter Out is a free service that puts you on an email list to receive inquiries from reporters. Reporters will ask questions that they need expert advice on and in turn, if they choose your response, you will be featured on their website or article with a link to your site.
21. Start a Blog – One of the best ways to use SEO to your advantage is to start a blog. Each post should focus on one main keyword and provide value to your readers. You could start by explaining the parts of the loan process that most people might not know about. Or even with providing useful information to realtors.
22. Guest Post – A great way to promote your mortgage business is to write a post for someone’s blog. This could be one of your referral partners, a local business, or online blogger you come across. Linking back to your website not only increases traffic but increases the authority of your domain on Google too.
23. Start a YouTube Channel – Turn your videos into followers and new leads by uploading valuable content to a YouTube channel. YouTube is owned by Google and thus uses the same strategies of targeting keywords.
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To increase your mortgage production through engaging videos, you should be following this guide – CLICK HERE TO READ.
24. Re-use Content – Each piece of mortgage marketing content you produce should be re-purposed for multiple platforms. Turn your blog post into a video that you can put up on YouTube, take out some of the key points and send an email, shorten the email to create social media copy, pull snippets from the YouTube video to create an Instagram reel.
The opportunities for re-using content are truly endless!
25. Create an Irresistible Content Offer to Capture Leads – The best way to grow your email list is by offering an attention-grabbing free download in exchange for an email address. Think of one of the biggest pain points of your target audience and create a quick guide to solve the problem. Make sure the title is especially eye-catching.
26. Consider Producing an eBook – Your eBook does not have to be long or complicated, you can simply re-purpose and combine old content. Consider these ideas: “X number of things new homeowners should consider before buying” or “X most valuable features of a new home.” Offering a free eBook is a great way to capture leads.
27. Use Billboards – Billboards are still a great way to get your name seen. Successful mortgage marketing includes repetition of your name, services, and branding to build trust and familiarity.
28. Set-up Google My Business – Make sure your information is displayed correctly when people search your company. You can include phone number, address, about, photos, and collect reviews.
29. Set-up Yelp – Similar to Google my Business, you should create your free Yelp listing.
30. Use Email Marketing Campaigns – The money is most certainly in the list, but it needs to be built the right way and you need to attract the right people first. Use your email campaigns to constantly add value over time and watch as the results ratchet up quickly.
31. Get Familiar with Pay-Per-Click Ads – A quick way to gain exposure is to pay for advertising. You can pay for ads on sites such as Facebook and Google. Make sure to have a clear, highly desirable outcome for your audience when they click. While you may want to focus on increasing clients, it may be just as beneficial to use mortgage marketing ads for growing your email list.
32. Spruce Up Your Email Signature – Your signature is an easy way to provide free marketing. Make sure you include your contact information, website, social media accounts, and your company’s logo.
33. Attend Local Events – Be a presence in your community. Pick a few events per quarter or per year to consistently attend and make an effort to connect with attendees.
34. Or, Host Local Events – If your community doesn’t have many events, or nothing that catches your interest, host your own event! This could be anything from a holiday party and gift donation at your church or hosting the tailgate for the next high school football game.
35. Lead Workshops – Either virtual or in person (ask your local schools or churches for a venue) lead workshops to educate your community on topics such as how to buy your first home, how to repair credit, personal finance tips, homebuying tips, etc.
36. Answer Common Questions – Homebuyers have plenty of questions throughout the homebuying and loan process. Make sure you are answering their questions across all platforms in different forms of easily digestible content. You can use polls or questions on Instagram stories to directly ask your followers what information they are looking for from you.
37. Build Your 5-Star Reviews – Make sure your mortgage business is set up on Google and Yelp to be able to easily collect reviews. Create a system for asking for and collecting 5-star reviews. As a part of the end of your loan transactions you should always send a direct link to where your clients can leave reviews.
Be mindful to phrase your ask in a way that makes them inclined to only leave positive reviews. For example, “If you felt we provided 5-star service, please leave a review here…”
38. Use NextDoor – Another social platform that provides message boards where neighbors chat about issues, look for lost dogs, and talk about local concerns. NextDoor has a Neighborhood Sponsorship tool that offers you the chance to promote yourself in pop-up ads as users scroll through content for between $100 and $1,000 per month.
39. Reach Out to Local Radio Stations – Ask your local radio station if you can do a short segment or interview. Make sure to offer value for their listeners such as providing tips and tricks on homebuying in your city.
40. Reach Out to Local Television/News Stations – Similar to the radio station, television and/or news is a great way to promote your business. Consider pitching a short segment where you keep their viewers up to date with local market trends.
For an example, visit another one of our incredible clients @suemeitner on Instagram to view her work with the television series “Financing the American Dream.”
41. Build a System for Referrals – Another way to supercharge your mortgage marketing efforts online is to build a system for referrals. You could integrate this into your email signature so that it becomes more passive than active, but at the outset, it doesn’t hurt to simply ask for a referral. Once you’ve completed a few successful transactions, network with your clients and ask them to refer you to their friends.
42. Get Branding – Branding is your mortgage marketing buddy – that means pens, drink koozies, and all those other freebies people love. Give out some branded goodies at local festivals and events to spread your brand.
43. Write an Article for the Local Paper – This could be any type of relevant, timely story or tips for your community.
44. Get to Cold Canvassing – Postcards, flyers, and business cards pinned to bulletin boards at coffee shops are all examples of cold canvassing. Cold canvassing builds name recognition, which can be especially useful for newer agents trying to break into a big market.
However, you are more likely to get a lead if you tailor your content based on where it is being left behind. For example, try cold canvassing rental buildings in your town with “why rent when you can buy” information.
45. Give a Local Care Package After Closing – Send a thoughtful care package to clients after they close with items from local businesses such as a local movie or theater tickets, restaurant gift cards, spa gift cards, etc.
46. Publish a Local Market Quiz on Your Mortgage Website – Have fun with your online presence, test your audience with a short, multiple-choice quiz on something of interest. See if they know things like which famous people grew up in the area and tidbits about your town’s history. The questions or topics can even be created around broader subjects unrelated to your market such as music, movies, or some other facet of pop culture.
47. Send Handwritten Notes – A handwritten note is an extra special gesture you can offer your client during and/or after the loan process. We use Handwrytten.com, a site that allows you to write letters virtually, but will be handwritten by robots for that extra special touch.
48. Publish New, Original Thoughtful Articles on LinkedIn – LinkedIn allows anyone to create thoughtful articles in their publisher platform. Using this platform can get your thoughts in front of thousands of readers.
49. Write a Case Study – Outline how you helped a client overcome a crucial challenge in the homeownership process. Post it on your website, social channels, and include it in an email.
50. Offer Local Homeowners a Free ‘Garage Sale’ Sign in Spring – Not only is this a great way to brand yourself and have your name viewed in local neighborhoods but it is also a great way to start a conversation if someone is thinking about moving homes.
51. Keep in Touch with Clients – Your relationship with a client doesn’t end right after they close. Send out a birthday card, encourage them to connect on social media, send quarterly or yearly emails asking how they are doing and if there is anything related to their home they could use your assistance with.
You want your past clients to remember your name so that hopefully they’ll share your info with friends, family, and acquaintances who might consider moving in the future.
Mortgage Marketing Experts and Paid Services
As we all know in the mortgage industry, our time is money. With our incredibly busy days many of us don’t have the time, skills, or interest to put the amount of effort into our mortgage marketing that is required to scale our business.
If you are looking to hire outside help for your mortgage marketing, these are a few of the best resources in the mortgage industry that have helped grow the businesses of many of my top-producing clients.
All four of these influential companies have been guests on The Defining Difference’s live coaching calls and are highly respected and sought after in their respective fields.
1. Plug and Play SM – Social Media Management
Plug and Play SM knows that creating an exceptional mortgage experience takes a lot of effort. Social media is just one important part of what you do, but many of us don’t feel like we know what to post or have the time to consistently manage social media accounts.
Plug and Play SM provides a few levels of social media packages for mortgage professionals, starting with their “Basic” level that covers 12 social media posts and copy per month. In addition, they also provide services for strategic video management.
Many of my top-earning clients use Plug and Play SM and have seen their social media process simplify and streamline to keep their business top of mind with current and potential clients.
To view Plug and Play SM’s offerings, visit their website HERE.
2. Bill Hillestad’s Social Simple – Facebook Ads Expert
Paid advertising can be a very detailed and complicated process but one that yields high results. Bill Hillestad, a Facebook marketing expert with over 30 years of experience, is one of the very best at understanding and utilizing Facebook Ads to impact and attract the RIGHT clients.
Social Simple provides courses and trainings for your marketing team as well as “done for you” marketing solutions. Bill Hillestad is not only one of the brightest marketing guru’s I know, but he has an understanding of Facebook that I’ve never found another human to embrace. To call him a marketing expert does not do him justice.
To work with Social Simple, visit their website HERE.
3. Richard Milligan – LinkedIn Recruiting Expert
Richard spent 15 years as a Recruiting Leader inside the mortgage industry where he opened more than 20 offices throughout the U.S. His experience eventually led to him creating his “Recruiting Made Simple” system and he now works with top leaders by helping them build this step-by-step recruiting system.
Richard is an expert with LinkedIn recruiting and LinkedIn best practices. As a guest expert for The Defining Difference coaching programs, he has shared his expertise on how to curate a powerful LinkedIn profile, tips and cutting-edge digital platforms to connect with potential clients and recruits, as well as how to best use LinkedIn to ensure your business stands out.
To learn more and to work with Richard Milligan, visit 4C Recruiting.
4. Kyle Draper – Social Media Coach
Kyle Draper specializes in working with Realtors and Lenders to teach and equip them to leverage social media to grow their business. Kyle focuses on your mindset, message, and your special story to leave a greater impact on your followers and eventual clients.
Kyle’s 4-month social media coaching program boasts a 4:1 return on investment, while some have seen an investment of 15:1 year after year. He provides valuable information on influencing through video marketing, utilizing content calendars, and creating daily activities that will fuel your business and create momentum.
Learn more about Kyle Draper by visiting his website HERE.
Mortgage marketing is one of the most important aspects to growing your mortgage business. It may feel overwhelming to dive into mortgage marketing, but it will rocket your business to new levels once you figure out a system for consistency.
My advice to you is to start by picking ONE social media platform to focus on AND pick 3-5 of your favorite ideas from our list to try.
Patience and persistence is key in mastering your mortgage marketing efforts. At the core of it, marketing is all about creating impactful relationships. Approach your mortgage marketing efforts with your audience’s needs in mind and you will find success in growing your business!
To learn how my coaching programs can help you grow your business and achieve the life you truly desire, schedule your complimentary coaching call by clicking HERE.
For more information about The Defining Difference coaching programs, please click HERE. Or email our team at info@cindyertman.com
