Mortgage originators have an average age of “over 50,” and this may be part of the issue – we simply didn’t grow up in a world with social media, so positioning ourselves as mortgage experts doesn’t come naturally. When I was a top producing originator and eventually went on to train and coach others to be top producers I always told them to market where your prospects live. Today, that advice still stands – it’s just that our prospects live in the social media world, no matter what age they are. Perhaps you choose to not live there from a personal perspective, but your business depends on your living there!

I can already hear you saying, “I do have a profile and I post things, but it doesn’t get me the results I need.” If that’s the case, consider your tactics.

Social media demands focused consistency.

If you are not constantly posting relevant content, you are getting lost in the noise. Just like any marketing, social media marketing will cost you time, staff and money. Yet unlike other types of marketing it can get you where you want to be at rocket speed compared to traditional mortgage marketing techniques.

Three steps to be seen as a mortgage expert on social media:

1. Have one profile for business and one profile for personal.
2. Commit your time, staff, energy and resources. “I will do it when I get a spare moment” is not enough. You need to commit to a constant barrage of information dissemination that requires daily attention.
3. Consider your audience and what they want, not what you think they want.

What not to do

• Look how great I am! – Millennials are skeptics and will do business with those that add value to their life – not those that brag about their success. Pictures of you in front of fast cars, big houses and playing golf don’t deliver a message about what you can do for them.
• Here’s a joke – Okay, you may be funny, but jokes can backfire. What you find amusing may not resonate with others.
• Look at these funny animals – I admit, these posts are cute, and I like to see them, but it does nothing to build confidence that you are the lender for me.
• Motivational quotes – Again, nice and fluffy and inspirational, but it doesn’t answer the question as to why I should do business with you!
• Random rants – Whether out of anger regarding your social life, political life or professional acquaintances, these do nothing to add value to your business. Keep this confined to your personal profile if you must rant online.

Examples of great content for business-building

• Personal videos – Videos are a terrific way to be real with your audience. Use them to teach, share a success story, or give tips, but keep it to less than a minute! (And get over the “I don’t like myself on camera” mindset. Your audience doesn’t care what you look like, they care about your message.)
• Education – There’s so much misinformation floating around out there. Use your platform to educate and inform. Think about the questions you get asked on a regular basis and start with that. This type of marketing positions you as the “go to” mortgage expert.
• Happy stories – When you make someone’s dream come true, snap a picture and post it. Not only are you congratulating the person who just bought a home and financed through you; you’re also showing others that you make dreams come true for people that are just like them. If you do this for every loan your followers will see that you are successful and help many people without your coming out and saying it. This is referred to as “inadvertent selling” and it works much better than overt selling in the social world.

Baby steps are the key to building a robust social media platform. Nurture it and in a very short period of time you’ll see this part of your business flourish, and your reputation as a mortgage expert grow!

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The opinions and insights expressed in this blog are solely those of its author, Tammy Butler, and do not necessarily represent the views of either Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation or any of its parent, affiliates, or subsidiaries (collectively, “MGIC”). Neither MGIC nor any of its officers, directors, employees or agents makes any representations or warranties of any kind regarding the soundness, reliability, accuracy or completeness of any opinion, insight, recommendation, data, or other information contained in this blog, or its suitability for any intended purpose.