Using technology to grow a personal brand in the mortgage industry is a key component to a loan officer’s success. When a loan officer takes the time to build a personal brand, it is a calculated activity designed to increase visibility and ultimately close more loans in today’s business climate. There are several technology apps and software that can be used to expedite this process of growing a personal brand.

In order to build a successful personal brand in the mortgage industry, you need to first assess the many areas where technology is at the forefront of being visible. These areas become vital when the process begins. To help keep things clear, I have broken into sections the areas where technology is an important factor in building a brand. Highlighted below are a few of my favorite technology apps that I have found successful.

Video conferencing / Video webinars for personal branding

The ability to acquire new clients, while staying relevant with current clients, always requires some form of video conferencing efforts. This means not only acquiring the skills related to effectively communicating through the medium of video, but also the need for a technology to assist in growing a personal brand. Explore these video conferencing apps to help you grow your personal brand faster:

• Messenger Rooms – Desktop: The release of the new desktop version of Messenger provides more folks with the ability to easily connect in private (or public) with clients and customers through video when and where it’s convenient for them
• Zoom: The no-cost offering of Zoom initially led to it being the platform of choice for many in today’s business climate. However, its ease of use and flexible functionality have contributed to people continuing to use it
• StreamYard: This is one of the better no-cost apps and one of the easiest ways to create professional live streams on most major social media platforms. It serves as an essential way to reach the most amount of people in a short period of time. Check out this infographic if you need help with live streaming

Content curation for personal branding

A major part of building a personal brand in the mortgage industry includes your content. Quality content always wins whether it’s curated or created. In particular, curated content from referral partners and news outlets can help grow your personal brand to a broader audience faster because you are supporting those who can support you.

• Google Alerts: This is a great way to have Google curate valuable content from across the web, so you always have a stock pile of content to post on social or highlight in emails
• Flipboard: This technology application is a great way to curate news that you have tailored to your interests, which you can then share with others
• Pocket: I’ve loved Pocket for a long time because it works with everything. You can save articles, videos and stories from any publication, page or app. This allows you easy access for curating your own space filled with everything you can’t wait to learn. And it makes posting out to social through Buffer extremely simple.

Content creation for personal branding

A personal brand can be built from many things. However, creating exceptional content that can’t be ignored is one of the best ways to stand out in the mortgage industry. Define your personal brand by creating great content that others want to absorb. These apps are a great starting point for content creation:

• Medium: You no longer need to know how to use a content management system (CMS) like WordPress to share your thoughts and get them indexed with Google. Medium allows anyone to write on topics they are passionate about. Grow your personal brand by sharing your thoughts and gain a following
• Canva: Creating exciting graphics for events is important for a personal brand. Canva makes it very easy to create high-quality graphics for emails, social, posters and clothing
• Loom: When building a brand, the ability to create video content helps   your visibility to explode. Loom helps you do this best. What’s nice about Loom is that all your videos are housed on Loom instead of saved on your device, which can use up valuable space
• InShot: This technology app is easy to use and provides all the bells and whistles you need to take your video creation to the next level. You can use stickers, royalty-free music, edit audio and so much more
• Headliner: This is an easy technology application that enables you to edit a video and add captions. It has a great new feature that allows users to automate the creation of podcasts into visual forms 

Social media as a powerful outlet in personal branding

• Buffer: Use this great, no-cost solution to schedule posts around content you have found that’s relevant to your key audiences on social media. This helps to keep you visible online when you are too busy to post manually
• IFTTT: This technology application stands for If This, Then That. It can do a lot of things to keep life efficient. As it relates to social, it’s pretty simple. IFTTT allows you to post on one platform while posting on another platform at the same time

Growth with simple engagement in personal branding

• Textiful: This technology performs a very important service: it sends a text to subscribe as a way to grow your email list by SMS. Having great content and providing great webinars are important, but you also need to build your CRM along the way
• GaggleAMP: Building a brand includes using internal brand advocates to help support your message across the web. GaggleAMP is a great solution to help raise awareness of positive reviews and social posts of value

When considering technology to grow a personal brand in the mortgage industry, there are so many apps to choose from. By staying focused on your goals for your brand, as well as how you plan to grow the brand, loan officers can more easily take the action they need. Hopefully, the above provides loan officers a starting point to get the ball rolling in the mortgage industry.

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