In a highly digital world, nearly everyone is on at least one social media platform. People can access them on the go with their phones, spending an average of 145 minutes on social media every day. As a loan officer, it is essential to tap into the social media market if you hope to succeed. Building your social media presence allows you to create and build a relationship with potential customers as well as engage with existing customers. Here we offer some social media tips to help you stand out above the competition and make the most of social media marketing.
Key Takeaways
- Social media is a vital tool for loan officers to connect with potential customers, increase brand visibility, and boost website traffic.
- By actively engaging with followers, loan officers can set themselves apart from their competition, increase origination potential, and promote their services for free.
- The most effective social media platforms for loan officers include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, with each platform serving a different purpose.
- It is crucial to understand your target audience, optimize your business profile, and provide valuable posts that showcase your expertise and knowledge while engaging your viewers.
- Automating your social media posts can save you time, but you must also commit time to engage with potential clients to remain consistent and active.
The importance of social media
For loan officers, social media is one of the most effective ways to connect with your target audience and build your brand. As an active member of social media, it shows potential borrowers that you are available, accessible, and willing to engage and work with them to meet their needs. In addition, being active on social media helps you promote and boost your website which can, in turn, boost your search engine rankings. That boost helps potential clients find you when they perform a simple Google search for “loan officers (your location).”
(For surprising social media stats every LO should know read more here)
Standing out on social media as a loan officer
Creating an active social media presence allows you to stand out above your competition. In fact, according to information from the Mortgage Bankers Association, only 20-30% of loan officers are considered highly active and engaging on social media. Utilizing social media and engaging with your followers offers you the ability to increase your origination potential without having to incur additional expenses. Here are some ways to make the most out of your social media experience.
Find your effective platform
Just about everyone has a Facebook page and chances are your target audience does as well. Facebook, along with Instagram, appeals to just about every demographic and has a wide range of community groups that you can join and share your knowledge with. Through Facebook and Instagram, you can share industry information, tips for home buyers, and more all while engaging with your readers.
Twitter is another social media platform that loan officers can take advantage of. With Twitter, you can stay on top of industry trends, monitor competitors, share useful information, such as blog posts, and engage with borrowers looking for information. Be sure to take advantage of hashtags so your target audience can find you no matter where they are.
LinkedIn is often thought of like Facebook for professionals. While you are unlikely to gain potential home buyers through LinkedIn, it is a great place to meet, network, and build relationships with other professionals in your industry and your area. This is a great way to build relationships and partner prospects.
Understand your target market
Before you make your first social media business account or post, it is essential to understand your target market. What do they want to hear from you? What kind of information will spark their interest? Your goal as a loan officer is to show your social media audience that you are an expert in your field, but you also want them to feel comfortable enough to approach you with their questions. A great way to do this is to join your local community groups and become active, answering questions when you can and letting people know you are available when they have questions.
Optimize your business profile
When creating your business profile on your social media platform, it is essential to have all the right information. Your social media profile should clearly reflect your brand, provide all relevant contact information, offer links to your website, and provide a high-quality profile picture in order to give potential clients a face to connect to.
Provide valuable posts
You have your social media account and have created your business profile, but now what? What should you be posting? When it comes to social media, people tend to lean toward people they know, like, or trust, so your first goal is to make posts that highlight your knowledge while also not coming across as simply a salesperson. Creating videos, for example, allows viewers to “meet” you and connect while you provide them with educational information. Blog posts allow you to provide the information your viewers may be looking for. But don’t just simply post a link to your blog. Ask them a question and include the link. This can help promote engagement.
Testimonials are another great thing to post that can show your success as well as happy clients. When you have a great closing experience, ask your clients if you can take a photo and share it on social media. Post the picture with a big “congrats” to the new homebuyers. To further engage potential clients, tag the new homeowners, as well as the realtor they worked with and your location to further boost your post and exposure.
Automating your social media
While this all sounds great, you may be saying, “But I don’t have time for social media.” While your schedule may be hectic on a daily basis, being active doesn’t mean you have to spend all day glued to your account. In fact, most of your social media posts can be automated on a daily or weekly basis, meaning you can post relevant content without having to lift a finger.
However, you do have to commit some time to engage with potential clients. The good news is most social media platforms offer notifications when a potential client asks a question, allowing you to respond in a timely manner.
Be consistent
To make social media work for you, you need to be consistent in both regular posting and engaging. Unfortunately, if you don’t remain active, you will quickly be lost in the shuffle of regular posts and, more than likely, lose regular followers. Poor experience reduces likes and shares, and your social media presence won’t work as you would like.
Let social media work for you!
The goal of all loan officers is to gain potential leads and customers and social media offers a great way to do just that. For those still looking for additional ways to create lead generations in an automated way, Good Vibe Squad offers a great way to attract, automate, and amplify your lead generation and boost your business with their Unfair Advantage™ system.
Schedule a strategy call with us online today to learn more.
