October 22, 2018

Social media is a powerful tool that has the ability to completely alter your brand from a homebuyer’s perspective. According to the Pew Research Center, three out of every four adults in the U.S. who use the Internet, also use social media. With so many people currently on social media, it’s important for mortgage professionals  to create content that stands out in order to effectively promote themselves and their company. You need to keep in mind that there’s a fine line between using social media platforms casually and professionally. Ultimately, this line should never be crossed.  Since so many homebuyers in today’s market are millennials, they spend much of their time online.  In today’s day and age, it’s important to direct your efforts appropriately which means growing your presence on social media.

What To Post?

In deciding what to post, it’s essential to determine why you are on social media in the first place. If you don’t know what your overall goal is, or how you want homebuyers to view your company, then your efforts will be mostly misguided.  You must determine what your company culture is, and how you want to demonstrate it. First, you can start by asking yourself these questions:

• What do you want people to know?
• Who is the demographic that you are trying to reach with your message?
• How do you want potential homebuyers to view you and your company?
• What sets you apart from other mortgage professionals?
• What can you do to better assist the homebuyer?

You should continuously ask yourself these questions over time, because it’s likely that your goals will change. As the homebuyer market changes over time, you’ll have to adjust your efforts accordingly.  It’s also likely that technology and other factors will begin to alter themselves, and you’ll have to be able to shift your content and efforts accordingly. Up-to-date content will keep the homebuyer interested and engaged on your social media outlets.

Am I Making Progress?

It’s hard to know for sure if what you are posting is getting a positive reaction from your target audience. You can track how much engagement you have with your followers, but if no one is liking, commenting, and sharing your content then you simply may not know. Also, not knowing which social media platform is best to use can put your company at a disadvantage. This process is similar to dressing for the right occasion. A guy could look really nice in an expensive three piece suit with fancy dress shoes, but if he is wearing this at a bar on a Friday night then he will most likely stand out. People will wonder why he’s dressed like that. On the other hand, a man wearing a t-shirt and shorts to a wedding would also generate unflattering reactions from others in attendance.

Posting content that doesn’t fit that particular social media platform’s etiquette will make your company noticed, but not in a good way. For example, as a mortgage expert you should not be posting inappropriate memes on your LinkedIn page.  This platform is strictly for your professional use; if it isn’t something you’d want your employer to see, then you shouldn’t post it. Therefore, it’s best to dress for the occasion and know where you are! Try to do research on the platforms you want to use by observing what other mortgage experts are posting and what the norms are.

Making The Connection

In using any given social media platform, there are a number of other things that loan officers and lenders could do to improve their presence other than just posting statuses. Sharing articles, thoughts/insights on the mortgage industry, images, live videos, and other unique content is great to do. However,  it’s important to stay in touch with others as well. Engagement is really the key to success.  When it comes to staying social on social media, one could also connect with other companies and homebuyers by:

• Liking and Commenting on posts to show interest and provide appropriate feedback.
• Following other individuals and companies within the mortgage industry to increase your connections.
• Utilizing hashtags to stay in touch with hot topics going on in the mortgage industry while creating an outlet for more connections.

Overall, social media is a popular form of spreading information and making connections in the mortgage world; this trend will continue as time goes on. Knowing the do’s and don’ts is critical for the long term success of any mortgage company who wants to be recognized positively online. Keeping things professional while also having a personality on social media will go a long way.