Setting yourself apart from the crowd might feel overwhelming as the loan officer market grows and competition heats up. 

But the good news for mortgage loan brokers is that there are a number of mortgage marketing tools available to keep a continual supply of prospective clients in your pipeline. 

Competition among mortgage lenders has never been as fierce as today. And your marketing choices have never been more crucial.

In this blog post, we’ll outline a strategic basis to help you take control of your digital marketing and show you essential marketing tools that will help you create an effective marketing strategy—while saving you time in the process.

What tools do loan officers use?

As a loan officer, you’re only as effective as the mortgage marketing tools you use. 

That’s why it’s crucial to take advantage of digital tools, software programs, and apps that give you a competitive edge, streamline your workflow, and help you improve your client’s user experience. And use them consistently. 

Let’s look at some of the most in-demand mortgage marketing tools.

Harvest Time Tracker

Have you ever asked yourself, “Where did the day go?” 

If so, you aren’t alone. We all “lose” track of time now and then. 

Time tracking can be a powerful productivity tool to prevent “time loss.”

Harvest Time Tracker is a software program that allows users to track their time along with tracking team schedules.

Users can track their time by selecting “start” and “stop” options in real-time on various business development projects or record hours in bulk through timesheets.

Harvest Time Tracker integrates with multiple productivity apps, including Google Calendar, Basecamp, Asana, Outlook, and Salesforce.

Cost

There is a free version. The Pro version costs $12 (per user) monthly and gives access to all features and unlimited projects.

Buffer

Buffer allows users to leverage social media to grow their businesses. 

Save time by scheduling social media posts ahead of time through Buffer and then forget about them.

This social media management tool helps you schedule and publish social media content at your convenience. No more urgently trying to think of something to tweet or setting the alarm to get up early to get a Tweet out.

With Buffer, users can log in to the Buffer dashboard to post to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn—no more switching back and forth between platforms or repeating the same task multiple times.

Buffer Cost

Buffer offers various subscription options depending on user needs. Pro accounts start at $15 per month. Buffer also offers a basic free plan for a single user with a limited number of social posts.

Pocket

Pocket is an easy-to-use app that allows you to save articles, videos, or any other type of content no matter where you find it on the internet. 

If you see something that inspires you, easily save it to share with your team. 

In addition, Pocket allows users to curate a personalized reading (or listening) list that is accessible on-or-offline, making it a great choice for traveling or areas with limited connectivity.

Pocket is compatible with almost everything, including Twitter, Facebook, Google, and more.

Cost

Pocket offers a free introductory program. For $5 monthly, the Premium option offers advanced search options and the elimination of ads.

LastPass

Digital security has never been more important. 

But managing lists of original, complex passwords can be time-consuming, not to mention frustrating. 

LastPass, a password manager software program, allows users to improve data security while eliminating a few headaches along the way.

With LastPass, users save their password in the program and the program will autofill login information for you on the sites you choose. As a result, you no longer need to type in a password manually and can easily share logins with your team. 

LastPass also has a built-in password generator for creating long, randomized, complex passwords for enhanced security.

Cost

LastPass Basic is free. Premium is available for $3 a month and offers additional features such as dark web monitoring, emergency access, security dashboard, and more.

Evernote

Evernote is a web-based notepad that lets users keep all their notes, to-do lists, project ideas, voice memos, and anything else they want to jot down in one place.

Use this to keep track of your ideas and collaborate with your team. 

They also offer offline management features through their premium subscription that includes a project management feature.

Evernote integrates with most digital marketing standards, including Google, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce.

Cost

The basic version is free. Their Premium subscription costs $7.99 monthly, and their Business plan costs $14.99 monthly per user.

What is a CRM for in the mortgage business?

A client relationship management (CRM) program is a digital marketing tool that can help loan officers better navigate their overall sales cycle.

Essentially, a CRM is a software program that allows users to nurture relationships with new clients as well as existing ones. 

A CRM also helps with organization, time management, improved efficiency, and enriching client user experience along the way.

Relationships are the lifeblood of the mortgage industry

CRM allows users to track primary data such as name, address, email, phone number, website, loan date, etc., but it doesn’t stop there. 

Your CRM can also track multiple contacts, the status of your sales pipeline, lead scoring, and even custom detailed reporting to help you streamline your mortgage process.

CRM programs offer users the ability to create marketing campaigns with ease while targeting an ideal customer audience. 

Because they store client-specific data, it can enhance the overall client service experience—this can be especially valuable when reaching out to new clients.

But, arguably, the most significant benefit a CRM offers loan officers is access to all of your client information in one place. 

A CRM can mean a boost in productivity for your mortgage business, too. 

With a CRM, you can access real-time data with just a few clicks rather than hunting down multiple documents, spreadsheets, or worse—sticky notes—and wondering when it was last updated.

How do I market myself as a loan officer?

Your brand sets you apart from the competition, and successful mortgage loan officer marketing depends on building out your brand. 

Putting thought into creating your brand can help you attract your ideal client.

From blogging to social media posts, everything you do online helps to contribute to your online presence. The most common (and effective) methods to build out your brand include:

• Starting A Blog
• Getting Social (Media)
• Setting Up A Facebook Business Page
• Setting Up A Google My Business Profile

We’ll look into each one in more detail below.

Start a blog (and offer free resources)

Regardless of your target audience, the most effective marketing method remains the same—provide real value to your audience. 

By focusing on the value you can offer, you begin to position yourself as a mortgage industry authority, someone new clients can trust. This is where having a regularly updated blog can make all the difference.

Demonstrate your value by offering visitors free resources like a home buyer’s checklist and links to tools that are easily accessible. In addition, updating your content regularly will encourage visitors to keep returning to your site and keep your website relevant for Google to scan and rank.

When adding content to your blog, think about issues that your audience is trying to solve and offer genuinely helpful content that helps soothe them. When visitors to your site feel you’ve helped them, you create a relationship. 

Mortgage blog ideas: free resources ideas and suggestions

In addition to the home buyer checklist mentioned above, some ideas of free resources you can offer visitors to your site include:

• “How To” guides for topics such as home staging, open-houses, in-person or virtual walkthroughs
• Short explainer videos that walk viewers through fundamentals like the mortgage loan application or pre-approval process 
• Provide answers to your “Frequently Asked Questions.” Encourage visitors to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. 

Use social media to its maximum potential

Social media is a powerful mortgage marketing tool for any loan officer because it allows you to be with anyone, anywhere. To maximize social media benefits, try the following suggestions.

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc., are all wonderful tools to connect with potential homebuyers, real estate agents, and others in your community. 

Start by scrolling through and searching for terms related to mortgages, mortgage loans, real estate, or real estate agents in your geographic areas. Once you’ve found an interesting account, build the relationship by posting a meaningful comment in response to their Tweet or post.

Questions posted on social media are ideal for providing helpful feedback or answers with real-world value. Remember, when you offer value, you nurture relationships.

But you don’t have to wait for someone to ask a question before you reach out. 

Start the conversation by asking engaging questions. Be sure to include relevant hashtags on your posts for maximum exposure.

Promote any upcoming events on social media and tag those presenting or attending. This helps to increase the number of people who read your Tweet, LinkedIn, or Facebook post.

If a client leaves a positive review or testimonial on your website, share it on social media. Including user-generated content (UGC) is a powerful way to resonate with your ideal audience.

And don’t forget to share real estate listings from any real estate agents you’re working with. It not only helps your community but associates your brand with homes for sale in your area.

Create a Facebook business page

A Facebook business page is arguably one of the most effective marketing tools for a mortgage loan officer.

Facebook’s largest user group demographic runs between 25-34 years of age. And Zillow found that the average first-time homebuyer in the United States is around 33.

That overlap is excellent news for mortgage loan officers with a Facebook business page. 

Add to that the fact that we spend just over two hours online, scrolling through social media sites like Facebook every single day. It’s easy to see why the platform has so much to offer the mortgage industry. 

Setting up a Facebook business page takes a few minutes and allows users to: 

• Present a professional face to potential clients or referral partners
• Collect and share reviews and testimonials
• Promote upcoming events
• Live stream seminars with current or potential clients
• Share explainer, other pre-recorded, promotional, or live videos

Another benefit of a Facebook business page is tapping into Facebook advertising. 

Facebook paid advertising allows you to carefully target ideal audience members (first-time homebuyers, retirees, specific geographic locations, etc.), giving you maximum reach for your money.

Google My Business page

Incorporating Google My Business as part of your overall marketing strategy can deliver positive results for relatively little effort. 

Google helps mortgage business owners to rank high in search results through a free Google business profile, and it often doesn’t require extensive search engine optimization (SEO). 

Google’s Business profile highlights local businesses over other entries. It helps your business appear alongside larger mortgage brokers (and even beat them sometimes!).

Don’t believe us? Try it for yourself. Google this phrase: “Bank loan officer near me.” 

Can’t you see your name on that list?

Google Ads and pay-per-click advertising

Google Ads are at the top of the search engine results page, and just below them, you’ll see the list of local mortgage loan officers. This selection is based on a combination of search terms used and your location. 

Because Google uses your business page as the source for the information, it’s essential to keep your page up to date if you want to rank well on results. 

Google uses pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, which can be an effective method of getting your website on the first page of search engine results—especially because you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.

PPC advertising is most often used with search engines (like Google or Bing), but you can also use it on social platforms like Facebook.

These ads can deliver quality leads when used as part of a comprehensive marketing strategy.

Next Steps — Contact Kaleidico

With more than 15 years of experience in digital marketing and lead generation in the lending industry, we understand the mortgage lending business. 

Are you interested in learning more about taking your mortgage marketing to the next level? 

Kaleidico can help you stand apart from the competition. Schedule a discovery session today to tell us more about your project, talk about your goals, and get you on the right path to success.