You’ve heard about the merits of social media, and while you know it can be used to attract clientele, you’ve stopped short of actually doing it. Maybe you struggle learning a new platform, worry about how you can engage with borrowers on social media or just find it easier to make money face to face. Getting started can feel hard, time-consuming and overwhelming — but it doesn’t have to.
Social media is one of the most powerful tools for mortgage originators to not only attract more clients, but to appeal to referral partners. Becoming comfortable with social media will help you generate new streams of income while giving you more freedom — so you’re not at the beck and call of the phone anytime day or night.
Step up your social media game to generate more revenue and create more time to do the things that you really want to do. Here’s a deep dive into social media hacks you should be using regularly to accomplish your goals.
Overcoming inertia
As a mortgage originator, structure is something you can appreciate. Social media can overwhelm you with the limitless possibilities staring you in the face every time you think about creating a new post.
Have you ever sat down to write a paper or a letter, and that blank page stares back at you, making it feel impossible to write because you can’t seem to get started? That’s what is happening when you sit down to craft a post on social media. When you write that paper or letter, getting started is the hardest part. After you get that beginning down, you roll through the rest. The same thing happens with posting on social media.
The best way to overcome this is to start with a simple content calendar. This maps out everything you want to post for a set period of time, typically one week to one month in advance. By mapping out your content in chunks of time like this, you’ll find yourself staring at that blank page less often and you’ll build more momentum. From here, you can choose to create most or all of your content period in one session, or you can create the posts each day as scheduled. Do whatever works best for you.
This will help you create a clear, deliverable message on whatever social media platform you choose. It also gets you in the habit of posting, so you can see what resonates with your audience while you develop a social media workflow that works for you.
Once you’ve got a content calendar, you’ve got the foundation for automating pieces of your social media. You can use content-calendar software like Loomly and Buffer to help you. These tools not only help you schedule your posts, but allow you to expand across multiple social media platforms if you want to get your message out to more people.
If you’d rather post manually, that works, too. You can create a simple spreadsheet or even handwrite what your posts will be in a physical calendar so you can stay on track with your social media presence. Remember, consistency is key here.
Finding inspiration
Everyone peters out of inspiration from time to time. It can be easy to feel like you’re saying the same things to the same people over and over. That’s why it’s important to keep your creative cup full — even if you feel like all you’ve got is a crushed Dixie cup.
At moments like these, you need to find things that inspire you or make you see things differently. That will help you share information with your audience in a new way.
Maybe this helps you to create a new analogy that helps a confusing concept finally land with your people. Or maybe you can share something with your audience that makes them feel more connected to you — such as telling an anecdote about running to your son’s varsity baseball game in between calls with clients.
To do this, consider reading “Social Media Marketing For Dummies.” Watch some popular social media influencers with a business-marketing bent, such as Gary Vaynerchuk, Marie Forleo and others. Another option is to join a program that helps mortgage originators with social media.
If you need a boost, spend time in nature by hiking or rock climbing. Or do something creative such as painting or dancing. Inspiration can come from many different avenues, so don’t be afraid to try different combinations. You might be surprised what lights you up.
Building relationships
One of the fastest ways to attract clientele is to build a relationship with your prospect. Social media is all about building relationships. And it’s especially useful to create a one-on-one connection, even though it’s being seen by a wide audience. Video is the most powerful way to build those relationships and position yourself as an authority.
A written message can lose the unique tone, inflection and cadence of your voice. With video, the audience gets to connect with your facial expressions, voice and personality. You come alive for them and they get to feel a true connection with you.
When you create regular videos, prospects will feel more comfortable to reach out, build relationships, refer you to others and more. Videos tear down the barrier that keeps your prospects over there, out of your reach. All it takes is one video a week. This can drastically change how your audience responds to you and take your closing rate to a new level.
Managing time
Have you ever daydreamed about how much more you could accomplish in the day if you could clone yourself? Although chatbots are not a carbon copy of you, they are the next best thing.
Online chatbots are computer programs that can automate client support by simulating conversation. They can give you the freedom to have multiple conversations at once, qualify prospects and help you create a pipeline of ideal candidates that increase your close rate once you’re on the phone.
Not to mention, you can set up multiple bots for different purposes. For example, you can have one bot respond to first-time homebuyer prospects, another bot respond to corporate property buyers and a third bot connect to real estate agents and other referral partners. Chatbots help you have more initial conversations with more people, faster than you could any other way, while sorting them into categories that let you know if you need to nurture them more, if they’re not a good fit or if they are ready to close a deal.
The best part? You create the conversation how you want. It can be more natural and free-flowing, like a real-time conversation, or you can create something more out of the box like a quiz or a game that engages people. Either way, this is a powerful way to leverage your time so you can have more conversations and build more relationships without filling your day with never-ending meetings.
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Whether you’re already using social media, you’re completely new, or you’ve been resisting it — like when someone asks you to leave your air conditioning on the hottest day of the year to go hiking — social media is a powerful way to grow your income as a mortgage originator. Once you get over the newness of it, it can actually be quite fun.
If you’re not sure where to begin, pick one of these hacks and start there. As you get used to it, add another to your routine. That way, you’re stacking your wins. No matter what, just make sure you start and stay consistent.
