There are plenty of mortgage broker marketing strategies and techniques you can use to extend your reach and generate leads.  You’re probably already using many of the more obvious ones: a well-designed website with clear contact details, social media marketing, professional SEO to improve your search rankings, and an up to date blog that offers valuable information to your customers.  These are all essential, but they’re just the beginning.  If you want to dramatically increase your outreach right now, here are some simple tips that are often overlooked.

1. Leverage Google to Get Loads of Free Exposure

Sounds great, right?  But how can you make it work?

Pro Tip from a real estate marketing consultant: register for a free Google My Business account

Once you register, you’ll be able to create a Google listing.  This includes an image gallery, address, hours, and contact details, and becomes the Google profile for your business.  It’s also what customers will see when they use Google Maps to find your business.  Make this listing sparkle, and you can use the most popular search engine to make your business more visible and bring in more leads without spending a dollar extra in marketing.

The Google listing is drawn from the information that you enter into the Google My Business account.  So make sure you include all of the info that customers will want to see at a glance. Plus, a single picture is worth a thousand words, meaning  you need to include images that capture the essence of what you have to offer.

Also make sure to add:

  • Your official business name
  • Hours of operation
  • Business address
  • Phone number
  • Business category

Double check that everything is spelled correctly and updated.  Accurate information is a must, since any inaccuracies might prevent your business from appearing in Google searches altogether. Keep the information updated, so things like when your hours change due to a public holiday etc matter.

It’s also important to keep your information consistent across all platforms if you want to make your Google Map ranking as high as possible.  So you should take the time to register accurate information on other websites like Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms.

Since Google Maps results show up before organic search results, a solid Google My Business listing can make your business even more visible than the #1 ranking.

Another benefit of this is that your Google listing links to Google Reviews, letting you review and manage them.  Read on to find out how to use reviews to generate even more leads. 

2. Excellent Reviews Lead to More Trust and More Action

One excellent mortgage broker marketing technique is to manage your reviews.  Surveys show that prospects are 90% more likely to trust and buy from companies when they see positive reviews.  More stars mean higher quality service and a more legitimate company.  When you have a solid star rating and a load of excellent customer feedback, this generates clicks onto your site.  More visibility means more leads.  And leads are the name of the game.

So, how can you get loads of 4 and 5 star reviews?  Here are a few easy tips:

  • Have your staff tell clients that reviews would be appreciated
  • Make sure that your clients understand how to leave a review on Google
  • Send gentle hints in email follow ups telling your customers that reviews would be appreciated
  • Include a link to Google reviews in your emails, especially in the signature

Remember to watch the language, as it’s against Google policy to solicit reviews outright from your clients.  However, you can ask if the client has feedback or if they appreciated your service, and invite a review in response.

Another tip is to watch for negative reviews.  Sometimes they happen, and the key is to RESPOND.  Give a sincere apology.  Offer a remedy to whatever caused the customer experience to fall short of the mark.  This can change a disgruntled former customer to a happy client.  Plus, prospective clients will note how poor reviews are handled.  Proper handling can increase your standing even more.

3. Use Pop-Up Contact Forms on Your Website to Avoid Losing Leads

After customers have clicked on your website, they’re halfway to becoming a lead.  But distractions come up, the moment might not be right, and the next time, they might find another site with a different broker.  96% of people that visit your site will leave without becoming conversions. That’s OK though, you don’t have to lose these leads.

The key: pop-up contact forms.  As with all things, you want to make it easy for the customer to do what’s best for your company, and what’s best for them.  A relative handful will find a contact form of their own volition.  However, if you include a pop-up contact form, a much larger percentage will enter their details.  This means you can follow up with them, catching them when they are ready.

The great thing about this is that you are using your marketing efforts to reach those who have already expressed interest.  If you have a contact form, you can follow it up with emails.  This keeps you visible in the mind of the prospective client.

Some tips on creating the most effective capture form:

  • Keep it simple – the fewer details you ask for, the more likely the client will be to complete it
  • People are more likely to give an email address than a phone number – and email is more useful for follow-up
  • Offer something for free – whether it’s a free consultation, pre-approval, or any other offer that will encourage a prospect to enter their details

As soon as you have the email address of an interested party, you can send current information, excellent offers, monthly deals, anything that might catch the interest of the prospect.  And the more visibility you have, the more likely they are to think of you or your company first when they need a loan.

If you’d like to know more about how to reach your customers and generate leads, feel free to contact us.  At Reputation by Design, we’re dedicated to helping your business reach its full potential.