If you’ve been keeping up with the most recent Google news, you might have heard about a little thing called BERT. This is one of the most important updates for Google’s algorithms and ranking system to have been developed in the last decade. It will affect one in every ten searches and dramatically improve the relevance of these search responses. But what is it and what does it mean for your digital marketing strategy?
First of all, BERT is an update that Google has just issued. It’s basically a machine learning enhancement that processes the words in your search relative to one another. Instead of just taking each word on a one-by-one basis, Google will now factor in more context, processing an entire phrase or sentence. Google will now be a great deal more effective at interpreting natural language and nuances of context.
This will dramatically improve the effect of long tail keywords and voice searches. At the moment, it’s only been released in the US. However, it’s set to extend throughout other countries within the next year, which means that this is the best time to start thinking about how to optimise your site in advance. The great news is that there’s not much to optimise in terms of structure of your site or mortgage broker marketing strategy. The biggest impact will come in terms of content.
Essentially, BERT focuses on “long tail, more conversational queries.” These are searches that you might speak instead of typing. Phrases that are more natural to speak. Words like “for” and “to” are often important in our sentences, and yet they’ve been ignored in Google searches in the past. BERT now processes these in context with the phrase and in relation to other words.
One of the keys to understanding this update is that there’s nothing structural needed to optimise your online marketing. SEO is the process of making your site easier to find by search engines. In the past, this could be done with keyword loading and link building. Basically, BERT gets rid of the shortcuts. It boosts the value of your actual relevant content, helping users to find the exact information they’re looking for more quickly. So the key here is user intent for your target audience. If you know what your demographic of interested clients is most likely to search for, then you can craft content to make sure this information appears most directly.
In simple terms: content written humanly, with valuable information, and with direct information about what your client is interested in. Here are three key factors to writing content that both has value for your users and boosts your search ranking to increase your visibility:
1. Make use of Google’s SERP Analysis
SERP stands for search engine results page. A SERP analysis explores specific keywords for their tendency to show up in searches. You can both do an analysis of your keywords and those of your competitors with this tool. Follow it up with the Ranking Analysis from Google’s Content Optimiser Tool. This will provide insights regarding a specific keyword, leading to long tail keywords and other insights. These tools will also show you exact keywords and links that boost page rankings.
2. Make sure your content is optimised and relevant.
This is nothing new. Content has been king for decades. If you’d like an assist with this, Google has a tool called Content Optimiser that will help you to include the long tail keywords that you identified from the previous tools. This also helps you to make sure that your search is relevant to user intent. Even when using this tool, it’s important to remember that value comes from understanding your customers and what they want. You need to offer answers to questions that you know they’ll ask.
3. Continue to refine your approach by researching new keywords and ranking opportunities.
One keyword is great. But it’s not enough. Interested clients will often use a variety of different words to search for your products or services. Keep using keyword analysis and the content optimiser to discover new relevant words and phrases. The ranking of these will change over time and use, so make sure to keep your content optimisation strategy current. Also, by finding new questions connected to a previous search, you’ll have ample subjects to produce more relevant and valuable content.
This is just the beginning. If you’d like to know more about SEO or your ideal digital strategy, feel free to contact us. At Reputation by Design, we know the industry and we’re here to help you get your business to the top.
If you’re looking at Instagram as a tool for showcasing your brand online and building a community that supports your business, there are four key factors that dictate engagement, and therefore performance.
The algorithm that Instagram uses ranks your account and posts on interest, recency, and relationship and how you use the tools. Understanding them is the key to achieving more eyeballs for your efforts.
All the trimmings
Instagram’s algorithm prioritises accounts that use all of its features and tools. And it makes sense – it wouldn’t spend all that time and money developing new technology if it didn’t want you to use it! How? Use different content formats, including stories, videos, carousel posts, ads, and highlights. And try out the new features as soon as they come out, and you will be rewarded in the algorithm. And if we had to prioritise one of these formats, we’d suggest using Instagram Stories daily.
Interest
Interest refers to how much Instagram believes a user will like a post. This relies heavily on a user’s prior history, because Instagram can only judge activity and predict behaviour based on what has happened in the past. So according to the algorithm, users who regularly respond to the same type of content, like cute dogs and yoga poses, will have a lower propensity to suddenly embrace suburb reports and property photos.
Recency
From there it’s on to recency, or how fresh your post is. Fairly obviously, it means a post made today should be higher in the feed than a post made a week ago. A regular posting schedule to improve your chances of being seen is absolutely key.
Relationship
The final main factor is relationship which, as in real life, requires the most effort! Instagram rewards content which promotes conversation. Someone regularly commenting on your pictures is much more likely to see them in the future. Hence the ‘let us know in the comments’ school of thought. By encouraging engagement, you’re more likely to build that network of active followers.
There are three more things that influence what a user sees:
- The frequency of how often someone opens the app. Instagram strives to show the best posts since a user’s last visit.
- Following a lot of people means a user will get exposed to less of any specific person. This is an attempt by Instagram to cast a wider net and increase diversity.
- Usage. Browsing in short bursts means a different algorithm is applied compared to those who deep dive.
To filter or not to filter?
Because there are companies who study this stuff, we know that ‘Clarendon’ is the most used Instagram filter worldwide. One of the reasons for this is that ‘brightness’ is shown to be the key to attract viewers and more important, likes. Instagram has a lot of filters to choose from, so feel free to experiment before deciding on the one that you feel defines you and your business the most – just keep in mind that brighter is better.
If you have any questions, please email us, or hit us up on Instagram ; )
Blogging is one of the most cost-effective ways to maintain a conversation with your target clients and remind them you’re an expert, when they need your services.
At Reputation by Design, we think the red tape and pace of change in most markets and industries today places you in an ideal position as a thought leader and educator. With your clients relying on you to help them wade through this confusion, regularly keeping them informed means you’ll be top of mind when they are ready.
Here are five quick tips for creating a rockstar blog your clients will look out for:
Give value freely
Many facets of our work and home life change faster than Miley Cyrus’ relationship status! Your clients need you to let them know what is happening right this minute so they can make smart decisions.
Every regulation or market update, new technology or breakthrough is an opportunity to connect with your audience. Keep them in the loop and let them know you’re the best source of information. You don’t have to go too deep into details; write clearly and simply so any reader can understand.
Storytelling is the new sales pitch
A story with heart can say so much more than a tagline or a slogan. Successful businesses are increasingly turning to stories to get consumers to form a personal connection with their brand.
As a businessperson, you are the knight going into battle for your fair kings and queens. Share your tales of triumph and highlight the dragons you slayed. Add a touch of drama before the happy ending and get your customers motivated for you to be their next champion.
Give your blog legs
Don’t just write, publish and hope for the best. You need to have a strategy for spreading your post far and wide. Think social media and regular newsletters. You can also put together evergreen blogs and plug them into your automated emails. These will reach new clients without any effort on your part.
Be my guest
Guest blogging is another way to expand your reach. Connect with complementary but non-competitive organisations and arrange to share each other’s words of wisdom.
Don’t forget a call to action
At the end of each blog, it’s important that you remind your reader to take action.
If you’re too flat out to blog (and with a good blogging strategy, you should be!), talk to us. We have specialist copywriting skills that you can leverage. It can be as simple as a quick catch-up to share an outline of what you want to say, then let us work our magic while you focus on your clients.
If you’d like assistance with your social media, marketing plans or client outreach, call or email us today.
If you’re contemplating entering an industry award, it’s worth THINKING LIKE A JUDGE and reviewing your online branding NOW. There’s every chance they will visit your website and check out your social media, and you don’t want your online presence to be found wanting!
We’ve optimised social media channels of professionals across a wide range of industries, and whilst it’s important for awards success, it’s even more crucial for lead generation and building your brand.
To help you get your internet presence polished and performing, we’re offering a special promotion. Contact us and register your interest before 31st October and we’ll optimise your Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google My Business pages for $685 + GST (usually $890 + GST); that’s a 30% saving.
You’ll receive a full written report of what we’ve updated, as well as further recommendations to keep your pages optimised for search and lead generation going forward.
Here’s what others have to say about us:
“I cannot recommend Karen and her team more highly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.” Therese O’Neill
“Karen Hall and the team at 101 Things are the real deal. No buzzwords. No mealy-mouthing. Just real solutions for real businesses.” Zarko Jokic, MFAA“We have worked with Karen now on multiple occasions. Highly recommend anyone need Karen’s services to do so – now.” Peter White, FBAA
We've crafted award submissions for our clients that have won them:
Australian Broker of the Year National Award * Brokerage of the Year * Best Residential Broker * Young Gun of the Year * Customer Service of the Year * Best New Broker *Rising Star Award * Newcomer of the Year * Young Professional * Mentee of the Year * Mentor of the Year * Best Regional Office & Best Regional Broker… along with many other finalist awards!
The marketing benefits of a nomination, and becoming a finalist or winner of major industry awards are huge. If you’d like to get ahead and optimise your online branding or need help to wordsmith your submission, email or call us now and we’ll get in touch.
Don’t forget, the special 30% off optimisation offer is only available if you express your interest before the end of the month – AND you want time to put your best foot (or should we say online presence) forward to the judges!
Managing your social media over the holidays
Argh! Fruit mince pies are already on sale at Coles and Woollies. It’s not too early to think about how you’re going to manage your social media and online presence over the coming summer holiday period. This year, set yourself up for a true break, not a ‘fakecation’ – being on vacation but spending your whole time on your laptop and work phone. Sound familiar, anyone?
Here’s our top tips for maintaining your online presence without spending your entire Christmas/NY hols posting updates.
- Plan early. Plan out your holiday content during October and November, so you have time to write the captions and find or take the photos for December/January. Allowing yourself a bit of planning time also lets your creativity to flow.
- Use a scheduling tool like Sked, Hootsuite or Buffer, so that your posts can post without you! Don’t forget LinkedIn – a good free tool for LinkedIn is Postfity.
- Repurpose your content to get more bang for buck out of each asset. Recently we’ve been helping a lot of clients ‘amplify’ their online presence. Repurposing content across several social media channels allows you to get more value out of the investment (be it time or dollars, or both). Maybe you’ve created a written article – why not deliver the best bits directly to camera? Or an example I am especially fond of, do this in reverse: transcribe a video you’ve made. Take all of the key content and messages in it and create a blog post. You could also use the video or the transcription in an e-newsletter, put it on LinkedIn, share it on Facebook and upload it to your YouTube channel. Taking this re-purposing thought one step further, dip into the video and pull out some really succinct quotes and create posts of those from this master video. Standalone quotes or quips about something really key or insightful make for great social media content.
- Create a document that you can promote while you’re on leave – you could even call it a ‘great holiday read’! Grab two or three of your best blog posts, combine them into a pdf and offer it as a downloadable e-book, white paper or report to your clients. These free branded reports can work for you online while you are re-energising over the holiday period. Being present with your family and friends is the best present you can give.
If you’d like assistance with your social media marketing or need help to amplify your assets, call or email us today.
Recently we’ve been helping a lot of clients ‘amplify’ their online presence. They might be doing a blog on their website or sending out an e-newsletter, but are not fully grasping that they can repurpose that material for other channels. Repurposing content to all of their other social media channels means they get so much more value out of the investment (be it time or dollars, or both) they’ve put into creating the initial asset.
Maybe you’ve created a written asset – why not deliver the best bits directly to camera and upload to your social media accounts? Or an example I am especially fond of, do this in reverse: transcribe a video you’ve made. Take all of the key content and messages in it and create a blog post, You could also use the video or the transcription in an e-newsletter. I’d then suggest you put it on LinkedIn, share it on Facebook, and also share it in some way or form on Instagram and upload it to your YouTube channel too.
Taking that whole re-purposing thought one step further, dip into the video and pull out some really succinct quotes and create posts of those from this master video. Standalone quotes or quips about something really key or insightful make for great social media content. You could also extract key topics from longer videos and make them standalone posts too.
Lastly, another way amplify your content and messages and really make the most of your effort, is creating a document. If you’ve got a series of blog posts or transcribed content, wrap them up! Grab two or three blog posts and combine them to create a booklet. Offer that as a downloadable e-book, white paper or report – give it away to your clients for free.
I hope that provides you with some new ideas that you can use to leverage assets that no doubt you created for one purpose but deserve to be amplified and so many more, varied and different ways.
If you’d like more guidance or need help to amplify your assets, call or email us today.
Alright, think fast. What do Kleenex, Gladwrap, and Band-Aid have in common? Any takers? How about Mustang, Disney, and Marvel? Simple answer: they’re all brands. Each of these brands has become so successful that they have created an identity.
With the first three, the brand has become synonymous with common domestic products. We sometimes say Kleenex when we’re talking about any facial tissue, Gladwrap when we mean a plastic wrap, or Band-Aid to mean a sticking plaster. The brands have become so successful that they are identified with the entire niche. The last three have a much wider range, and the establishment of a successful identity in each case has led to the creation of commercial giants.
Branding is the establishment of an identity for your product. Whether you are working on mortgage broker marketing or marketing in any other niche, the establishment of a solid brand is a key strategy for creating a presence in your niche. So, how can you establish your brand? What are the steps to making it successful? Here are the steps:
1. Know who you’re talking to.
You have to understand your target audience. Get to know what they want and how best to reach them. Are you speaking to up-and-coming professionals? Real estate moguls? Health conscious hipsters? Single mothers? Each audience will have different needs, so you will have to shape your message to fit them. This about what you have to offer, and figure out who will want what you have.
2. Understand your audience.
Once you know who you’re talking to, figure out how to present your message to them. Each audience has their own agenda, things they want, things they want to hear. Once you know your audience, you can craft your message. You can find out how to shape your message in a way that inspires them to take advantage of your product or service. If you’re having trouble with this, you can look into demographic information or other details. Define their needs, and then figure out the three or four options that best suit them. Then begin to craft the message.
3. Establish a solid and consistent brand position.
So you now know what your customer wants. You’ve come to clarity around a few options that many of them will find appealing. The next key is to find a brand position that offers these options. Focus on the unique value that your brand will provide to the target customers. Sort out what you actually want to deliver. Use your brand to promise this outcome. Show how this offering makes your company stand out from the competition. Remember USP, unique selling point. You have something new and different to offer, and your brand is the way to do this.
4. Create your brand elements.
This is where you begin to really establish your identity. You know who you’re talking to and what they want to hear. You know what you’re offering, and that it’s what they want to buy. You have to make the recognisable elements of your brand fit with what you want the audience to recognise. So, focus on what you’re known for, or what you want to be known for. Focus on the elements that make your brand unique. Establish the visible elements too – like the logo, imagery, font, that sort of thing – all in alignment with your USP. Make the visible form of presentation reflect the essential elements of your brand. This is essential whether you are working with mortgage broker marketing or getting your foot in the door with any other niche.
5. Market it!
This is the last step, but without it, all of the pre-work is ineffective. Get it out there. Let people see your company and your brand. Look into social media marketing management, set up an email funnel, establish strategies for customer outreach. In short, make yourself visible. Make sure that every contact with customers reinforces your brand. As it gets off the ground, each customer is an inroad to other customers. This blends the more modern strategies with the organic, word of mouth approach.
If you’d like to know more about brand creation or to look into details of marketing, feel free to contact us. At Reputation by Design, we’re dedicated to helping your business reach its highest potential.
With the world going digital, the face of marketing is changing. Social media has become an inextricable part of life. And with it comes the potential for social media marketing. Excellent mortgage marketing consultants know that social media marketing is crucial for customer outreach, for cornering the market and making the most of your client connections. If you overlook this, then you miss out on opportunities to engage customers and to spread your brand and mission. But this is just the beginning.
Let’s look into some of the features of social media marketing and why it’s essential for your growing business:
1. It’s inexpensive.
With any marketing strategy, you have to balance the cost of the strategy against the potential return on investment. Social media is beautiful because costs are minimal. For a basic outreach approach, you pay nothing at all. If you find that social media channels are delivering higher traffic and more conversions, then you can opt for paid advertisements. If you pay attention to where your leads are coming from, you can maximise ROI and dramatically boost conversions. Social media management is ideal for understanding the game and making the most of social media customer outreach.
2. Better customer engagement.
There are less people who aren’t on social media than those who are. Effective social media management can help you to leverage this outreach to engage more effectively with your target audience. Social media helps you to boost communication. In turn, this helps to increase traffic and inevitably leads to more conversions. Social media expands your audience and helps to establish two-way communication, showing your customers that you value what they have to say. Your message reaches farther and your customers are more receptive to what you have to say.
3. Boosts brand awareness and loyalty.
Social media is visible. This is one of the most important aspects of marketing. You want your target audience to see it. As you boost visibility, you increase brand recognition. Recognition leads to loyalty and trust. When you know a company is out there and that they have been offering their goods and services in a way that leads to customer satisfaction, you break down the inhibitions and barriers that block conversions. Your audience expands, your brand becomes better known, and loyalty increases among your customers. This boosts customer retention and spreads brand loyalty to even more customers.
4. Increases customer satisfaction and brand authority.
A strong social media footprint means that customers can share their experiences in a forum that will be heard and seen by others. If you are delivering, then your successes will be recognised by those who haven’t yet chosen to buy, who’ve been on the fence or haven’t become conversions yet. It’s simple. You give your customers a way to communicate. If your products or services have led to customer satisfaction, then this satisfaction is leveraged into customer opinion for your prospective clients as well. This boosts the authority of your brand. You have promised, you have delivered, and others who are aware of it can trust you to deliver when they give you their business. You build momentum like a snowball rolling downhill. A social media marketing agency helps you to make the most of social media to make your brand a household name.
5. A competitive edge.
One reality in the world of business is that you have competitors. Whichever competitor has the largest market awareness is going to get the lion’s share of profits for a particular niche. This is connected to brand awareness, but extends beyond it in an important way. Brand awareness means that when a customer sees your brand, they think of your product or service. Marketplace awareness means that when a customer sees something they want in your niche, they think of your brand. That’s the key to dominating the market. And, if you’re the first brand they think of, that means more traffic. Have a comprehensive and cohesive social media marketing plan places you front and centre, a significant factor in the hustle to take your business to the top.
6. Massive boosts for SEO
Better online visibility means more site traffic. When you have a strong social media footprint, more people will visit your site from links you include in your posts. And, by simple statistics, more traffic will lead to more conversions. This is important in both the long run and the short run. Even as you increase brand and marketing awareness, you want to leave the door open for new customers. SEO is one of the best ways to do this. Keep it tight with your social media presence, keywords, and other search relevant details. This means that your customer base will continue to grow and increases the impact of your outreach.
If you’d like to know more about social media marketing or to find a top of the line social media management service, feel free to contact us. At Reputation by Design, we’re dedicated to helping your business reach its full potential.
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.
Do any of these phrases sound familiar?
- I’m honest, reliable and hardworking!
- My brochure lists 33 reasons why you should choose me!
- I ran an ad in the paper, but no-one called me!
Unless you stand out (for all the right reasons) from your competitors, there is little reason for a prospect to choose you.
What many business people don’t get, and this is the most important point, is that customers care only about themselves. Giving them a list of reasons to choose you that’s all about you, or extolling motherhood service features is simply not what your customer wants to hear or see. Instead, you must reach into their world and look at things through their lens.
- What’s their problem that you can help solve? Not the product you’re selling.
- What’s their pain point? Not your headline.
- What’s their wish? Not your background or history.
Differentiating yourself can seem hard, but here again, the quality of the questions belies the quality of the answers you’ll come up with. The “5 Whys” technique can be useful to stress-test if what you’re putting out there is differentiated enough AND whether it’s relevant, meaning it has to be all about the customer, not you.
The beauty of differentiation is that it can be achieved on EVERY plane – so there is literally space for every company – it’s just that most business people don’t take the time or make the effort to really cut through.
If you aren’t clear on your promise to your clients, it’s unlikely your clients will be!
If you need help to clarify your business objectives or marketing messages, call or email us today.
