As a mortgage broker a large part of your business involves marketing. Potential home buyers feel much more comfortable working with a company they’re familiar with, and if you don’t market yourself to them, another mortgage broker will.
In today’s technology driven world, there are valuable ways to generate leads online and gain new clients. A well-designed website with useful content and information will be a key tool in your mortgage advertising. Once you have a website set up, how do you get potential clients to see it? Read on to learn 5 ways to drive more traffic to your mortgage broker website.
1. Blog Posts
Blogs that have regularly posted content and that provide valuable information will attract the attention of potential clients. When clients search the web for topics such as mortgage loans or mortgage brokers, the more relevant blog posts containing specific keywords you have, the more clicks your website will get.
- Post regularly to gain traction
- Write about relevant and useful information
- Always include a Call-to-Action (CTA) to additional information on your site
Blogs and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a crucial part of increasing traffic to your website. If your website and blog posts do not have the keywords that are being searched, your website won’t get the traffic it deserves. It’s also very important to answer your searcher’s question. If people are looking for information on how the mortgage loan process works, include some helpful information for your future clients.
The more clicks your blog posts get from readers who find value in your content, the higher it will rank in the search engines, and the more visible your brokerage will be for homebuyers searching the web.
SEO Basics:
- Answer the question your future clients are asking
- Intent is more important than exact keyword matching
- Only a few tags are still crucial (headlines, URL field, meta description, image alt attribute)
- Search engines can relate content to keywords
Content is crucial for SEO and online marketing. Read more about how to write for SEO here.
Blog content and Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
A website usually has only a handful of pages, most of which aren’t updated regularly. Blog posts enable you to add new content to your website regularly. Blog posts that contain useful information can bring in leads months to years past their post date. SEO and relevant content can make blogging your best mortgage website advertising tool.
To make sure that you are directing readers to your website or are obtaining their information, add a call-to-action (CTA) at the bottom of all blog posts or other content pages. A CTA ensures that a reader will become a lead. Here are some popular types of CTAs:
- Click-buttons (subscribe; buy now; register today; and more)
- Social media sharing buttons (click to tweet; share now; and more)
- Contextualized CTAs (explanation of value)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and CTAs are essential to leveraging blog posts for online mortgage advertising.
2. Videos and Webinars
Similar to blog posts, adding free videos answering mortgage FAQs or webinars related to the loan process will drive more clients to your website. When you have the videos or webinars gated, so that potential clients have to enter their name and email address into a lead generation form built into the page to gain access, you are able to follow-up with them personally. Not only does this create interested leads, it establishes authority on the topic before clients meet you. You will have the potential to bring in unlimited leads by recording a video one time.
3. Social Media
Social media is quickly becoming an essential part of online marketing. With a strong presence on social media, you can educate the community about home loans and healthy financial habits, share your blog post content, and gain new audiences. Ideas for creating a social media presence that has credibility and garners attention:
- Start a Twitter account and post useful information about mortgage loans, the home-buying process, and the benefits of using a mortgage broker
- Search LinkedIn for specific groups that are targeted to professionals involved with loans or home buying
- Use Facebook to engage a new audience with events such as “Home Buying 101,” and share your insider tips with new homebuyers
4. Website Ads
Paid ads, Pay-per-click (PPC) options and others are great ways to increase your online presence with potential homebuyers. Even with a small budget, if you track your cost-per acquisition (CPA) you can make sure you are generating leads from the ads. Here are a few tips for making online ads more personal.
- Tailor the ads to reach your local audience
- Targeting your local market will give you more marketing leverage
- Use locally relevant content and location extensions
- Include content and keywords only locals know
Facebook ads
With so many millions of users, Facebook is quickly becoming a popular place to purchase ads. Facebook’s ad program is easy to use and is able to help you target a specific audience. While prospective clients are reading through their newsfeed, your ad will show up and catch their attention.
Google AdWords
While they are searching the web using Google, prospective clients will be seeing your mortgage broker ads. Google ads can include:
- Graphic display ads
- YouTube video ads
- Text-based search ads
- In-app mobile ads
Google AdWords has extensive resources for its clients, including tracking and support. By purchasing ads you increase your online visibility and direct traffic to your website.
5. Added Services
When you are able to provide more than one service for clients, there are more reasons for prospects to use you as their mortgage broker. This also goes for blog posts and other types of advertising - if you have more to offer, you will generate more leads.
Many mortgage brokers find that offering free credit services provides a steady stream of free mortgage leads. The majority of people seeking credit advice are planning to buy a home soon. Not only does offering credit services drive more traffic to your website, it actually helps grow your business. When clients have better credit they are able to get better loans.
That’s a double-win.
While some mortgage brokers offer credit services for free, others create a separate legal entity and do credit repair as a separate business! Laws for this are different depending on the state you are in, so remember to educate yourself and consult with your lawyer before you start offering credit repair for a fee.
Learn why offering credit repair can make your mortgage business explode here.
