How To: Using Social Media as an LO

As a loan officer, your social media presence can be a powerful tool to reach new borrowers and build relationships that could lead to business. But utilizing social media goes beyond just creating a profile and posting occasional updates. If you want to use social media effectively to grow your business, you need to put in the effort to create valuable content, interact with others in your industry, and build a strong personal brand.

Platforms

You're no longer confined to one or two platforms in today's world of social media marketing. From YouTube Live to TikTok Shorts, from Clubhouse to Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, social media marketing knows no bounds in 2022. And with each update to algorithms and shifts in demographics, now might be an excellent time to think about diversifying your efforts—and the good news is that you have a plethora of options.

If you're thinking of experimenting with something new, make sure you pick social media platforms that your current and potential clients are using and active on. There's no point in spending time on a platform if your target audience isn't there.

Know your target audience. If you're looking to get the attention of people in their twenties and early thirties who are buying their first home, TikTok may be a good fit for your mortgage social media strategy. Alternatively, consider Clubhouse and LinkedIn if you're concentrating on developing referral partner connections.

Think, too, about the type of content you want to create and which platforms will work best for that content. If you're looking to share long-form articles, LinkedIn is probably your best bet. But if you're hoping to go live and engage with your audience in real-time, Instagram or Facebook Live might be more up your alley. The key is to mix things up and experiment until you find what works best for you and your business.

Creating Content That Converts

The social media platforms you choose will largely influence the style of content you create and your content strategy. Once you've figured out which social media platforms you want to focus on, it's time to start creating content that will help you achieve your business goals.  

When it comes to mortgage social media marketing, most loan officers want to generate leads and close more loans. But simply posting updates that say, "I can get you a great rate on a home loan!" isn't going to cut it. You need to create content that's valuable, relevant, and engaging if you want to capture—and keep—people's attention.

Some ideas for content that could help you generate leads and grow your business include:

• Industry news and updates
• Tips and advice for first-time homebuyers
• Home buying and mortgage resources
• Stories about your past clients and their experiences
• Live Q&As or podcasts about the mortgage process

Engaging With Your Audience

Social media is all about interacting with individuals in an authentic, personal way. You must interact with people on a regular basis for your social media accounts to be of any use to you. It's only then that your following will start to develop the "know, like, and trust" aspect with you and your business.

When you're trying to establish relationships with potential borrowers or referral partners, regular engagement is key. You can do this by:

• Liking and commenting on other people's posts
• Sharing other people's content
• Asking and answering questions related to your industry
• Starting and participating in conversations
• Reaching out to people directly
• Tagging people

All of these are going to help increase your audience participation which will only help boost your platform engagement in the long-run. Essentially, you want to do everything you can to increase organic engagement on your posts.

Building Your Brand

Your brand is what sets you apart from your competition—and social media is an excellent way to build and reinforce your personal brand. As a loan officer, consider what makes you unique and use that to inform the content you create and the way you interact with others online. Look into discovering your niche as an LO and letting that drive your social media strategy. **link post once its up**

If you're a loan officer looking to use social media to generate leads and close more loans, remember to focus on creating content that's valuable, relevant, and engaging. Establishing relationships with potential borrowers and referral partners is key, so make sure to interact with people on a regular basis. By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to success.

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