Social media is one of the best growth channels for mortgage brokers and loan officers. The biggest social media platforms today give users the ability to reach massive, global audiences.
But what makes them especially powerful in the mortgage industry is the ability to reach people with targeted interests, even in specific geographic areas. As a mortgage broker, you can make people aware of your business, build trust, and compel them to work with you, all because of your social media activity.
That being said, using social media for your mortgage business is not a requirement to be successful. Many of today’s most productive loan officers and originators don’t use social media. They’ve found how to reach their ideal homebuying customer in other ways.
(for a deeper dive on mortgage marketing and sales, check out this article)
If you choose to use social media to grow your mortgage business, it should be a strategic decision. And with the right plan and execution, you can see results quickly.
Post with a Specific Type of Homebuyer in Mind
Before getting into content ideas, let’s cover some basic best practices.
The content you share on social media should be designed with a specific type of prospect in mind. If that person isn’t on social media or doesn’t care to engage with mortgage content on social media, that won’t be an effective way for you to grow.
You may still be able to find quality leads. However, it will take much more time, money and effort to convert prospects into customers.
Furthermore, if you choose to use social media, you don’t need to be on every platform. Today’s most popular social media sites cater to different user bases.
For instance, Instagram and TikTok tend to attract younger audiences, while LinkedIn and Facebook are more popular with older users. Around 60% of Instagram users are under the age of 34, and only ~7% are over 55. Facebook, on the other hand, has fairly similar usage across all age demographics.
Knowing this type of information is useful as a mortgage broker because it allows you to focus your marketing and sales effort where you’re likely to see the best return.
If you prefer working with young, first-time homebuyers, sharing educational content on Instagram and TikTok may produce better results than doing the same on Facebook. If you know that people in your target demographic love getting in-depth market updates and education, you may want to create longer-form educational videos on YouTube.
What’s most important is that you figure out where your target audience wants to consume mortgage-related information and then you produce the best content possible for that channel.
You can always share your content across multiple platforms. The beauty of social media is that once you create one piece of content, you can distribute it easily in many places. The key is focusing first on creating content that matches your best performing channel rather than trying to make your content with all channels in mind.
Also, your best performing channel is likely to change over time. Social media platforms come and go. User demographics change. You need to pay attention to where your ideal customers are today and then obsess over creating content they appreciate while they’re there.
If you can build these skills, you’ll be successful with social media no matter how the landscape changes.
An Exception to the Rule
While most of your content should be geared towards your ideal prospective homebuyer, you can also post content that benefits important referral sources.
For instance, you may want to share market updates for realtors so they can have more educated conversations with their clients. You could also highlight local businesses or custom homebuilders who have served the community well for a long time.
This approach to social media can help generate high-quality referrals from partners who want to reward you for the value you provide them.
Content for Mortgage Social Media Posts
So what types of mortgage social media posts should you make for your audience?
We group content into four broad categories:
- Audience-specific content
- General mortgage content
- Self-promotional content
- Commodity content
The specific messages you share within each category depend on your target audience.
Audience-specific Content
While this may seem counterintuitive, your content doesn’t need to be interesting or useful to all potential homebuyers. It only has to speak to your ideal homebuying customer.
For example, if you prefer working with people who want to purchase a second or third vacation home, your content shouldn’t include information that’s geared toward first-time homebuyers. If you want to work with veterans, post about resources only this group can access.
Remember: your social media is a lead generation channel that should pull in your ideal prospect. (to go deeper on how to generate leads as a mortgage broker, read this post)
By focusing on a specific type of homebuyer, your messaging won’t resonate with everyone, and that’s okay. But it will build trust and separate you from your competitors. Mortgage seekers in your target demographic will view you as someone who truly understands them.
Let’s go back to the example of posting for first-time homebuyers. Your content could focus on topics like:
- How to save for a down payment
- How to calculate what you can afford
- How to choose a realtor
- What to expect throughout the closing process
Even better would be focusing on a specific type of homebuyer, like first generation first-time homebuyers. Again, content that you share in this vein wouldn’t be relevant to a majority of homebuyers.
But the people who do fall into this category would come to trust you much more than other brokers only posting generic content. You could then invite this audience to join you on your newsletter (check out this post to learn more) or other venues for deeper engagement.
By homing in on a narrower demographic, you reduce the competition and increase the likelihood that you become the best and only option for people within a particular group.
General Mortgage Content
You should also post content that all homebuyers find useful. This is one way to increase brand awareness and establish initial credibility with homebuyers.
Here are some examples of content that would fall into this category:
- Mortgage rate updates
- Regulatory updates
- Tips on how to improve your credit score
- Definitions for common mortgage terms
- Explanations for complex mortgage processes
Regardless of the specific niche you choose, there will be more topics to cover in the general mortgage content category. Use this to your advantage.
In between targeted posts, share general education to maintain an active presence online. This is also how you continue to deliver value.
The right ratio of target-specific to general mortgage content depends on how wide of a net you want to cast across your potential customer base. When you’re first starting out as a loan officer, it may make sense to go wider. As your business matures, you can go deeper with a particular type of homebuyer.
Self-promotional Content
The third main type of content you can share on your social media platform is self-promotional content. Examples in this category include:
- Posts about your background and personal interests
- Day-in-the-life videos of you in your office
- Reputation-building content, like recent accomplishments or recognition
You should post this type of content less frequently than the other two categories. While self-promotional content gives people a chance to know you better, it doesn’t deliver your potential customers value. When it comes time to make a decision, they’ll go with the person who has clearly demonstrated expertise at solving the problems they experience.
Commodity Content
Commodity content includes anything that doesn’t tangibly add value to your readers or to your business. This is content that you post for personal reasons with no obvious connection to your work, customers or referral partners.
Commodity content is okay as long as it doesn’t take priority over the other three categories. Too much commodity content will cause people to disassociate your social media profile from your business.
Top Mortgage Broker Influencer Channels
To help spark inspiration on how you can use your social channels, we’ve compiled a list of mortgage broker influencers. Check out the content these loan officers publish and see what topics or styles resonate with you.
Ryan Hills & RC
TheReSourceTV, Puyallup, WA
TheREsource.TV | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram
Ryan Hills and RC Christensen are on fire with TheREsource.TV. With great information and real entertainment value in weekly episodes, they’re the best of the best.
The topics they cover provide value for loan officers, real estate agents and consumers alike. They also distribute via Facebook and include short video teasers with their title graphics on Instagram.
Kevin Fritz
Iron Point Mortgage, Folsom, CA
IronPointMortgage.com | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter
Kevin leads with value in a fun and informative way. What makes his approach unique is he takes on useful and interesting topics, like “The Best Way to Make Plastic Chairs Look New Again!” and “How to Make a Tiki Torch Out of an Empty Wine Bottle.
At the end of each “life hack”-style tip, he transitions to a light call-to-action about his mortgage business. Yes, Kevin talks about reverse mortgages, mortgage insurance and other mortgage-related topics, but his consistent commitment to unique lifestyle tips, well-organized playlists, and often clever thumbnails make his channel stand out.
Nicole Rueth
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp, Englewood, CO
TheRuethTeam.com | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter
Nicole is leading the way when it comes to creating binge-worthy YouTube playlists full of mortgage industry education. She creates content for consumers, real estate agents and loan officers.
And since she has such a wide audience, she also uses a variety of styles – simple, mobile, green screen, at home, at the office, in the car and more.
Kelly Zitlow
Cornerstone Home Lending, Scottsdale, AZ
KellyZitlow.com | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram
With smart-looking thumbnails and helpful playlists, Kelly also provides education to several groups of people in the mortgage industry. One of many things you can learn from her: make the topic of every video as clear as possible.
Dan Moralez
Northpointe Bank, Holland, MI
DanMoralez.com | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn
For years, Dan has been tackling common, mortgage-related questions, problems and opportunities. What makes Dan’s channel especially unique is his commitment to audio. While he does film videos, he makes it easy to learn by listening if you’re on the go.
Top Mortgage Social Media Accounts
Minh Nguyen
What’s A Mortgage, Irvine, CA
WhatsAMortgage.com | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram
When it comes to social video, Mihn is at the top for a few reasons.
He puts out engaging content consistently on a variety of topics. He sheds light on aspects of the mortgage process that are often confusing and uses them as a marketing opportunity.
Jason Stier
Veteran Community Mortgage, Argyle, TX
UMLend.com | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn
Jason is a top mortgage influencer because of his specific focus: he educates those serving in the military and their family members about the mortgage process. His targeting has given him a platform to grow within an important, yet underserved niche.
Josh Velazquez
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, Orlando, FL
JoshVelazquez.com | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
Josh is unique in his ability to blend personal life with business topics in an educational, meaningful and entertaining way. While he certainly talks about important mortgage information, he makes it easy for you to want to spend time with him because he gives so much insight into his life.
Derrick Polder
Summit Funding, Tucson, AZ
ThePolderGroup.com | Facebook | LinkedIn
Derrick uses a wide range of methods to share mortgage education, from slides and text to simple shot-in-the-moment videos. He shows off his personality while making sure viewers walk away with useful information.
Take a look at how Loan Consultant Eric Peltier of Caliber Home Loans shares helpful content with his connections using video…
Video is the Secret to Social Media Engagement
Social media marketing for mortgage loan officers is all about building trust with people at scale. These influencers have figured out how to do this in their own styles.
And as you can see, knowing how to use video effectively on social media is one the best skills you can develop as a mortgage broker. Videos cut through digital clutter and stand out in newsfeeds and inboxes.
Think about all the places where you can communicate via text today on social media – comments, public posts, DMs – and consider replacing or enhancing those interactions with personalized videos.
Leaning more into videos, whether you’re sharing market updates, teaching on a specific topic, or introducing yourself to new followers, is a great way to build relationships. In fact, your followers will feel like they know you even though you haven’t spent any time with them one on one.
And when people feel comfortable, they are much more likely to take action with you rather than a competitor when they need a loan.
We put together a free action plan specifically for mortgage brokers to help with incorporating video into your sales process.
In this guide, we provide 10+ scripts and explanatory videos on how to use video at key moments in the sales cycle, including:
- Initial lead inquiries to increase appointments
- Appointment confirmations to reduce cancellations and no-shows
- Testimonial requests to generate more referrals
Download the guide here.
And to give BombBomb a try, sign up for a free 14-day trial here.
