The Power of Social Media & Using Best Practices

Why You Need Social Media:

  • Social media is the single most effective way to reach audiences.
  • You should be on the Top Social Networks spreading audience awareness.

Here are the top social media networks and the number of users for each network – users you won’t be reaching if you’re not on these social media sites!:

Best Practices for Growing Your Audience:

CONSTANTLY POST CONTENT

It’s not enough to post once a week. Create a schedule a stick to it.

Here is a good outline of how often to post:

VIDEOS ARE KING

With over a billion users, YouTube is the place to be. Videos can easily be featured on a personal and properly branded YouTube page. It only takes minutes to set up an account using your Gmail address.

YouTube makes it easy to add videos to other social media sites and link and tag the video to improve your personal web presence. If it’s an extremely informative or funny video people will be more likely to share it – spreading your personal brand.

Opportunities for Video (all of these social networks can have video recorded and posted to them from your phone!)

  • Open Houses
  • Broker Opens
  • Lunch and Learns
  • Signing/closings
  • Customers moving in
  • Realtor testimonials
  • Movements in the Market

ENGAGEMENT DRIVEN QUESTIONS

If you want a response from your audience then Ask Questions! It’s simple and easy to do whether you’re on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or even Instagram. Just remember to be present and ask thoughtful questions that will actually drive engagement.

HUMOR/LIGHT HEARTED CONTENT

Be kind and funny. People like to laugh but they don’t want to be offended. Provide cute photos from your travels or a family photo at Disneyland with a funny caption.

DEAL WITH NEGATIVE FEEDBACK SWIFTLY.

When someone has negative things to say about your company, respond quickly and don’t delete the post from your page if it’s on a network like Instagram or Facebook where comments can be deleted. Your customers may view deletion as a sign your brand is dishonest and trying to hide the truth.

And don’t feed the trolls — stay focused on constructive criticism. If someone is clearly out to tarnish your name, it’s best not to play into their game on social media. Instead, send them your customer service email address or phone number and ask them to contact you directly.

PUBLISH NIGHTS & WEEKENDS

You might work Monday through Friday from 9–5, but your community is global, spanning time zones around the world and checking social networks outside of your normal work hours. Think about all of the times throughout the week when you check your Twitter feed or watch a YouTube video on nights and weekends. Posting outside of regular office hours helps your content stand out when many other brands aren’t posting.

YELP AND ZILLOW: SOCIAL REVIEWS YOUR CLIENTS TRUST

Many of us are already utilizing Yelp to find a great place to eat…but did you know that your borrowers are using Yelp to find their next mortgage professional? Start by tidying up your review site, and creating or claiming your profile on both Yelp and Zillow if you haven’t yet. We strongly encourage you to ask for client reviews for these sites, as they are the most trusted resources for peer review of your business. It can be as simple as sending an email and can be extremely rewarding…we have loan officers at MCP and HAF that have over one hundred five star reviews – that’s a huge marketing opportunity for you!

INSTAGRAM IS SURGING IN POPULARITY

This is the fastest growing and currently most widespread social network. The key is that it is personal – it is difficult to post to this network by anyone other than you. Take advantage of this, and this platform has an immense amount of potential for your business. Video, daily stories, and hashtags are hallmarks of great Instagram activity.

Contributors: Lauren Taylor, Jeff Uniack, Aric Anderson

We hope this guide sparks some ideas for you. If you have questions we are always available to help: marketing@mortgcap.com.