Mortgage content marketing is a must for lenders who want to boost business and generate high-quality leads. Instead of relying on third-party services and referrals, you can create your own pipeline of prospects who can potentially be converted to applicants and borrowers.

Each piece of content you publish not only has the potential to generate leads, but will also increase traffic to your website, build awareness of your business and provide an exceptional return on your marketing dollars. Content marketing is cumulative, which means the more content you product, the more leads you’ll be able to generate and the more online engagement you’ll receive from qualified prospects.

Why Mortgage Content Marketing?

The American Bank Association’s 2018 report on Social Selling in the Mortgage Industry indicates the growing digital prospect opportunities for home lenders. Their study found that 46% of first-time homebuyers are millennials with a median age of 32. These digital natives often prefer to complete the entire process online, from mortgage qualification to finding the right property.

HubSpot reported these encouraging business blog stats in 2015, and the reach of online marketing has only increased in the past few years. Consider these statistics:

• Businesses that have blogs report 67% more leads than those without a social media presence.
• Regular blogging is 13 times more likely to create positive ROI than traditional marketing methods. Many industry experts report that content marketing results in three times more leads per dollar spent than with traditional mortgage marketing.
• Blogs result in 97% more links to the associated business than businesses without blogs receive.

The following seven strategies can get you started on an effective lead generation program that leverages the power of content marketing.

1. Show Your Expertise

High-quality content about your industry positions you as an expert within your niche. Do you specialize in mortgage loans for low-income neighborhoods? First-time buyer programs? Programs for veterans? While you don’t need to limit content only to one specialty area, producing detailed information about specific programs and services builds trust with your readers and increases the chances that they’ll rely on you when they need a mortgage.

2. Keep Content Relevant

Every piece of mortgage marketing content you create should provide value for your audience by solving a problem. To make sure posts and articles are relevant to your readers’ needs, consider these questions:

• What are the demographics of my target audience?
• Who is my reader? What are his or her values?
• What problem does this content solve?
• How am I helping the reader meet his or her goals?
• How am I setting myself apart from other lenders? What is my unique selling proposition?
• What action do I want the audience to take after reading this content?

3. Create Clear Calls to Action

What do you want prospects to do after they read your content? Whether you are trying to drive newsletter signups, new loan applications or another key business metric, use a clear, eye-catching call to action. This transforms readers into leads with the click of a button by making that desired next step almost effortless.

Use design elements such as placement, size, font and color to draw site visitors in the right direction. Avoid “friction” that keeps readers from entering your lead pipeline. In marketing, friction refers to anything that creates a barrier for the prospect, such as a slow-loading website or a long form to fill out.

4. Focus on B2B and B2C Content

Many lenders produce blog content that speaks only to potential borrowers. The fact is, however, that most mortgage officers get the bulk of their leads from personal referrals. These primarily come from real estate agents, so it’s important to consider that audience when building your content marketing strategy.

However, don’t forget to create awareness of your business among less common referral sources. You should also release content that targets referral partnerships with financial planners and advisers, life insurance agents, divorce attorneys, estate planning attorneys, certified public accountants and local banks and credit unions that don’t offer mortgages.

5.Take Advantage of Social Media

Sites like Facebook and Snapchat might seem like passing fads, but the fact is that social media is here to stay. According to 2018 data from the Pew Research Center:

● Social media is used by 88% of 18-to-29-year-olds, 78% of those ages 30 to 49 and 64% of those ages 50 to 64.
● 68% of American adults use Facebook.
● 75% of Facebook users report logging onto the platform at least once a day, a statistic that also applies to 63% of Snapchat users and 50% of Instagram users.
● 50% of U.S. college graduates use LinkedIn.
● 73% of Americans who are on social media rely on more than one platform. The average social media user is on three different sites.

The numbers are clear. If you want to connect with prospects where they live, you need to be posting content on Facebook as well as on sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

6. Pay Attention to SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, helps your site rank well on Google and other search services. The better you rank, the more likely it is that prospects will connect with your content. According to industry expert SEO firm Moz, here are some of the factors that determine SEO performance:

● Relevance to a specific keyword or topic (the search term)
● Keyword mention in the site’s title tag, meta data and URL, as well as several times throughout the content
● Value and uniqueness of content
● Links to other pages

7. Seek Professional Help

Many professionals in the financial industry decide to leave mortgage content writing to the experts. Outsourcing online marketing to specialists ensures that your content is optimized for search engine performance, builds trust by positioning you as an industry expert, attracts your target audience and reflects your business in the best possible light.

Make Your Mortgage Marketing Count

Whether your mortgage marketing methods already incorporate online content or you’re eager to dip your toe in this lucrative lake of leads, BKA Content can save you time by providing original, high-quality content by professional SEO writers. Learn more about how it works and contact our team to discuss how we can support your content marketing strategy to exponentially increase your leads.

As you well know, competition in the mortgage world is fierce, with dozens of lenders in the same region offering different rates, distinctive programs and varied levels of customer service. Each of these factors, along with dozens of others, makes it more difficult than ever to acquire clients and process loans. If you feel the truth of this statement all too acutely, it may be time to look into online marketing.

How Can You Benefit From Content Writing?

Digital connectivity has altered everything from how individuals live and work to how they shop and play, so it’s no surprise that it has also altered consumer behavior. Once upon a time, price was the most important factor in the purchase decision. Today, however, 73% of consumers agree that trust and transparency are more important than cost. Another 71% of consumers and 82% of investors said they are more likely to work with or buy from a company if they recognize the brand name. What does this mean for brands today? They must engage, inform, communicate and, most importantly of all, be visible. Mortgage marketing content can help you do each of these things, which will in turn result in increased acquisitions and processed loans.

Which Content Strategies Should You Invest In?

When it comes to online marketing, there are strategies aplenty. So, how do you decide which are right for you? Consider the benefits of the following:

Don’t Try To Do It All On Your Own

Developing a working content strategy takes time in and of itself, but bringing that strategy to life requires a time investment most mortgage lenders do not have. If you want help creating a strategy that leads to mortgage acquisitions without taking your time away from pursuing or following up with them, then outsource your online marketing to a team that specializes in strategy, lead generation and, above all, quality content.