Loan Officers, Is It Time to Shake up Your Social Media Looks?

It’s back-to-school time, and every kid wants to look his best while becoming a social butterfly. You should want the same thing for your mortgage business, which means it’s time to update your social media looks. Let’s cover a few ways you can refresh your online persona and draw new attention via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Get Current
First things first; Update your information across all platforms. Incomplete social profiles seem unprofessional, and inaccurate information only leads potential clients astray.

On Facebook, you’ll want to focus on the “About” section of your profile. In our profile below, you can see that we’ve filled out both the short and long description, along with our contact information and website.

 

On LinkedIn, refresh your professional headline. You’ll notice many mortgage bankers and loan officers use this space strictly for job titles, and that’s okay, but going a bit further can set yourself apart from the crowd. Kelly, for example, has also managed to work in his company and the states he covers.

 

Then there’s Mike, who included his NMLS ID number:

Ruben got creative and emphasized his niche as a bilingual loan officer and mortgage consultant.

Next, update your summary and experience sections. Show off your expertise and let the world know what you do. If you’ve received awards or certifications, here’s where you brag. And don’t hesitate to highlight volunteer work. It lets your connections know who you are as a professional and a person.

Finally, head to Twitter to make sure everything, including your bio, location and web information, is up to date. If add more value, pin one of your favorite tweets; this becomes the first tweet followers see on your page, so choose wisely. Choose something inspirational or provide your mission statement. It’s also a great way to highlight upcoming events or new product offerings. For example, we’ve pinned a free product demo.

Get Visual
As a kid, back-to-school shopping meant finding cool clothes and accessories that helped you express yourself. It was all about creating an identity, and your social media profile is no different.

Start by adding a new headshot. You always want your image to be as current as possible so you’re instantly recognizable to potential clients and colleagues. This is especially important on LinkedIn, where professional contacts are trying to match faces to the business cards they’ve collected.

Take Keith — his photo is professional, classy and easily recognizable.

While all of these images can be used for personal branding, niche marketing or to highlight contact information or a call to action, only Facebook’s cover image can serve as a clickable CTA. Simply fill in the description and provide a link to the appropriate landing page. This becomes the alt text for the photo, so followers will see it when they hover over the image; when they click the image, they’re taken to the link you provided.

Melanie’s CTA cover photo is a great example:

And don’t forget, Facebook also provides CTA buttons that appear directly in front of your cover photo. Kim uses her CTA button to give followers an option to “contact us.”

Also, notice how her cover photo is not only eye-catching and relevant, but it also features her company name, slogan, years of experience and her email and phone number. That’s making the most of a cover photo!

Get Creative
Keep the content on your social media pages resh. Update Facebook photos, videos and events. Respond to comments and online reviews. Add new documents and presentations to LinkedIn. And, perhaps most importantly, post new content. Here are a few ideas:

• Give employees the spotlight. Feature everyone from the owner to the latest new hire. And it never hurts to pay homage to your top producers.

• Clients can also make great topics, whether you’re posting recent testimonials or photos highlighting a new home purchase.

• Changing locations? Have a new loan product? Has your company recently made the news? Make sure everybody knows it!
• Promote upcoming events you plan to attend or sponsor.
• Never stop posting interesting content from mortgage and real estate publications.

Wrap-up
Engaging on social media is a lot like making a good impression on the first day of school: You’re more successful when you make an effort and put your best foot forward. Online, that includes occasionally updating your social media looks. If you maintain consistency of image and voice across all platforms, your followers will know they’re in the right place.

Not sure you’ll have time to revamp your social media looks this summer? Let the experts help!