If you’re one of the many mortgage professionals who blog, you should have one goal for your online writing efforts: to generate a consistent stream of quality leads. If your blog doesn’t lead to calls, e-mails, loan applications and closed deals, it’s a waste of time.
To generate leads, your blog should have the following five elements.
- Visibility:Keywords are the phrases your prospects type into online search engines when they’re looking for a mortgage professional, a refinance opportunity or a house to purchase. Creating visibility for your blog involves carefully researching the best keywords to use and creating content around those words. Brainstorm the terms your prospects likely will use when they are searching for a mortgage, have a problem you can solve, or are experiencing an event that triggers their need for a mortgage.
- Appealing content:To generate quality leads, your blog must have content that appeals to your target market. A high-net-worth buyer, for example, probably isn’t interested in the same topics as a first-time homebuyer. Fortunately, your keyword research will help you unearth topics that appeal to your intended audience. When you enter a term into a keyword analyzer, for example, the tool should generate a list of related terms. Use this information to brainstorm blog topics. Find other content ideas by looking through your e-mail to see if any of the questions you answered for past clients can be used as posts.
- Selling proposition:What do you provide that makes you different from all other mortgage professionals? Do you understand U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs loans inside and out? Do you have a track record of helping divorced couples refinance their way out of jointly owned property? Anyone looking through the titles of your blog posts should be able to tell your unique selling proposition.
- Regular updates:There are many reasons to keep your blog updated. Most important, search engines favor sites that contain regularly updated information. In addition, regular updates keep you in front of your audience. Although many social media strategists suggest blogging several times a week, there’s a reality to consider here: You’re a mortgage professional, not a full-time blogger. You should, however, commit to posting at least once a week. This will keep your blog fresh without demanding too much of your time.
- Call to action:Every post you write should have a goal. There should be something you’re hoping prospects will do after they’ve read the post. Ask them to take that action. Sometimes, a direct call to action is best. For example: Call now to apply for a mortgage. Other times, you may want to be a bit more subtle. For example, ask readers to subscribe to your blog. Include a call to action at the bottom of every post.
In addition to these five items, make sure your blog includes your contact information. It should be easy to find on every page.
You also should spend time promoting your blog. Start with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you want to make things easier, use a tool that feeds your blog posts to your social media accounts automatically. Twitterfeed is one we use with our Mortgage Social Media clients. Use teaser questions to drive people to your posts. Comment on other blogs and include links to yours.
As you do this, make sure to track your success. Ask new clients how they heard about you. If your blogging efforts pay off, keep going. If they don’t, think about how you can improve. Blogging can be fun, but it must yield monetary results to be considered anything more than a hobby.
Additional Resource:
Are you struggling to find engaging, lead-generating content for your blog? Contact us to learn about our article packs, which can help you banish your writer’s block for good.
Discussion Question:
How do you generate quality leads with your mortgage blog?
JC Kiadii, Mortgage Internet Marketing Services . 770-469-7385. Are you reaching out to the 87% of new buyers who start their search online? Our team provides results-driven mortgage Internet marketing services. Visit our website and sign up for the More Closings email newsletter to receive the 4-week e-course on Building a Quality, Responsive List.
This article originally appeared in the Scotsman Guide – Residential Edition.
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