Mortgage Marketing >> Online >> Ideas for Brokers

21 Marketing Ideas for Mortgage Brokers

by Brandon Cornett, 9/26/08

Article Summary - We are headed for some tough economic times as a result of the mortgage meltdown. So now more than ever, mortgage brokers need solid marketing ideas to help them get through these times. In this article, I'll offer some ideas to help you get more business via the Internet.

I can't stress the importance of a strong web presence enough. Most consumers today start with the Internet when researching mortgage loans. So you must build the kind of broker marketing program that leverages this online activity. Here are 21 ideas for doing just that.

1. Experiment with a pay-per-click search marketing campaign. See if you can generate Internet leads by using a program like Google AdWords.
2. Create a landing page or "pitch page" for the above-mentioned search engine campaign that focuses on a particular mortgage product and audience.
3. Hire a search engine consultant to improve your website's ranking in Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. This will help to increase your website traffic levels and leads.
4. Shape your mortgage broker marketing program around current events (economy, financial crisis, etc.). Showcase your ability to offer solutions to people's problems.
5. Start an article marketing campaign to drive additional traffic to your website. I know this mortgage marketing idea works, because I've used it to promote my Home Buying Institute website for years.
6. Here's a mortgage broker marketing idea for the "advanced class." Create an online forum for mortgage Q&A in your city or state. Hire an Internet marketing or PR firm to help you promote it. Grow your own web audience of local mortgage shoppers!
7. Add a dose of public relations to your mortgage marketing program. Identify something newsworthy about your business or your website, and then promote it through online press release distribution.
8. To support the last marketing idea you could use PRWeb - Distribute your news to consumers, journalists and bloggers.
9. Expand your mortgage website with new content. Use a keyword-research tool such as WordTracker to create a list of topics people are searching online (topics that directly relate to your business). Write new articles and tutorials around these topics to bring in more web traffic via search engines.
10. Review your website with an eye toward lead generation. If your mortgage website is getting traffic on a regular basis, but it's not producing any leads, then you need to address that problem immediately. This is one of the most important marketing ideas on this list.
11. Advertise your Web site with Yahoo! Sponsored Search. Sign up and get a $25 credit into your new account. Learn more.
12. Launch a mortgage blog and publish quality information through it on a regular basis. This will help you expand your web presence and pull in for search engine traffic. We even provide a blog setup service if you need help with this.
13. Create a short e-book (in PDF format) on some mortgage topic within your expertise. Feature the booklet on your website, promote it through press releases, tell your local news channels about it, etc. Make the book free to download, but require an email address for the download link. You can use this idea to grow a newsletter list for future marketing campaigns.
14. Use direct mail postcards to promote a specific offer for a specific audience (such as refinance loans to homeowners in a certain area). Market Your Business! Get 20% Off Your Direct Mail Campaign.
15. Sign up for our free newsletter for a steady stream of marketing advice, tools, techniques and more.
16. Create an email newsletter of your own. Over time, you could grow your list by providing quality information on a monthly basis. It's a good idea for generating referrals, repeat business, word of mouth, etc.
17. Create an "Ask the Expert" section of your website, where people can type a mortgage question into a form (along with their contact info) and have the question answered online. I put a box like this on my home buying blog, and I get questions from readers on a daily basis. This is a perfect strategy for mortgage broker websites and blogs.
18. Improve your website's organization, design and usability. This will help your online marketing program in two ways. It will make your business appear more professional, and it will make the website easier to use. Easy websites produce
19. Here's a marketing idea that not many brokers take advantage of, much to my surprise. Put on a home buyer seminar for people in your city or town. Promote it through direct mail, the local news, online press releases, on your website's home page, etc. Showcase your knowledge of mortgage loans during the free seminar, and you'll likely attract some new clients in the process.
20. Do you work other real estate professionals on a regular basis? Maybe a Realtor or a bank? Why not cross-promote your services with theirs? You could recommend their services on your website, and they could do the same for you on their site. Networking is a powerful tool for mortgage broker marketing and lead generation.
21. If you have a receptionist or office manager (somebody who is near a computer during business hours), you could install a chat program onto your website. Place a "Click to Chat" button in a prominent location on the site, and you'll generate more inquiries from your website visitors. These programs are easy to install and pretty affordable.

About the Author - Brandon Cornett is the publisher of this website. He also provides a variety of Internet marketing services to mortgage brokers, such as search engine optimization and the creation of website content.