Mortgage Marketing: Ideas for Lead Generation

In the mortgage broker business, the name of the game is lead generation.  If you’re looking to devise new strategies for attracting clients, we have ideas to help make the process easier.  Consider trying some of the following:
Generate a List
Think of the people who you come into contact with over the course of a year.  These people could include friends, family members, acquaintances, service professionals like your mechanic, and past co-workers.  On an annual basis, send out a letter highlighting your services suggesting that they request a consultation with you to learn more.
Be a Do-Gooder
Most people have charities that are close to their hearts.  Get involved with one that you feel strongly about and use it not only as an opportunity to help others, but also as a chance to network.  When you meet new people, hand them your business card.  Rather than go for an immediate hard sell, allow people to ask you about what you do and use those moments to casually highlight your services.
Join a Networking Organization
If there’s a professional networking organization in your community, become a member.  If one doesn’t exist, consider creating your own with people who work in complementary industries.  For example, you might want to start a small networking organization that includes a real estate attorney, a realtor, and a builder.  Socializing with other networkers gives you the opportunity to share leads, as well as acquire new leads of your own.
Ask for Referrals
It’s always a good idea to ask your existing satisfied clients for referrals.  After closing a deal for them, find out if they can provide you with names of people who might be interested in your services.  This not only will give you more leads, but it will also provide you with a testimonial of sorts from the individual who made the referral.
Offer Presentations
If there’s a topic that you are well-versed on, consider giving a presentation on it. You can present at local civic groups, your library, or your community’s recreation center.  This will give you a chance to show off your expertise while also giving you the opportunity to pass out business cards to attendees.   This can also include other people who are interested in getting into your field. For example if you are well versed in mortgage marketing and can share helpful information to others it usually will stay in their minds and they would be more likely to even refer people or clients to you.
When following these strategies, remember to be friendly, rather than the stereotypical pushy salesperson.  No one wants to inadvertently subject themselves to an aggressive sales pitch.  Instead, focus on meeting new people and when the conversation drifts to your line of work, use that as an opportunity to answer questions others have about your business.  You’ll find that these casual exchanges will ultimately help you to generate more leads and grow your business.

Mortgage Marketing: 7 Tips to Get Your Prospecting Emails Read

Do you know what the email open rate is for your prospects? It probably ranges between 15-20%, according to Constant Contact. That’s a fairly low number and it means that there’s lots of potential for improvement. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to increase the likelihood that your emails will be read:

Get Personal. People appreciate emails that have a personal touch. Avoid using stiff, dated language and instead, try to incorporate the type of language that you would use if you were communicating in person. Also, make sure to address the prospect by name.

Use A Compelling Subject Line. The subject line is what’s going to motivate your prospect to open the email. As such, you’ll want to mention in your subject line what benefit you are offering the recipient. But, make sure to avoid spam triggers by removing exclamation points and the word, “free.” Spam filters are more likely to direct these emails straight to the trash bin.

Choose A Great Opener. Start your email with a good hook. Some suggestions include a shocking statistic, a humorous anecdote, or a relevant question. Your goal is to draw the reader in and the more interesting you can be from the start, the more likely your prospect will want to read the rest of your email.

Remain Consumer-Focused. While it’s tempting to boast about your credentials, think about the email from the customer’s point of view. Rather than make your emails egocentric in nature, think about your prospects’ needs and the benefits that are important to them. Then, address those issues upfront. The more that you can make your email consumer-focused, the better it will resonate with the reader.

Include a Call-To-Action. Every email campaign should feature a call-to-action. What is it exactly that you would like your prospect to do? Do you want them to set up a free consultation? Would you like them to sign up for your newsletter? In your email, choose one action item that you would like your prospect to take. Then, include it in 3 places throughout the email.

Design for Mobile. Almost half of all emails are read on mobile. If you don’t take this into account—and design your email for laptop reading only—you’re missing out on half of your market right out of the gate. Instead, create emails that are optimized for mobile. This is becoming more and more important as the number of consumers in the US with smart phones continues to grow.

Consider Timing. Think about when your prospects are most likely to have the time to review your email. For instance, a bad time to reach out to them would be over the weekend when they might not be checking email during their off-hours. If your email marketing software allows it, try testing your campaign. Send half of your emails in the morning and half of them later in the day. See if you notice any significant difference in open rates.

Celebrating 15 years in Business!

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail,Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

Direct Mail Marketing Basics Part 3 of 5: Formatting Your Message

In part 3 of our 5-part series, we’ll take a look at the different methods that you can use to format your direct mail message. Each option has pros and cons that we’ll be discussing to help you make the best decision for your business.

Postcards – Marketing Postcards can make for an attractive option and have the highest direct mail read rate. Their small size means they’re great for attracting attention, as they tend to stand out from the rest of the mail. While they don’t offer much room for text, they can be a cost-effective way to deliver a brief message to a lead or to thank a previous client.

Letters – Letters are great when you want to tell a story, offer testimonials, or personalize your sales message. Their larger size means that you can offer a longer sales pitch which can help you sell your service more effectively. Additionally, the letter format allows you to include other elements in your direct mail piece. For example, you can offer magnets or calendars that help people remember your business long after the letter has been discarded. Also, a letter gives you the opportunity to use a reply envelope so people can obtain more information about your services.

Brochures and Booklets – These make for the most visually appealing mailings but are also the most expensive. As such, you should make sure that if you use a brochure or a booklet, you’ve done your homework first. Pick your target market carefully—an affluent zip code, for example—and have the printer create a small number of brochures. Then, test it on just a portion of your potential customers before committing to large printing costs. If you find that brochures merit the expense, they’re a great way to share information in a visual way with your mailing list.

Flyers – The larger format of a flyer makes it a good choice when you want to communicate a lengthier sales pitch but unlike a letter, they do not lend a personalized feel. As such, they tend to work better for general announcements. If you do decide to use them, they provide a lot of choice: they have many folding options, you can print on the front and the back, and you can even coat them for extra protection from the elements.

Once you’ve decided on the formatting you’d like to use, the next step is to craft your message. In part 4 of this series, we’ll discuss how to write effective sales copy for your direct mail piece.

Celebrating 15 years in Business! Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

Direct Mail Marketing Basics Part 1 of 5: Benefits

Ironically, many marketers overlook direct mail when creating marketing campaigns. However, that’s not a good idea. Statistics support the notion that direct mail can be a very important way to spread your marketing message. For instance, did you know that direct mail is the preferred way for consumers to receive brand communications? Read on to learn more reasons direct mail can be a boon to your business.

Direct Mail Offers Personalization. Consumers prefer marketing messages that are tailored to them. With direct mail, you can address your potential clients by name and create appeals that are customized to their particular concerns.

Direct Mail Can Be Used for Segmentation. Want to reach every residence within a certain geographical area? Or are you looking to target prospective customers based on zip code, home ownership, and income level? If so, this is easy to do with direct mail. Mailing lists can be purchased that allow you to segment your prospects by geography, demographics, or both.

Direct Mail is Cost Effective. Direct mail doesn’t have to be an expensive undertaking. With desktop publishing,d you can create your own marketing pieces at home. Furthermore, the price of mailing lists is relatively inexpensive, typically costing less than 15 cents per household.

Direct Mail is Tangible. Unlike other marketing communications, direct mail provides a physical sales message that your customers can hold onto. This gives them the opportunity to return to your message at any time and engage with it in a way that is impossible with other mediums.

Direct Mail Provides Flexibility. There are a number of ways that you can reach consumers with direct mail. Whether you want to send them a business letter, a postcard, or your most recent newsletter, direct mail offers a variety of options.

Lastly, most US consumers say that they enjoy receiving direct mail. With these benefits in mind, direct mail makes a great option for those marketers looking to explore new channels for reaching their target audience. In our next post, we’ll discuss how to prepare for a direct mail campaign.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

Bulletin Board Marketing: A How-To

Looking for an easy, inexpensive way to sell your services? Consider bulletin board marketing. By bulletin board, we mean the cork boards that you often see at various businesses that allow individuals to post local events, services, and products. In some places throughout the country, bulletin board marketing is so popular that there are companies that will do the work for you of hanging your ads around town. That said, for little time and effort, you don’t require professional help—it’s easy to create and distribute them yourself as an avenue to market your business.

First, create your flyer. Rather than drawing up a full-size ad that won’t fit due to space limitations, create a half-page flyer or a postcard-size ad. Half-page flyers allow you the opportunity to have tear-offs at the bottom with your name and phone number; these are useful when you want people to remember your flier later on in the day when they have the time to place a phone call. Alternatively, you can use postcards which can be attractively designed and created at a low cost. To attract even more attention, consider offering an incentive—like a free credit report—for potential home buyers who respond to your advertisement.

Once you’ve created your ad, you want to distribute it throughout your community. Great places to put it include condos, townhouses, and apartment complexes; these often have bulletin boards. You might need to get permission from a manager but oftentimes, they are willing to permit mortgage-related postings if you just ask politely.

Next, consider other locations that you frequent like coffee shops, libraries, supermarkets, drug stores, Laundromats, bookstores, home improvement stores, hospitals, supply shops, and places of worship. These locations typically get a lot of foot traffic and make great venues for broadcasting your services to a larger audience.
Lastly, make sure that you do check on your postings from time to time. Replenish your postcards or put up new fliers with fresh tear-offs if you notice that there aren’t a lot left. When you do get new business from your bulletin board marketing efforts, ask clients where they saw your ad. These places are the ones that you’ll want to “refresh” your fliers at more frequently.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

4 Tips for Attracting Realtor Agents

According to the National Association of Realtors, a whopping 69% of home buyers ask their real estate agent to recommend a loan officer. And of that number, 36% of home buyers use their agent’s recommendation. As such, it should be a crucial part of your marketing strategy to attract agents; they’re an important source of revenue for mortgage professionals. Our suggestions:

Locate Realtors. Uncertain of how to get started? If you’re trying to identify top Realtors in your neighborhood, a good resource is the Realtor MLS. It identifies the number of homes that an agent sells, as well as their contact information; although you’ll need a Realtor to help you access the database, you’ll be able to glean lots of valuable information. Or, take a look at local real estate magazines and real estate office websites to identify agents with a lot of listings.
Find Out What They Need. Learn more about the biggest hassles that real estate agents face. For instance, check out online forums that agents frequent and get a feel for where their frustrations lie. You want to provide value to agents and one way that you can do that is by helping them to address their problems. Essentially, by making your focus on how you can meet their needs.

Offer a Solution. Most agents have numerous demands on their time and would appreciate help in the areas of marketing and sales. One useful strategy is to show up at an open house and use your phone to record a video of the agent moving through the home, highlighting its features. Don’t forget to have the agent give the address of the home and his contact information. Agents appreciate this help and it really does help them to sell houses. Alternatively, perhaps you have useful marketing templates that you can share with Realtors. Be creative—any help that you can provide in this area will be to your benefit.

Keep the Connection Strong. Even if your agent doesn’t have a deal going, you want to stay in regular contact. On a weekly basis, check in and ask if they have any leads they would like you to follow up on. Keep the relationship warm and friendly—the stronger the connection, the more likely it is that you will get an agent’s referral. Also, strive to make the connection win-win for both of you—if you have leads for the agent, make sure to pass them along.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail,Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

Appreciate Your Employees with these Cost Saving Ideas

Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and employees are no different. In fact, studies show that more than half of employees would leave their current job for a company where their efforts were clearly appreciated. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to make your employees feel valued that cost little but mean a lot.

Say Thanks. People want to feel that their hard work is recognized. If you notice an employee worked over the weekend to meet an important deadline or stayed late one night to solve a problem, say thank you. Although it’s a small thing, employees do enjoy knowing that their hard work is recognized and appreciated. You may even want to consider a handwritten note of appreciation; recipients find these even more meaningful.

Offer Incentives. Everybody loves incentives. Fortunately, there are nice things that you can do for your employees that won’t end up breaking the bank. For instance, you could allow casual Fridays or offer up a prime parking spot to the employee of the month. Tell your hardest worker to go home a couple of hours early one Friday. Think in terms of things that will be appreciated but make little impact to your office budget.

Reward Group Successes. It’s far more cost effective to reward a group than an individual. So the next time a group in your office meets a major milestone, consider a pizza party or bring in donuts as a treat. Again, these things don’t have to cost much but they will make your employees feel like valued members of the team, and happy employees will reduce turnover while improving office morale.

Additionally, your happy employees may even result in greater revenue, says Dr. Noelle Nelson, author of the book, Make More Money by Making Your Employees Happy. “When employees feel that the company takes their interest to heart, then the employees will take company interests to heart,” she says. Furthermore, she cites a Jackson Organization study which indicates that “companies that effectively appreciate employee value enjoy a return on equity and assets more than triple that experienced by firms that don’t.”

As you can see, creating a workplace where value is recognized and appreciated is win-win for everyone and can be done at minimal expense. Use the tips above for improving the atmosphere at your office.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company

6 Tips for Creating Better Mortgage Marketing Letters

A successful mortgage marketing letter is a great way to capture new leads. But oftentimes, letters in this industry can come across as dull and lackluster. Fortunately, we have some great ideas for improving the content of your mortgage marketing letters. Read below for our top tips:

Don’t Be Boring. You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of your reader. Make sure that you do so with compelling content. For instance, use a captivating story or a glowing testimonial. These can be far more engaging than the typical dull sales pitch.

Offer Incentives. Everyone likes to get something for nothing. To attract potential clients, consider offering something for free—like a download of an e-book, access to an interesting webinar, or an entertaining podcast. Another option is to offer a contest. For example, you could give out gifts to the first 5 people to respond to your letter.

Use a Clear CTA. Your letter should contain a clear call to action (CTA). Do you want the reader to sign up for your monthly newsletter? Would you rather they return a postage-paid mailer requesting more information? Or are you interested in getting them to sign up for a free consultation? Whatever your call to action is, make sure that it is clearly articulated in the text of your letter.

Don’t Ignore Visual Appeal. Not only should your letter offer a compelling headline, but it’s also important that it appears visually appealing. Use bullet points and call-outs so that key information can be spotted quickly. Don’t use overly-long paragraphs that busy readers will be inclined to skim.

Have a Deadline. Create a sense of urgency around your call to action. The longer people wait to take action, the less likely it is that they will do so. To prevent that from occurring, use a deadline. For example, you might say something like, “Hurry, Act Now—This Free Offer Only Lasts until June 1st!”

Include a Post Script. Studies show that as many as 80% of your readers will read the PS first. Take advantage of that by using the PS as an opportunity to make a convincing appeal to the reader to take action.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

The Ugly Word: Marketing

Let’s face it. Many people have a negative perception of the word marketing. Oftentimes the connotation is that in marketing, people are subjected to advertising or promotions that are unappealing or not geared toward them. This is particularly the case with mortgage marketing where the implication is often that the content is disingenuous or even impersonal. Yet marketing can be beneficial if it’s done correctly–namely, if it’s personal and geared toward the right audience.

The first issue—creating personal marketing—is something that can be easily done with a little forethought as you design your marketing materials. Obviously, you want to personalize your message. This means that you want to avoid those, “Dear Valued Client,” mailings. Instead, use your client’s first name. Additionally, consider using photos in your marketing materials not only to make them more appealing but also to add a personal touch. And if you have time, include a handwritten note on your direct mailings. For example, “Hope the new house is working out great!” Making a genuine effort to be warm and engaging in your promotional materials will pay dividends when it comes to generating new business.  Promotional marketing can include: direct mail pieces,marketing postcards, social media and branding.

As for gearing your marketing approach toward the right audience, think in terms of market segmentation. For instance, the type of marketing materials that you would send to a potential homeowner would differ from those you might want to send to a past client who you helped to buy a home 2-3 years ago. In the latter case, you might decide to send out a promotional piece mentioning great rates on Home Equity Lines of Credit. This approach is more likely to yield benefits to not only yourself, but also to those who could really use your services.

The important thing to remember as a mortgage marketer is that how you choose to market yourself determines whether the word is “ugly” or not. By focusing on providing personalized, segmented marketing, you can do your part to remove the negative connotations from the word and have people appreciate your promotional efforts.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

The Three Foundations of Mortgage Marketing: Part 3: Media

In parts 1 and 2 of our 3-part series, we identified the first two foundations of mortgage marketing identifying your market and creating an effective advertising message. Now we’ll focus on the third essential, media. By media, we mean the method you’ll choose to get your message to market. Generally, there are 3 basic categories: Radio/Television (or Mass Media), the Internet, and Direct Marketing. Let’s examine each in greater depth.

Radio/Television (Mass Media)

Unfortunately, although radio and television do reach a broad swath of people, they are expensive and take a scatter shot approach—you might receive some new clientele, but you’ll also waste your advertising dollars by primarily reaching people who aren’t in the market for your services. As such, this is not the best proposition for those in a referral- driven industry like real estate.

Internet

The Internet includes things such as email marketing and social media marketing. Unfortunately, mortgage marketing doesn’t lend itself well to social media marketing; most people don’t go to Facebook or Twitter to scout out refinance options. Email marketing, on the other hand, can be more valuable. If you have permission get in touch with your market via email, this is an easy and inexpensive approach that can keep you in the forefront of your contacts’ minds.

Direct Marketing

Direct marketing to past clients is an excellent way to generate more business. In fact, direct mortgage marketing outperforms other mediums—such as Mass Media and the Internet—in a referral-driven business like real estate. One oft-recommended tool is a newsletter. The benefit of a monthly newsletter is that you can stay connected with past clients, keeping you—and your services—in the forefront of your target audience’s minds. You’re regularly reaching your client base and offering them useful information in the form of a helpful newsletter. And these individuals—many of whom are past clients and already familiar with your services—will be more inclined to think of you when a friend is seeking refinancing assistance, for example. Additionally, newsletters have the benefit of being relatively inexpensive to produce.

Paying attention to the 3 foundations of mortgage marketing—market, message, and media—is important for generating new business. As you hone your marketing with these principles in mind, you can expect to experience greater results and increased revenue.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

The Three Foundations of Mortgage Marketing: Part 2: Message

In part 1 of our 3-part series, we identified the first important foundation of mortgage marketing, your market—the people in your sphere of influence who are likely to use your services. Here, we discuss the message. Essentially, your message answers the question of why someone should do business with you of all the mortgage brokers out there.

Being able to answer this question—concisely and directly—is the pillar of your mortgage marketing strategy. This is your primary means of conveying your attributes to your potential clients. And remember, if your market doesn’t receive your message, you’ll fail to influence those you most want to reach.

That said, it’s important to define your message. Identify what it is that makes you unique in the marketplace. Do you offer X years of experience? Are you available 24/7 to your clients? Are you particularly skilled at brokering mortgages for borrowers in difficult circumstances?
Whatever your message is, make sure that it is concise and sale-able. This is the main point that you will be using to convey your skill set to potential clients. Once you’ve identified it, you’ll want to use it in all of your marketing materials, such as newsletters, websites, post cards, and other direct mail pieces.

If you’re struggling to decide between various messages, you might want to test them out first. Consider creating two direct mail pieces—each with a different message—and sending the first piece to half of your potential contacts, and the second piece to the other half. Then, evaluate which message is more effective by tracking the responses you receive.

In the final part of our series, we’ll discuss the third pillar of effective mortgage marketing, the media. Now that you’ve identified your market and tailored a message to it, how do you reach your clients? What vehicle will you choose to bring your message to the marketplace? Read part 3 to learn the ins and outs of various media vehicles.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

The Three Foundations of Mortgage Marketing: Part 1: Market

The critical components of successful mortgage marketing are identified in this 3-part series. First, there is the Market, a reference to your target audience. Your market consists of those people who are in your sphere of influence—for instance, friends, family members, colleagues, past associates, etc.

As you know, most new business comes from referrals. Therefore, to effectively engage in mortgage marketing, you need to actively manage your contacts if you want to succeed in generating more referrals. To do so, we recommend that you follow these important steps:

Invest in Contact Management Software. There is a wealth of software out there for managing contacts, and some of it is geared specifically toward the mortgage industry. It can’t be stated how critical it is to have all of your contacts’ information listed in one central database.

Keep Your Database Up-To-Date. Your database is your primary marketing tool. Make sure that it is kept current and includes all potential leads, whether they are friends, family members, colleagues, or past clients. Anyone who you come into semi-regular contact with should be included in your contacts database.

Regularly Generate New Leads. There are a number of ways to generate new leads and increase your market. For instance, you can approach real estate agents or look through real estate listings to find agents with lots of listings. Also, you can consider approaching home owners who are selling their homes without the aid of a realtor. And don’t forget to attend open houses or trade shows. For example, at a home improvement trade show, you might want to advertise home equity lines; this is a great way to attract homeowners looking to invest in home improvement projects.

Once you’ve clearly identified your market—and you have a system in place for managing it—the next important pillar of mortgage marketing is the message. In part 2 of our series, we’ll identify what the message is and how it’s a critical feature of your overall marketing strategy.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

Spring Cleaning Your Email Contacts

Okay, so it’s not quite time to begin your Spring-cleaning, but it never hurts to think about how best to market to your database of email contacts. It’s important to market to your database on a regular basis, but you should avoid having a repetitive message to your list over and over again. Use the down times of the holiday season to tailor new messages that will grab your potential client’s attention.

To get the best results from your direct mail campaigns, merge all your contacts into one database. Whether you received the information through your website, a referral or a chance meeting, bringing all your contacts together allows you to market effectively and consistently to all leads.

Here are three ways to spruce up your marketing by using your current database.

⦁ If your database is largest enough, this is a great time to see how your list responds to different messaging. Break your list into thirds. Send a third a low-interest rate promotion, a third a friendly holiday greeting, and a third some information on refinancing. Make sure to measure the response to each group. Without measurement, all marketing is useless, so be sure to enroll this important step. Plus, measuring your results prevents you from making mistakes again or it helps you in running a successful campaign a second time. If you find something that works, build on it for future campaigns.

⦁ Scout out local vendors to offer your contacts special offers. They can be industry related or perhaps someone in the home improvement business such as house cleaning, landscapers, or deck refinishers. Vendors should be happy to partner up, especially because your database may be full of homeowners and prospective homeowners that they may not have. Combine a few offers into one campaign and market them to your list. While the offer may be appealing, make sure your recipients can clearly identify your brand through all communication. This will create added value for your relationship and build up your vendor referrals at the same time.

⦁ Take the time to clean and organize your list. Organize your list by contacts if they aren’t already. Clearly mark former clients you’ve closed loans with, website visitors who filled out your contact form, agents who have referred you business, etc. The more information you can connect to a contact, the better you can target your marketing to them in the future.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company. 

Mortgage Broker: Using Your Website to Make a Statement

In the mortgage industry, your website should be a source of information and education. Customers are most satisfied when you keep them filled with information about real-estate terms, credit score do’s and don’ts, and other ‘universal’ information that would benefit them when thinking about their mortgage situation. This information tends to be more generic and less personal, but still essential for your readers.

But one place that should be personal and customized is the content on your home page. Why you ask?

⦁ This is your one chance to impress a site visitor and share with them why you are themortgage broker they should work with.

⦁ It may be the only page on your site that they visit.

⦁ It gives you the opportunity to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

⦁ Search engines will rank you higher if your content is more unique. 

A personalized home page is a must. Here are some tips to make it the best.

⦁ What is your brand? Start with three things that you want your clients to know. This is your chance to define yourself through your messaging. How many loans have you closed? Brag about it. Do you specialize in specific financing markets? Talk about each one. Are you great to work with? Let them know why. If you don’t tell your readers about the things that make you unique than they won’t know.

⦁ If you have taken our ‘We’ test than you know the importance of making your customer the subject of your content. This is no different when it comes to your homepage. People like to talk about themselves, and they like when you talk about them as well. Avoid using ‘I’ and ‘We’ in your content. Instead use ‘You’ and ‘Your’ to identify with your customer. Talk about their problems and how you can help.

⦁ Don’t waste their time. When someone visits your site, you only have seconds to capture his or her attention. A ‘welcome to our website’ is not going to help you prove to them to stay on your site. Instead, something along the lines of “With 15 years of customer-focused mortgage experience, ABC company can help with your mortgage needs’ would be better and more to the point.

⦁ Use keywords in your content. If your prospective clients are searching for your services, what type of words or phrases would they put into a search engine? Are these words and phrases on your home page? If they don’t fit naturally into your messaging, be sure to include them in your page’s keywords.

⦁ Break up your content with bullet points. No one wants to read paragraph after paragraph of information. They want to be able to quickly scan your website to determine if it’s worth their time to stay and learn more about you. By using bullet points, you help your reader digest important information about you more quickly.

⦁ Use images and graphics. People are naturally drawn to pictures and it helps break up content. Make sure the images are relevant to your business and include them on your home page.

⦁ Review your home page and then have someone else review it. Have someone that you trust to give honest feedback, both good and bad, look over your home page. They don’t have to be mortgage experts either. The more people you have look at your site, the better it will be.

⦁ Make your home page a continuous project. Customizing your homepage is not a one-time gig. You should come back to it often and re-evaluate its relevance and appeal. You don’t need to make changes every week, or even every month. But don’t assume that just because it worked in the beginning that it will work all the time. Keep your look and information current to ensure you are representing yourself accurately.

If you follow these simple tips, you are one step closer to engaging with your prospective clients and proving to them that you are the best to work with.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.