4 Ways Mortgage Brokers Can Leverage LinkedIn For New Business
LinkedIn is one of the most powerful networking sites today. It has the highest average household income over any other social media/social networking website and nearly 44% of users are key decision makers. According to 2011 statistics, 14.8% of the US users are in the Finance Industry. With over 135 million users on LinkedIn, there are nearly 20 million people in our industry. LinkedIn is a great place to spend time and bring in new leads for your business.
There are numerous ways to attract leads on LinkedIn. Here are 4 things you can implement this week:
1. Optimize Your Profile
If you do not let people know who you are, what you do, and how you help people, people will be confused when they come across your profile. Fill out every part of your profile and make sure to include as many details as possible. A key component is to use words that are relevant to what you do throughout your profile. For example, let’s say that “Mortgage Broker in Denver” or “Reverse Mortgages California” best explain your business. Make sure to use these terms in the following 4 areas:
- In your headline
- In your current work description
- In your summary
- In the specialties section
2. Answer Questions
From your homepage, click on the tab “More” and then “Answers”. Spend 5-10 minutes 3 days per week answering questions that are relevant to your market and your expertise. Make sure to post the most informative answer, add a lot of value, and become a resource for the reader. A great practice is to send them a private message a day or two later letting them know that you would be happy to connect over the phone if they have additional questions or need anything else.
3. Recommend Your Contacts
If a colleague or a client has a product or service that you have used and can vouch for, leave them a recommendation. On your contacts’ profiles, you will see a link in the upper right hand corner of their profile called “Recommend ____________”. The more recommendations someone has on their profile, the more likely others will be interested in working with them. This encompasses the law of reciprocity; the more recommendations you give, the more recommendations you will receive. By helping others get more leads, you are helping yourself get more leads as well, and great recommendations on your page could lead to a decision someone makes to contact you or not.
4. Stand Out
The majority of people on LinkedIn do not really know how to use it as a tool and frankly, their profile are fairy bland and boring. A great way to stand out is to use a video on your profile that automatically plays when someone lands on your page. You can make it a “Welcome to My Page” video or you could have one of your clients leaving a testimonial and sharing a positive experience they’ve had with your business or service.
Getting More Leads On LinkedIn
Linked has new tools and functions coming out all the time. Make sure to keep your eyes out for the newest and most effective techniques. LinkedIn can serve as a place for you to meet potential customers, investors, sponsors, business partners, and more. Aim to spend 5-10 minutes a day for 3 days per week and make sure you track how your new business is coming in.
Do you have any success stories from LinkedIn? Has it helped your business?
Susan, Dawn, & Mary Ann
The Rehab Financial Team
p.s. have an immediate question? Give us a ring! 877-643-9066
p.p.s make sure to keep an eye out next month for more Social Media and LinkedIn tips for mortgage brokers!