Generating leads can be tough, no matter what industry you’re in. But mortgage brokers have it especially difficult. They’re constantly fighting an uphill battle to get noticed and build trust with potential clients because…
- Competition in the industry is immense
- Most offers are similar and commoditized
- Clients are reluctant to trust new brands
The good news is, you can generate immensely profitable leads as a mortgage broker. We should know; many of our 350+ clients are in the mortgage business!
In this guide, we’ll walk you through finding clients and generating leads, step by step. Here are our 7 best mortgage broker lead generation ideas.
1. Build and optimise your website
Make sure your website is designed to generate leads. The best way to do this is by populating your site with landing pages that greet visitors and convert them into leads and customers.
Landing pages are different from regular site pages because they have elements like…
- A persuasive headline that makes your offer’s benefits immediately clear
- A clear and easy-to-use lead capture form on your website that allows visitors to give you their contact details
- Calls to action encouraging your users to sign up with your service
Your landing pages are the foundation of your lead generation efforts. They’re where you drive a lot of your PPC traffic, and a lot of social, SEO, and referral traffic.
If you offer a range of services, you need separate landing pages for each one. For example, you’d want to create a landing page for first-time home buyers and a different landing page for business mortgages.
You should also make sure that your website and landing pages are mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. Users need a pleasant experience while checking out mortgage solutions from your company.
2. Drive paid traffic to your website
Using paid traffic channels can help grow your business quickly. You’re literally paying to put eyeballs on your offer immediately, i.e. today. The 2 most popular types of paid traffic sources are Google and Social.
Advertising on Google and other online search engines to reach your target audience. Drive traffic to your landing pages by targeting search intent, e.g. keywords like “how to get a mortgage.”
Take advantage of social platforms like TikTok and Facebook that target people by interest, e.g. homebuying.
In both cases, the goal is to target your target audience with relevant ads that prompt sign-ups, downloads, purchases, etc. Some key things to think about with PPC are…
Targeting. The better your targeting, the better your paid traffic quality – and the lower your costs. Audiences respond positively to quality targeting and dislike being shown generic advertisements that may not appeal to them.
Testing. Use A/B split testing to compare ad creative, targeting, bidding, etc. Test different ads against one another, gaining insight into what works best for your brand. The more you do this, the more you understand what’s working (and what isn’t).
Retargeting. Use retargeting ads to reach people who have visited your website but didn’t take action. For example, show them an ad for a free guide or discount if they’ve visited your website without doing anything.
There’s a lot more to say for paid traffic, of course. Check out our guides on Social Media Marketing and SEM vs PPC to learn more about paid ads on different platforms!
3. Drive organic, SEO traffic to your website
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an essential tool for driving organic traffic to your website. SEO helps ensure that your website is visible in search engine results pages, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
With SEO, you can target specific keywords and phrases related to your business and its offers. When someone searches for those terms, your site will be among the first results they see.
On search engines like Google, this can mean getting 10,000, 100,000, or even 1,000,000 visitors per day. And people who find you through organic search results are more likely to become customers. They’ve already expressed an interest in your keywords by searching for it online. This qualifies them as customers to one degree or another.
SEO has other benefits, too. It helps build trust with potential customers by demonstrating that you are a credible source of information. It shows that you are a brand that thinks long-term too, because SEO is always a long-term investment.
Last but not least, SEO is important from a competitive standpoint. If your competitors are on Google’s first page while you’re not, they have the edge. Investing time and resources into SEO can be a major advantage, especially if you’re in a commoditised niche.
The 2 main parts of SEO are…
SEO-optimised content—educational blog posts, landing pages, etc
Backlinks—links to your website from other people’s websites.
When you have quality content and optimised backlinks, you start ranking and seeing traffic, leads, and customers flow into your business consistently.
There’s a 3rd part of SEO, called Technical SEO – but you can learn more about that in our in-depth article on SEO (link).
4. Turn your website into a conversion funnel
A website is a powerful tool for capturing leads, converting prospects into customers, and nurturing relationships. A conversion funnel is a kind of website optimised for doing this especially well.
With conversion funnel websites, each section of the website represents part of the customer journey. If you do everything right, customers that visit convert into leads and sales at an extraordinary rate.
With a conversion funnel built into it, your site becomes a powerful marketing and sales engine. It automatically helps you generate more leads, convert those leads into clients, and build loyalty with your existing customer base.
One of the best ways to do this is by creating content that attracts potential customers to your site and converts them.
This could include blog posts, videos, demos, case studies, etc. You can also use webinars and free email courses as a way to introduce potential customers to your offer.
What matters is that you plan (and create) a block of online content that sells your product for you. For more info on how to do this, check out this article on conversion funnels (Link to related marketing article).
5. Use directories and roundup websites
Source: pretzel finance
You don’t always have to do all the hard work yourself. There are dozens of online directories that homebuyers use to find mortgages. These directories make it easy for people to find and compare mortgage brokers in their area.
Get in touch with these websites and ask them to list you on their pages. This will give you a consistent, steady stream of leads without you having to do anything.
(Examples and screenshots of Australian mortgage businesses)
Use Domain to find mortgage leads
Domain is a large property aggregator that lists and helps buy, rent, and sell homes and houses. Over 500,000 people visit it each month, making it a wonderful place to find scores of leads for your business.
Just register on Domain, then list your mortgage offer there in the “Home Loan” section. Alternatively, find property sellers there and get them to work with you to finance their homes on the market!
(include example listing)
6. Social media marketing
With the majority of consumers now spending time on social media, it’s a great channel to reach potential clients. There are three main ways to market on social media:
Organic — Use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to share your brand’s story, build relationships with potential clients, and create a community around your business. This is a mix of content and community marketing.
Paid — Use paid ads, like we explored earlier. Pay platforms like TikTok and Facebook to drive traffic to your offer.
Influencer Marketing — Pay influencers to market your stuff for you, kinda like renting someone else’s organic channel, with the exposure that comes with it.
You can reach out to social media users directly, too. This is called “Outbound marketing” and is another effective lead-gen strategy. Learn more about it here.
7. Ask for referrals
When you get a referral from a past client or another business, you’re getting a warm lead that’s more likely to convert.
You can reach out to past clients directly and ask them to refer you to their friends, family, and colleagues.
You can also offer a referral program to incentivize people to refer you to their network. For example, you could offer a discount or credit for every referral that results in a closed loan.
Network
Get involved in your local business community and attend events where you can meet potential clients and referral partners. You can also join relevant online communities and participate in discussions to build relationships and grow your network.
Social media platforms also allow you to connect with potential clients and referral partners. For example, you can join relevant LinkedIn groups and participate in discussions to build relationships and grow leads.
Why you should never buy leads
Lead generation companies can be a quick and easy way to get a list of potential clients, but buying leads is not the best option.
Buying leads can end up being an expensive mistake if they are low-quality or not a good fit for your business. The bad leads you purchase can be a waste of time and money, as well as damaging to your reputation.
It’s much better to invest the time and effort to generate your own quality leads through activities we’ve covered in this article. This way you can ensure that each lead is qualified and has an actual interest in what you offer before contacting them.
So What Did We Learn?
Generating leads as a mortgage broker requires a multi-faceted approach. Start by building and optimising your website, building paid traffic, and growing organic traffic through SEO.
Turn your site into a conversion funnel with content, outreach, and well-placed calls-to-action so that leads are more likely to take the next step with you. Make sure to use directories and social media marketing to generate additional leads as well.
Following these steps will help you create an effective lead generation process for your mortgage business. And if you need some extra help, don’t forget to reach out to the marketing experts at Megaphone for a free $1,200 consultation.
