Tech Tips For Marketing Yourself

Your computer keyboard can be your best marketing partner

Insider

Contributing Writer

So, you’re great at your job. That may be easy for you or your colleagues to see, but the million-dollar question is: How do you get that across to borrowers? You must be able to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to draw customers in. How do you do that, especially today when everything is remote?

I have a couple of tips for using technology to your advantage that will help you effectively reach customers and market yourself.

Video Tips

In the COVID-19 era, we’re not interacting as much in person anymore. It’s rare that you’ll sit across the desk from your customers and get to know them face-to-face. This is why video is so critical.

I would say we can bypass the obligatory “make sure your background is clean,” “make eye contact with the camera,” “be sure you’re centered in the camera” conversation and dive deeper into video, but even after two years of being remote, some people could still use a reminder. Remove any distraction from your frame and remove in-frame items that may end up distracting you.

Just because your background is tidy, doesn’t mean it’s not distracting. I recently attended a Zoom meeting where the presenter was on video. This individual was positioned in front of a child’s bed sporting a patchwork quilt loaded with stuffed animals. While the background was “clean” per se, I was so distracted by it that I missed the presenter’s takeaways on key policy issues. While you may laugh, let this be a reminder that what your viewers see can often be louder than what you say.

So, how can you make sure what you’re saying is the main focus of your video? How can you make it engaging and interesting for viewers?

With live video, be sure to constantly interact. It’s more difficult to read the room when you’re behind a screen. Silences can be more awkward than they would be when face-to-face. Be extra animated so you keep viewers’ attention. It is too easy for their minds to wander when you are not physically sitting in front of them. Tone and volume are critical here.

With recorded video, be sure to include a call to action. While you can’t interact live, you still want to make sure your customer is engaged in some way. Also, don’t be afraid to outline your video so you stay on task and ensure customers get all the info they need.

Regardless of the type of video, be sure your personality shines through. You want your customers to feel like they know you, whether you’ve met in person or not.

Providing value is the best way to “sell” yourself and position yourself as a knowledgeable resource.

Social Media Tips

When engaging customers via social media, there are a few more areas to consider. First of all, before you do anything, check your company’s social media policies. Every company is different, so you want to be sure you are following the rules and effectively supporting your organization via social media. There is a fine line between what qualifies as a post and what qualifies as an ad per laws like RESPA, SAFE Act, the Fair Housing Act and Reg O that regulate advertisements by MLOs and their companies. These are mainly regulated by the CFPB and FTC. Make sure you know where that fine line is drawn — and don’t cross it.

Just like with video, make your posts engaging. Add a call to action so customers know what to do or how to respond. Also, be sure to share info that’s helpful to your customers. Providing value is the best way to “sell” yourself and position yourself as a knowledgeable resource. Make informational posts outside of your subject matter expertise too; being relevant to other business professionals that follow you is the best way to build your brand.

Finally, know your channels. Each social platform has a slightly different audience and post format. Keep your tweets short and post frequently. For LinkedIn, share more long-form content. Videos perform better on Facebook and Instagram, and you have the added benefit of going live. With Facebook, be prepared to market more toward demographics like Gen X and Baby Boomers, while Instagram is more appealing to a younger audience.

Marketing yourself may be out of your comfort zone, but it is one of the best ways to not only attract new customers, but to demonstrate the value you can provide. Engaging with customers through the abundance of channels we have today can promote customer success as well as your own.