As a financial loan officer, utilizing social media as a tool in your sales funnel can be both challenging and rewarding. The financial industry is competitive, and your customers’ attention spans are shorter than ever, so it’s important to cut through the noise to reach and sell to your communities. This requires smart thinking and coordination – especially within your organization. To help you get the most out of your efforts, these three tips will help you acquire more leads, better engage with customers and close more deals.
Coordinate with Marketing
The most successful financial brands have marketing and sales working hand-in-hand. When you promote the events your organization is already running, you can focus on building your online following and connecting with more customers. For example, if your bank or credit union is hosting an event for first-time homebuyers, you can increase the exposure by sharing it to individual lender pages. When lenders add this event to their profiles, they can also add a personal note or share that they are speaking at the event.
Pro Tip:
Collaborate on sales content creation. Marketers help shape content that is relevant and engaging to their target audience(s). As a lender, work with them on crafting tailored content that helps drive leads through the sales funnel.
Invest in Paid Social Media
When utilized correctly, social media can be an effective way to find new customers. Organic social media growth can often be slow, so a paid social media strategy that’s solely focused on your lending team can help you better focus your efforts. You’ll not only reach more customers, but will also gain insights on their needs and interests. With this information, you can better craft sales material to catch their attention and gain quality leads. Plus, social media offers metrics to better track your ROI and see the effectiveness of your efforts.
Pro Tip:
Use organic campaigns in conjunction with your paid campaigns. Organic posts can help you understand your customer base and provide direction for paid initiatives. Test different styles and copy organically and boost the best posts to maximize your investment.
Focus on Personal Engagement
Building personal connections as a lender will help you both better define your brand and retain clients. At every touchpoint, go the next step with customers. Did someone mention a concern in the comments of one of your posts? Follow up with them in a direct chat to see if you can help. Taking the time to put in the little things will help you stand apart as a lender. When getting started with your lending page, it’s important to share stories of your success with previous clients and how you’re a valuable resource to help future customers reach their financial goals. When you prioritize providing value to your followers, they’ll remember those interactions in the future.
Pro Tip:
Ask clients to review or recommend you on Facebook or LinkedIn. Word-of-mouth advertising can help spur the generation of new leads.
Using social media to find new sales leads as a loan officer takes time and patience. However, this process gets easier when you plan and coordinate with the right members of your team. By working with your marketing department, you can craft better sales materials that you can incorporate in your organic and paid social campaigns. Remember to provide a personal touch at every opportunity with your clients and you’ll be well on your way to scaling your community so you can market with confidence.
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