There’s a steady stream of articles in the press from marketing and social media experts, telling brokers that they need to embrace technology and get involved with social media.
It’s easy to dismiss them as a load of puff from people with a vested interest isn’t it?
After all, you’re a mortgage broker, not a marketing manager, and your priority is writing mortgages, and keeping your business afloat.
I’m a business development manager, and I spend my days meeting brokers. I see how you work, I understand the pressures you face and I know that, for many of you, social media is at the end of a long list of business priorities right now.
You’re lucky if you have time to eat, let alone tweet.
But maybe you should find time for social media. It could help you to grow your business and become a better broker. And here are three reasons why:
1. Stay on the ball
It’s your job to keep up with product changes, and while your sourcing system is invaluable, you need to know in advance when a deal is being pulled so you can get your applications in.
Rate changes are often announced on Twitter first, either by the press, by the lender or by a broker who has been given the heads up. It’s the same with new products, which are tweeted about days before launch.
If you aren’t up to date, you aren’t on top of your game. Use Twitter as a free way to stay informed.
2. Know your peers
Gone are the days when brokers worked in isolation. The best advisers are not afraid to share information, experiences and business opportunities – in person and through social media.
By getting actively involved with Twitter you can quickly forge contacts with some of the leaders in your industry, and this can reap rewards in terms of your business development or career progression.
Twitter is informal, there is no hierarchy, and it is extremely welcoming. I made dozens of useful mortgage industry contacts within months of getting involved in Twitter, and I have now done business with many of them.
It really works.
3. Get help quickly
Whether you want clarification on a criteria tweak or you have a question about ARROW visits, why not ask your industry?
Get on Twitter, ask your peers and you will get an answer in minutes. Return the favour and you will quickly build a network of useful contacts.
Of course, there’s some things you can’t tweet about for data protection or commercial reasons, but for a quick response to a general query, Twitter is unbeatable.
