Unless you’re actively trying to sabotage your own business, chances are you’ve embraced social media by now. No longer constrained to selfie-obsessed teenagers and tech-savvy twenty-somethings, social networks have become a key component of any good business plan.
However, taking the plunge and setting up a Facebook page or Twitter account is only the first step. Unless you use it properly it’s going to be about as useful as Google Plus was (sorry Google!).
But what does ‘using it properly’ look like? Well, luckily for newbies to the social media world, we need look no further than the mortgage market to see some examples of people whose online skills are on point:
Andrew Montlake, director of Coreco, has long been leading the way when it comes to social networking, sharing his thoughts while posting links to the biggest mortgage and housing stories of the day. While many people will retweet news stories, it is Monty’s take on them that his helping him to gain a strong following. Taking things one step further Monty has created the hugely popular Monty’s Blog on the Coreco website and even produces podcasts featuring special guests.
Anyone who knows Precise Mortgages’ Roger Morris knows what a huge personality he is, meaning he is a perfect example of how effective a personal approach can be in the online world. Rather than feel like he has to take a more formal approach with his posts – a mistake I think too many people make – he is engaging and personable, keeping his followers up to date with his day-to-day activities and regularly praising the industry colleagues he encounters.
Martin Stewart of London Money is the grassroots hero of the mortgage sector Twittersphere. Stewart has built up his firm’s profile almost entirely via social media. While heavyweights like Roger and Monty may have already had a pretty impressive industry presence to begin with, Stewart’s use of Twitter to interact with journalists, share his opinion and connect with industry colleagues shows just how much you can achieve by putting the effort in.
Stuart Gregory, aka Mortgage Stu has clocked up an impressive number of followers with his insightful and witty takes on industry developments but it’s his interaction with other users that is really worth learning from. Well worth a look.
