202200221 SEL Brief
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LinkedIn’s Service Pages for freelancers adds features to showcase credibility
LinkedIn has added the ability to include LinkedIn Page (your organization’s page) info and media to Service Pages, according to an email shared by Matt Navarra.
Services Pages (shown above) appear in LinkedIn’s Service Marketplace, a Fiverr and Upwork competitor where SEO and PPC freelancers can market their services.
Why we care. One of the biggest challenges to finding a suitable freelancer is vetting them. These new features enable freelancers to show more of their credibility in their Service Pages, which can help them book projects.
Display your LinkedIn Page details on your Service Page. This enables freelancers that work at an SMB to highlight that connection, potentially bringing more visibility for the organization while vouching for their own expertise.
“[This feature] is specifically focused on small operators,” Andrew Hutchinson wrote for SocialMediaToday, adding, “The page linking feature is only available for single-admin LinkedIn Company Pages, and is available via the desktop version of the site only at this stage.”
Add media to spotlight your portfolio. “Use this section to give prospective clients a preview of what you can do by highlighting your favorite projects or press related to your services,” LinkedIn wrote in the email. Freelancers can use this to showcase their thought leadership, case studies and more.
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Google testing questions and answers in the Google Maps interface
Google is testing displaying the questions and answers feature in the Google Maps interface that it initially launched in 2017 for local panels in Google Search. Now some are able to see the questions and answers box in Google Maps local listings for businesses, although I cannot personally replicate this.
What it looks like. Allie Margeson posted a screenshot of this on Twitter:
Previously. Google only launched this officially in desktop search, on mobile search, or on Android Google Maps. This was not available in the Google Maps interface on desktop. Here is what it looks like in on desktop search:
Why we care. It is important for any business to keep tabs on the questions and answers section in the local listings because anyone can ask any question and anyone can post any answer. So you want to make sure to proactively provide accurate answers and ensure the answers given are also accurate. Now that this may also show up directly in Google Maps on desktop, it is even more important to stay on top of your questions and answers in local.
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Keeping Clients Engaged For Their Next Purchase or Refi
Retaining clients is essential for both maintaining and scaling a mortgage business. But it doesn’t happen magically. Similar to the work you put into nurturing the mortgage lead in the first place, it takes work to foster a relationship that keeps those clients around. Here are the top reasons it’s worth the effort to re-engage previous clients and the strategies to help you do it right
Re-engaging Past Clients Bolsters Your Reputation
The decision to buy or refi is not an easy one. So when clients choose to work with you, they’re also choosing to entrust you with a significant financial undertaking.
By continuing to engage with clients even after funding, you underscore the concept that you care about the well-being of your borrowers, and they are not “just another loan.” It’ll implicitly demonstrate that you see people as more than just dollar signs, further solidifying their trust in you.
Aim to be known as a trusted loan advisor beyond the life of that one deal –one that helps them make sound financial choices to refinance when rates are low, cash out of their investment when the market is high, or help find a property to grow their wealth.
Your reputation is the key to mortgage business success, and when you re-engage with your clients, you establish a reputation as a go-to resource for all present and future mortgage needs.
Re-engaging Clients Encourages Repeat Business
A fact that often gets overlooked is that most home buyers are not first-time homebuyers. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, only 31% of the homes sold in 2021 were purchased by first-time buyers. This means that 69% were repeat borrowers.
Failing to keep up with your previous borrowers gives them a reason to seek another mortgage pro for the next transaction. So if you’re not re-engaging your past clients, you’re likely leaving money on the table.
Re-engaging Clients Boosts Referrals
Even those past borrowers who never plan to buy another home or refinance anytime soon will likely know someone who will. Consistently re-engaging those previous clients with authenticity will encourage the referral and motivate a glowing recommendation.
Remember that people want to work with professionals they trust. And without a frame of reference in the home financing, they’ll rely on the recommendations of the people they know.
Ideas for Re-Engaging Past Clients
Thank them for the referrals they sent.
We’ve already discussed the incredible value of leads that come from referrals, but did you know that you can use this event to re-engage your past client again? You can do this in a couple of ways. First, establish that the new lead is a referral by asking prospective clients how they heard about you. Alternatively, if the client provided the referral which you later engaged, make a note to follow up with your past client to thank them for that lead.
Re-engaging doesn’t have to be complicated. A quick call, text, or email to say thanks, plus adding an open-ended question, will feel natural and be welcomed.
Use your mortgage expertise and past notes on the client (you’re saving notes in your CRM, right?) to develop good open-ended questions. Considering their current loan, would they possibly benefit from a refi? Briefly discuss current market rates. Are kids nearing college age? Mention using equity for college tuition. Have they outgrown their home, or are they now empty-nesters? Go over home financing options for this next stage in life.
Even casual conversation can reveal a wealth of information. For example, they may be excited about becoming grandparents for the first time or a vacation to Greece they have coming up to celebrate a wedding anniversary. Offer congrats, and if there’s any value you can bring (like recommending a can’t-miss winery in Greece), let them know!
Of course, if the referral they sent you uses your services, be sure to follow up with a gift and a second thank-you.
Send a mortgage rate or market update.
Even with easy access to rate information online, many homeowners are unaware of or make an effort to stay up-to-date on the refinance market.
So as part of your plan to re-engage former purchase loan clients, you can send a rate update a few times a year. There’s no need to be “sales-y” when using this approach. The point is to provide the information, re-affirm your relationship with the client, and pique their interest.
Share home improvement ideas.
A home is an investment, so sharing ideas on enhancing it makes sense. Not only does it provide value to your client, but it also keeps your name at the top of their mind. You can do this by creating a homecare email campaign where you share home improvement tips and suggestions with past clients.
You can do this in a couple of ways. You can hire a copywriter to create 12 articles for you (or write them yourself) and email one every month. Alternatively, you can search the web for 3-4 pieces and write a summary of each, link it back to the original article, and email those summaries to your past clients.
You can also partner with a local professional, like a contractor or landscaper, and have them write an article. Your clients will get valuable information, you’ll get free professional content, and the partner will appreciate getting their name out.
How do you re-engage with past clients?
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Google vs. Edible Arrangements: Court rejects ‘theft’ claim
The Supreme Court of Georgia has rejected an attempt by Edible Arrangements to sue Google for theft, conversion, and racketeering. This legal fight dates back to 2018, when Edible Arrangements, which sells fruit baskets, platters and other treats, filed a federal lawsuit against Google for trademark infringement and unfair competition.
The claim. Edible IP, which owns the trademarks and intellectual property of Edible Arrangements, claimed that Google selling the keyword “Edible Arrangements” to competitors violates Georgia law. Edible said Google began auctioning the “Edible Arrangements” keyword to advertisers in “approximately 2011.”
This amounted to “theft” because Google never contracted with Edible IP for the right to use the Edible Arrangements name. The Georgia case was not about trademark infringement. It was about Google directly selling its name and “goodwill” to competitors.
One other thing to note is Google’s Advertising Policies Help page, which states: “We don’t investigate or restrict trademarks as keywords.” That means anyone can bid on your branded terms.
The decision. Not surprisingly, the court sided with Google. Selling keywords doesn’t rise to the level of theft. According to the ruling:
“… trade names are only protected from use by others to the extent that such use is deceptive or there is a likelihood of confusion by the public. … The common law likewise does not provide a basis for Edible IP’s civil theft claim. Under the common law, a cause of action based on the use of a trademark or trade name has also generally been predicated on either an intent to cause consumer confusion or the likelihood of creating confusion or misunderstanding.”
EDIBLE IP, LLC v. GOOGLE, LLC
In short, Edible IP failed to argue that Google’s usage of the Edible name led to any consumer confusion or that Google had any intention to deceive the public, according to the court.
You can read the full ruling here.
Why we care. If you work for a brand or business and find yourself in a similar situation where others are using your trademark or name as keywords on Google Ads, the odds are not going to be in your favor. Google has faced and won numerous (though not all) cases involving trademarks over the years. This ruling doesn’t change anything in how Google Ads works or you do your day-to-day job, but this is a good reminder that it’s always important to understand what keywords you can and can’t use in your search ads.
Here’s some past Search Engine Land coverage of similar cases:
- Google To Allow Trademarks To Be Used In AdWords Copy In US (2009)
- Google Wins Legal Battle Over AdWords Trademark Issue In Europe (2010)
- Google And Rosetta Stone Agree To Settle Suit Over Trademarked Keywords (2012)
- Interflora Wins Five-Year Battle Over Google AdWords Trademark Infringement (2013)
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Google launches Google Business Profiles calls API
Google has quietly released a new Google Business Profiles API for obtaining call history data from your Google Business Profiles programatically. The new API is available over here and is awkwardly named “My Business Business Calls API.”
New API. The new API lets you query Google to obtain your call history data that you can currently see in your Google Business Profile manager under the “calls” section. The call history section is has been around for about a year in the user interface, but now has API access.
The My Business Business Calls API manages business calls information of a location on Google, known as Google Business Profiles now. Google said to call this service, Google recommends that you use the Google-provided client libraries. If your application needs to use your own libraries to call this service, use the following information when you make the API requests.
We expect the API’s capabilities to grow over time, this is just version 1 of this specific API.
CRMs. This data can be very valuable to pull into your CRM, customer relationship management, software. To know that a lead came through Google Maps and Google Search by pulling in the call history data can be very useful. It is worth investigating what data you can get from this new API and how you can use that data to supplement the data you have in your CRM.
Other Google Business Profile APIs. Google lists a number of APIs available as well on the left hand bar of that page. They include:
- Account Management API
- Business Calls API
- Lodging API
- Place Actions API
- Notifications API
- Verifications API
- Business Information API
- Q&A API
Why we care. Here is another way of obtaining sales and lead data in a programatic manner. If you do this manually, you can now at least automate some of the data gathering by using this new API. Hopefully this data can be used to help your sales and marketing teams perform they daily tasks.
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Creating a Content Calendar for Your Mortgage Brokerage
When it comes to reaching new clients, most lenders understand the value of digital marketing. Unfortunately, it can be hard to come up with new ideas for social media posts, emails, videos, and referral requests – especially when your day is filled with loan processing tasks!
You might understand that it’s important to post new content on a consistent basis. But how do you actually plan out your campaigns?
A content calendar is a perfect tool for mortgage brokerages that want to plan out content to publish all year long. Rather than spending hours each week trying to come up with a fresh approach, you can craft a marketing plan to cover every season.
In this article, we’ll give you some tips and tricks to craft a content calendar for your mortgage brokerage.
What Should a Content Calendar Contain?
While it may be intimidating to try to organize your content ahead of time, once you put in the effort to plan your online feeds and releases, it will make your entire year’s marketing much easier.
A content calendar usually includes some of the following items:
- Date and time that content will be published
- Social media channels and accounts where posts will be published
- Relevant descriptions, photos, and videos
- Associated links and tags
Your content calendar should be an accurate overview of all upcoming and scheduled social media posts. It can be organized on an Excel spreadsheet, an online calendar, or using your CRM.
Building a Calendar as an Individual Lender or a Brokerage Team
You can build an effective content calendar as an individual agent, especially if you take advantage of powerful tools, like content libraries from your CRM.
If you work with a team, you can meet together once a year or once a quarter to plan out your content. This can help you to bring new ideas to the table to promote your brokerage.
You can even build flexibility into your content calendar. Want to address hot topics in the mortgage market? Set aside one slot in your calendar each week or each month to shoot a video on current events or newsworthy updates!
Check Out the Results
Once you have your content calendar in place, make sure to set aside time to review it. It’s a good idea to set aside time to do this once a month.
For example, you can set a regular appointment to go over your content at the end of the month. Review the month to see what kinds of content got your audience engaged and what didn’t. Then, you can update the next month’s calendar accordingly!
Make It Your Own
When it comes to digital marketing as a lender, planning makes all the difference. Consistent posts are better for catching the attention of potential clients than random, sporadic ones.
The more you plan, review, and reevaluate your social media content, the easier it will become to deliver consistent content that yields results.
Whether you create posts from scratch, take advantage of a premade content library in your CRM, or combine the two styles, a content calendar can help you to make the most of your advertising.
Mortgage Broker Marketing Made Easy
While there are limitless methods, templates, and approaches to take, there are a few essential keys for success when using a content calendar. One of the best options? Using a high-powered CRM!
With BNTouch, you can explore pre-made marketing templates, customize them to your brand, and schedule new marketing campaigns with ease. Generate new leads, review analytics, and nurture potential clients through the sales funnel with ease. Schedule a demo today!
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Google releases Data Studio Dashboard for Web Stories
Google has created a Data Studio sample template called the Web Stories Insights Dashboard. It provides an overview of how your Google Web Stories are performing.
Web Stories are visual, tappable full-screen mobile stories that can be found via Google Search and Discover.
Metrics you can view in Web Stories Insights Dashboard. There are two main tabs: Overview and Story Level. Among the metrics you can view on this dashboard:
- Key Metrics: Story starts, page views, time spent and completion rate (number of story completions divided by story starts).
- Audience Metrics: Age, gender and device.
- Top Stories: Your top 10 stories during a selected time period, sorted by Story Starts.
- Traffic Channels: An overview of how users have found and read your Web Stories – organic search, direct (which includes Discover), referral, social, email, or custom.
- Story Level Performance: Key metrics and a breakdown of pageviews for a specific story.
For this template to work, you’ll first need to set up tracking for your Web Stories in Google Analytics (or another analytics provider). For whatever editor you use to create Web Stories, you’ll need to provide your UA Tracking ID. After you’ve done this, you can view performance metrics by navigating to Behavior > Events > Overview.
Then you’ll be able to see metrics including story starts, time spent, story pages viewed and story completions:
What the Web Stories Insights Dashboard looks like. This:
How to get the dashboard. You can access the dashboard here.
Once you get there, simply select your analytics account from the dropdown to see your data. Also, you can copy the template and customize it to your liking.
For more information, you can check out this blog post. Google also shared a video that walks you through setting up and using the dashboard.
Why we care. Data is king. This template provides a visual overview to help determine how well your Google Web Stories are performing. You can see how engaging your content is and how people are finding your stories. Tracking the performance of any content you’re investing time and resources into is essential.
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