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The Role of AI and ChatGPT in Transforming Mortgage Technology

The future of mortgage lending will be a blend of man and machine. Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming mortgage technology and improving lending. That’s good news for borrowers and lenders alike.

You can use these digital resources to streamline your operations and provide superior customer service. They even help you create quality marketing content. Here are some ways that AI and ChatGPT might impact your lending practice.

 

What Is ChatGPT?

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to software designed to mimic human processes. ChatGPT — created by OpenAI — is a chat tool powered by AI that offers human-like interactions. The tool can also help you compose essays, emails, and more, making it a marketer’s dream come true.

The Benefits of AI and ChatGPT for Mortgage Technology

AI is shaking up the mortgage industry. How? Here are some benefits of using AI and ChatGPT in your lending practice.

Responsive Customer Service

Mortgage customers often come to your website looking for answers. That’s especially true for new buyers unfamiliar with the mortgage process. ChatGPT can integrate with your customer service software. In turn, you get an AI-powered chatbot that offers friendly, informative responses to visitors — all in real-time.

An AI chatbot can resolve customer inquiries and issues and capture user data to add to your lead pipeline. Customers will appreciate the support they get through your website. And with a chatbot handling these inquiries, your employees can offer flexible, personalized support to your other clients.

Personalized Customer Support

Artificial intelligence can do more than answer customer questions. AI-powered mortgage technology can also offer a personalized customer experience.

An AI-powered platform will learn more about your customers’ financial circumstances. Then, it will connect these customers to mortgage products that align with their needs. For example, AI might suggest an FHA loan to a first-time buyer with limited credit.

Customers may not even be aware that such options exist. Offering a personalized experience can enhance customer loyalty and boost satisfaction.

Faster Decision-Making

AI-powered mortgage technology will make you faster than ever before. It will let you simplify processes such as:

  • Data processing
  • Loan origination
  • Underwriting

Not only will these processes be faster — you’ll avoid the errors that creep in through manual data entry. And remember: AI relies only on borrower data. Therefore, it eliminates the possibility of unconscious bias, creating a fairer lending process.

Customers often compare rates from different lenders. Being able to offer fast decisions can lead your clients to select the lender that will help them reach their financial goals. The faster you can offer feedback, the more you’ll be able to compete against other lenders.

Support for Non-Traditional Borrowers

Not every borrower will qualify for a traditional loan. For some, it’s a matter of credit history. But others — such as freelancers and small business owners — may lack consistent income or documents like Form W2.

Lenders can still work with these clients. But you’ll need to assess these borrowers through non-traditional means. AI-powered mortgage technology can review data such as:

  • Bank records
  • Payment history
  • Form 1099
  • Education
  • Employment history

Some AI platforms even look at a borrower’s social media presence. The point is that you can use your mortgage technology to help borrowers of every type. 

And who knows? This may even allow you to carve out a competitive niche as a lender specializing in non-traditional lending options.

Content Creation

You’re probably aware that ChatGPT can create blog posts and other web content. But that’s only the start. This AI-powered writing tool has countless applications. Consider using ChatGPT for uses such as:

  • Keyword research for web content
  • Composition of promotional emails
  • Creation of social media captions and posts
  • Generation of scripts for marketing videos
  • Titles and topics suggestions for blog posts

All you do is dictate your thoughts to ChatGPT; the program helps you organize your ideas. After that, you can use the finished product as a blog post, email, or script.

ChatGPT can help lenders build a library of resources. Customers can tap into that knowledge base to learn more about lending. They might be more inclined to select you as their lender.

Audio Voiceovers

Need a narrator for your promotional video? AI can handle that, too.

Some of the most advanced marketing tools allow you to upload a script that an AI-powered program will then narrate. It will even add human-like voice inflection to convey emphasis and emotion.

You can use your voice, but you can also select from a handful of customizable options. Hiring a voice actor is unnecessary; let AI be your narrator.

Optimize Your Web Content

ChaptGPT can help you create new web content or optimize what you already have. For instance, search engine optimization (SEO) is the art of using “keywords” to improve your visibility. If a web user searches for a relevant keyword, you want your web page to appear in the top search engine results.

ChatGPT can assist with keyword research. It can also suggest SEO-friendly titles. This ensures that your web content always stays in the sweet spot of borrower searches. It also improves your chances of catching the attention of potential clients. 

Intelligent Lead Generation

Lenders receive leads from many sources. Some leaders even come from partners in the community. But not every piece of information you receive will be high-quality. Tools like ChatGPT can improve your screening process.

The program can analyze user data to identify leads with the highest probability of completing an application. Mortgage brokers can tailor their marketing efforts to reach these leads.

Used this way, your mortgage technology can help you focus on leads with the highest return on investment. This enables you to use your time more wisely — and can also be a way to scale your business.

Risk Management

It’s impossible to predict the future. But AI-powered mortgage technology can help you lower risk by:

  • Reviewing large amounts of customer data 
  • Verifying that applicants meet the lending requirements 
  • Identifying potential risks 

You can then take steps to deal with the risks on a case-by-case basis.

Additionally, your AI-powered platform can use machine learning for advanced fraud detection and prevent illegal activity from ever taking place. This protects you from scams and can also preserve the integrity of borrower data.

Regulatory Compliance

AI-powered tools can also ensure that you meet your regulatory compliance requirements. Your software will compare your business processes to establish regulations to provide documented evidence that you abide by policies such as:

  • The Fair Housing Act (FHA)
  • The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)
  • Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA)
  • False Claims Act

And because AI relies on machine learning algorithms, you’ll adapt to new changes, so you’re always on top of regulatory concerns. AI can provide greater confidence that your lending practice is secure and help you avoid risks that cost you time and money.

Workflow Automation

Technology also has the potential to improve the experience of your office staff. You can use AI to automate core processes, such as payroll, billing, and more. 

And AI systems can help with document management. Lenders use their customer relationship management platform to store documents and completed forms, providing you with the data you need — right at your fingertips.

As a result, you’ll get more done with less, and your workers will notice the difference. Workflow automation reduces their administrative burden. Instead, employees can devote more time to revenue-generating activities that keep their practice going.

Advanced Analytics and Support

Lenders can use internal data to assess their effectiveness, and artificial intelligence gives lenders and office managers greater insight into their practice. For instance, ChatGPT can help you comb through vast amounts of data. Not only will this tool help you analyze past trends, but you’ll be able to identify repeating trends too.

Lenders can use this data to learn more about customer behavior or predict changes in the market. This can foster better decision-making or pinpoint areas for improvement.

The Future of AI and Mortgage Lending

The revolution has only just begun. It’s likely that, within a short time, AI will offer even more benefits, such as:

  • Using multiple data points for intelligent property valuations
  • Offering property tours in virtual or augmented reality
  • Integration with other software to predict changes in local markets

These features will only improve the benefits listed above. Lending will always be a human-centered enterprise, but AI can enhance these core processes to make the customer journey better.

The Future Starts Today

Technology can improve your lending practice in countless ways. The BNTouch platform is an advanced customer relationship management (CRM) system that can transform your business.

BNTouch features customer portals, prebuilt marketing content, collaborative tools, and more. These features will help you build a better borrower pipeline and take your business to the next level.

To learn more or schedule a demo, contact BNTouch today.

Request a free demo

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Jason June 2, 2023 0 Comments

6 Tips for Staying Organized with a Mortgage CRM System

Be honest — you can only do so much. Maintaining order is a challenge for any business, but mortgage lenders have their hands full between managing borrowers and tracking new leads. That’s why a customer relationship management (CRM) system is worth its weight in gold. Mortgage CRM systems help you stay organized and on track. Here’s how.

1. Use a Structured Pipeline

What is a mortgage pipeline? This is a basic strategy for tracking the progress of leads and borrowers from initial contact to final approval.

A mortgage CRM allows you to create and manage a pipeline as well as communicate with clients at every stage of the customer journey. Your community partners can also contribute leads to your pipeline, making it easier to gain new clients.

2. Use a Centralized Dashboard

Mortgage CRM systems allow you to manage your practice through a centralized dashboard. This puts your most important processes and data at your fingertips. From your dashboard, you’ll be able to:

  • Communicate with clients
  • Access important lending documents
  • Track the loan origination process
  • Review past financial data
  • Analyze marketing results

And because the entire system is cloud-based, you’ll have access to these features from anywhere in the world.

3. Take Advantage of Collaborative Tools

A mortgage CRM also keeps your team organized. Your employees will work more efficiently when they have access to tools such as:

  • A marketing control center for managing campaigns
  • A docs library for easy access to important files/forms
  • Communication trackers to record correspondence

With these tools, your team can get more done while maintaining a higher standard of efficiency and accuracy.

4. Set Up Consistent Interactions through a Portal

Customers will also appreciate the convenience of a CRM. Lenders can offer a digital portal that allows borrowers to communicate and track their progress.

But this portal also ensures that you keep in touch with each client. Centralizing your messages means you never have to worry about missing a client’s question. It’s also easier than ever to send rapid replies, which strengthens your client relationships.

5. Use Marketing Templates

CRM systems help you spread the word about your practice. Not the creative type? No problem. Mortgage CRM systems offer pre-built content that includes:

  • Social media content
  • Website templates
  • Videos
  • Email marketing templates
  • Automated holiday, birthday, and anniversary ecards

Are you running a campaign with a partner? Mortgage CRMs also let you run co-branded campaigns for shared leads and referrals.

6. Check Out Analytical Data

What’s working? What’s not? The answer to these questions depends on your best available data. Mortgage CRM systems provide insight into things like:

  • Customer volume
  • Approval times
  • Revenue
  • Marketing conversion rates

Having access to this data will enable you to make well-informed decisions about the future.

Mortgage CRM Systems Can Improve Every Practice

The right software can make you more efficient and profitable. It can also reduce the stress for you and your staff. The BNTouch platform offers tools that help you stay focused and grow your business. Contact BNTouch today for a demo of these features.

Request a free demo

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Jason May 11, 2023 0 Comments

The Benefits of Using a Mortgage CRM System for Lender Organization

You’ll get organized someday. At least, that’s what you’ve been telling yourself since your lending practice first opened. But the longer you wait, the harder it becomes. It may be time to leverage the power of a customer relationship management (CRM) platform. Mortgage CRM systems can help you get organized and stay on top of your most important tasks.

What can you expect from a mortgage CRM system? The following are some of the ways that CRM software can transform your lending practice — and even reduce your stress level.

Manage Your Borrower Pipeline

The mortgage process is very much a journey. Customers may begin by seeking out information about the borrowing process, and their journey concludes with final approval. It’s your job as a lender to capture the attention of potential borrowers and lead them through every phase of their journey.

This is what’s known as a borrower pipeline. It allows you to segment your customer base into various groups. For example, new leads might fall under the broad heading of “interested parties.” Applicants will face their own challenges as they navigate the lending process. The point is that each of these customer segments will need unique attention. How will you meet the needs of these groups?

Your mortgage CRM system can help. You’ll gain the tools you need to manage the customers in your pipeline. Deliver prompt communication and informative content that speaks to their needs. That way, you’ll keep them engaged as they move through the pipeline toward application and approval.

Store More Customer Data

How well do you know your customers? Mortgage CRM systems can improve customer relationships by helping you get to know your clients on a deeper level.

For example, a CRM platform can store a customer’s information such as:

  • Full name
  • Contact information
  • Social media accounts
  • Job title
  • Any relationship with your other contacts/clients
  • Birthday

Most importantly, your CRM system can store information about their mortgage needs. Are they a first-time borrower? Are they looking to refinance? This data works in tandem with your mortgage pipeline, helping you to identify and manage your most critical customer segments.

Create Customized Workflows

Mortgage CRM systems allow you to create customized workflows. Think of this feature as almost a virtual assistant. You can break down your responsibilities into constituent elements and tackle them one at a time.

These workflows offer a surefire way to boost your efficiency. But they’re also great for those who fall victim to procrastination. Why? Because a customized workflow is designed to move you toward a goal. And you can also use your CRM to establish deadlines and benchmarks to track your progress.

This feature can also be great for smaller lending practices where employees have to juggle multiple business areas. You can create a unique workflow for things like:

  • Marketing
  • Lead generation
  • Application processing
  • Business networking

With the time you save, thanks to these custom workflows, you can invest more in your valued clients.

Track Your Client Communication

Mortgage customers expect fast, regular communication from their lenders. That’s especially true for first-time borrowers looking for guidance and information. Don’t let any questions or emails slip through the cracks.

A mortgage CRM platform offers customers a unique way of staying in touch. An online portal allows your clients to self-manage their accounts. The portal also allows them to contact you and your team with any questions. Lenders can even access the portal from their phones, so they’re never out of reach of their customers.

Additionally, mortgage CRM systems offer customer tracking functionality. This allows you to organize and store your client communications. Teams can even work together, ensuring that you deliver a consistent message to borrowers and potential applicants.

Digitize the Application Process

Make paper forms a thing of the past. A mortgage CRM platform can help you devise a digital application process. You’ll start with a basic template, but you can customize and revise the fields to reflect your specific business offerings. Customers can even fill these applications out on their mobile devices. They can also sign documents electronically using e-signature features.

This makes the entire process easy and painless — something your clients are sure to love. But it also makes it easier for you to keep track of the borrower’s journey. And if clients get stuck, your CRM will allow you to reach out and provide guidance to ensure a frictionless customer experience.

Document Storage

Chances are that you ditched the file cabinets years ago. But now, you and your team members have to spend time searching through your hard drives and servers to find the right forms. A mortgage CRM platform eliminates this frustration.

Your CRM system can keep your most important documents organized and stored in a convenient, cloud-based system. That makes it easier for you to easily find the documents you need and share them with employees and clients.

Once again, a cloud-based system adds a layer of convenience. Forms and documents aren’t localized to any one system — or even an email account. Instead, they’re stored online so that they’re always at your fingertips, even on a mobile device.

Team Collaboration

Multiple features ensure that your team stays together — even if they physically aren’t. Team collaboration tools include things like:

  • A marketing control center
  • A docs library (see above)
  • A borrower tracking system

These features make it easier for your office staff to collaborate on shared projects. Additionally, these tools enable you to offer hybrid or even remote work options — benefits that might help you attract and retain top talent.

Automate Your Marketing Campaigns

Maintaining an online presence is a full-time job in itself. Thankfully, mortgage CRM systems make this a bit easier with marketing automation.

First, your CRM platform will offer social media integration. This makes it easier to keep the content flowing through your social media channels. But your CRM software can also help you automate your email communications.

With this feature, your customer segments will automatically receive notifications about loan programs or offers that fit their unique needs. And because the whole thing is automated, you’ll never have to lift a finger to stay in touch.

Access Pre-Built Marketing Content

Ordinarily, building a marketing campaign takes careful research and a designer’s touch. But mortgage CRM platforms make this easier, too.

A quality CRM system will offer pre-built content that includes:

  • Website templates
  • Social media content
  • Email templates
  • Video content

You can further tailor this content to reflect your unique brand. The main advantage is that you’ll have something that works right out of the box. That saves you time and gives you access to industry-leading marketing tools.

Partner with Other Industry Professionals

Did you know that a mortgage CRM system also helps you network? Many lenders rely on a broad network of other professionals, ranging from real estate agents to divorce attorneys.

Here is where your borrower pipeline comes in. Your local partners can access a separate online portal. This allows them to drop any potential leads straight into your borrower pipeline.

For example, if a local realtor is at a conference and meets a possible homebuyer, they can drop the contact details right into your pipeline. You can then follow up with that client based on which customer segment they fall into.

Use Third-Party Integrations

Mortgage CRM providers boast of their feature-rich platforms. But most lending practices already rely on a small variety of other business tools. Not all of these tools can easily be replaced with a CRM solution.

But you can continue using your favorite programs and apps alongside your mortgage CRM software. That’s because the best mortgage CRM systems offer third-party integration. This feature allows you to use more than one program and link them together for maximum benefit.

For instance, you can integrate your CRM system with your Google Calendar. As a result, you can sync your calendar to your CRM program. You can also sync tasks between your CRM and Outlook Calendar, giving more flexibility to the way you organize your schedule.

Hone Your Strategy with Data and Analytics

One of the best features of any CRM system is the feedback it provides. Through an intuitive dashboard, you’ll gain total visibility over your entire organization. A CRM can provide feedback about things like:

  • Lead generation
  • Conversion rates on marketing content
  • Application processing time/time to approval
  • Employee productivity
  • Progress toward your business goals and KPIs

Together, this data will enable you to reflect on your core processes and think about what’s working — and what’s not. And by reflecting on this data, you can revise your current systems to align with your business objectives.

Get Organized with Mortgage CRM Systems

Ready to integrate a CRM system into your lending practice? The BNTouch platform can help. Our feature-rich system provides everything you need to manage your pipeline, network with other professionals, and manage your office operations. To see these features in action, contact BNTouch today to request a demo.

Request a free demo

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Jason May 5, 2023 0 Comments

Customized Mortgage Marketing Strategies Using Company-Wide Analytics

The mortgage industry thrives on data. Your mortgage marketing strategies should follow suit.

By leveraging the correct data, you can also create a marketing campaign that aligns with your goals. Here are some ways to optimize your marketing strategies using your business data.

Define Your Goals

Start by laying out clear goals. That way, you can narrow the focus and scope of your mortgage marketing strategies.

For example, you might develop a campaign to boost the number of completed applications or leads. Your existing metrics will give you a baseline, and you can then use your analytical tools to track the progress of your campaign.

Develop Customer Segments

Your mortgage pipeline will take the shape of a funnel. At the broadest part, you’ll find those just becoming aware of your company. At the bottom, you’ll find those who complete a mortgage application. In between are customers at various stages of their buying journeys.

You can tailor your marketing strategy based on these various customer segments. For instance, you might use social media marketing to generate brand awareness and targeted email marketing to nurture client relationships.

You’ll adjust your marketing strategy based on the specific stage of the customer journey. The goal is to keep customers moving through your pipeline.

Nurture Quality Leads, Not Just Quantity

Advanced analytics can help you identify quality leads. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, you can determine which charges remain engaged in the lending process.

This ensures that you stay focused on leads more likely to complete an application. Automated emails can keep customers engaged through every step of the process. You can then filter your information and follow up with those who show the most promise.

Adjust Based on Conversion Rates

One of the surest measures of success will be your conversion rate. This rate measures how many leads engage your marketing content and subsequently apply for a loan (or for more information).

Armed with this data, you can determine what content types have the most significant impact. You might need to adjust your social media strategy to generate more engagements. Or you may need quality video content to connect with specific customer segments.

Your conversion rates will help you focus your efforts and invest your energy where needed most.

Look at Your Satisfaction Index

The term “satisfaction index” refers to how happy your clients are with your services. Customer surveys can provide direct, actionable data on client satisfaction, including your clients’ attitudes toward your brand and services.

This can also provide a window into the aspects of your services that are most appreciated. You can adjust your marketing plans based on this data.

Mortgage Marketing Strategies Made Simple

A customer relationship management (CRM) platform can help you build a better marketing strategy. The BNTouch platform is a mortgage CRM centered on nurturing client relationships and empowering businesses to grow.

To schedule a demo, contact our experienced team today!

Request a free demo

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Jason April 27, 2023 0 Comments

Target the Right Audience: Analyzing Mortgage Customer Behavior

Sometimes, it’s not the number of your leads but the quality.

Quality leads allow you to invest your energies where they’ll yield the greatest return. But identifying customer leads requires you to understand mortgage customer behavior. Here are some tips that can help you target the right audience.

The Digital Revolution

It’s hardly a secret that today’s borrowers are looking for digital lending solutions. Mortgage customers will likely examine your website long before they appear in your mortgage pipeline. 

Mortgage lenders must have a clean, modern website. This digital hub must look good on every device, especially since borrowers often shop on their phones. The same goes for your social media page — keeping it fresh and up-to-date will help you connect with future clients.

A mortgage CRM can help with this. Modern platforms offer templates that you can use to get your website up and to run. It can also help you create a layout that’s easy to navigate and leads to more conversions.

The Need for Guidance

First-time borrowers are especially hungry for information. You can reach these customers by generating content that speaks to their needs.

Consider “Tips for First-Time Buyers” or “How a Mortgage Works.” Blog posts and videos can help you educate prospective buyers. They can also help you generate leads with a clear call to action.

Go a step further by introducing automated chat features on your website. Artificial intelligence (AI) mimics human interactions, giving borrowers real-time responses to their mortgage questions. The chat window will also capture new leads in the process.

Online Experiences

The digital revolution doesn’t just mean customers are looking for a polished website. Mortgage customers are searching for online portals that allow them to manage their accounts.

They can access their accounts and organize their most important documents. Such a setup also helps you keep track of customer communication and ensures you never miss a client email.

Again, a mortgage CRM can help you keep up with this mortgage customer behavior. The right platform offers an online portal that enables you to streamline the lending process. That’s something that both you and your clients can enjoy.

Speed, Speed, and More Speed

Borrowers quickly grow frustrated by a slow lending process. Many borrowers expect to close on their loan in as little as a few days. In reality, loans can take as long as 30 days to finalize.

The underwriting process is lengthy, but there are things you can do to streamline the customer experience.

For example, online options such as e-signatures allow borrowers to fill out primary forms without visiting their mortgage office. As a result, the process keeps moving, and borrowers can experience a smoother turnaround.

Manage Mortgage Customer Behavior

The right tools can help you keep up with your mortgage customers. A customer relationship management (CRM) system can improve every aspect of your lending practice.

Connect with clients using the BNTouch platform. Our mortgage CRM helps you create digital content and market your business. To see these features in action, contact us for a demo.

Request a free demo

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Jason April 20, 2023 0 Comments

How to Use Predictive Analytics to Identify Ideal Mortgage Leads

When it comes to mortgage leads, quality matters more than quantity. But how do you narrow your focus to your ideal leads? Technology can be a great asset.

Predictive analytics can highlight your most promising leads. Here’s how the process works.

What Is Predictive Analytics?

The use of data to anticipate customer behavior is known as predictive analytics. The predictive analysis relies on algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning to identify consumer patterns.

In the mortgage industry, predictive analytics can predict who, when, and how customers will buy and sell. Armed with this data, real estate brokers can better nurture meaningful mortgage leads.

Using Predictive Analytics to Nurture Mortgage Leads

Here are five unique ways to use predictive analysis in your mortgage business. 

1. Identify Customer Segments

Start by identifying customer segments. This may depend on your mortgage products. For instance, if you specialize in first-time buyer programs, you might narrow your marketing focus to young professionals. Alternatively, you could focus on the habits of commercial real estate customers.

2. Predict Seasonal Trends

Predictive analysis also predicts when mortgage customers are most engaged in the process. You can use this data to create timely marketing campaigns.

If your community tends to see more sales in the Spring, you can align your marketing calendar to match. That way, you can spend your energy during seasons when your mortgage leads are more likely to buy.

3. Focus on Your Marketing Tools

Once you understand your customer base, you can adapt your marketing content accordingly. That includes the timing of your campaigns and your preferred channels. 

This can be particularly helpful if you need to align your marketing approach with the habits of a generational cohort. Reaching young buyers, for instance, may require more emphasis on quick, shareable video marketing over blog posts and articles.

4. Plan Your Budget

Seasonal trends, in particular, may cause you to adjust your marketing budget. If you expect to engage in a major spring or summer marketing campaign, you can set aside this money to ensure you have the funds to cover it.

Moreover, by using data to optimize your campaigns, you can design campaigns that run with greater financial efficiency.

5. Tailor Your Content

Predictive analytics can also highlight the content that matches your customer segments. That means you can create blog posts and videos that best speak to the needs of your leads. Paired with a seasonal strategy, you can also create a calendar that generates content based on when your customers are most interested in buying.

Nurture More Mortgage Leads

A customer relationship management (CRM) solution can help your business grow. A mortgage CRM can empower your marketing strategy to connect with more leads.

The BNTouch platform is a comprehensive solution, offering marketing and collaborative tools that enhance your mortgage practice. These tools provide the power to innovate and connect like never before.

To see these features in action, contact BNTouch to schedule a demo!

Request a free demo

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Jason April 13, 2023 0 Comments

Data-Driven Mortgage Marketing: Using Analytics to Engage New Leads

Building revenue starts by building relationships. That’s true for any industry, and for mortgage lenders, it’s crucial.

How well does your current marketing strategy translate into meaningful connections? It may be time to consider a data-driven mortgage marketing approach.

How can data help you engage new leads? With the correct data, you’ll empower your business to meet your clients where they are. Understanding their needs allows you to build bridges and convert new leads into satisfied clients.

Here are some of today’s top tips for using data to drive your marketing strategy.

Engage Website Visitors

The front page of your website is often more important than the front door of your lending office. But what happens when visitors land on your website only to navigate away?

This turning away is known as your “bounce rate.” It’s one of several key metrics you can use to evaluate the quality of your web content. A high bounce rate may nudge you to optimize your content. Making your site easier to navigate may help you engage new leads.

Mortgage lenders can also design their websites to convert traffic into leads. For example, a clear call to action (CTA) will invite visitors to contact you for more info. You can later measure how many visitors engage these CTA’s, which might also prompt you to optimize your content for better engagement.

A customer relationship management (CRM) system can help. A mortgage CRM contains templates for creating quality websites. You can use these programs to maintain a web presence and engage leads that land on your website.

Know What Content Is Working

Content marketing is crucial for engaging mortgage leads. Many first-time borrowers seek information about new loan programs or how the process works. You can create content that satisfies these needs.

But data-driven mortgage marketing strategies measure the success rate of this content. What types of content work best? It may be that your visitors are looking for specific topics. For example, you might see greater engagement with “first-time lender programs,” which may prompt you to create more content for new borrowers.

You might also see different levels of engagement with the type of content you use. For example, short videos might be more popular with your target market than long-form blogs. You can use this data to create more content that connects with your audience.

Segment Your Mortgage Pipeline

A mortgage pipeline is designed to guide your leads through the lending process. However, the customer journey won’t look the same for everyone. This is another example of how data-driven mortgage marketing strategies can be so helpful.

The data you gather on your leads might allow you to create multiple customer segments. For instance, you can create sub-groups based on the following:

  • Type of mortgage product
  • Current mortgage rate
  • Credit score
  • Financial data (e.g., debt-to-income ratio)
  • Geographic data

This approach allows you to craft unique content and strategies tailored to each group. For that matter, you can market loan programs that match your borrowers’ needs. FHA loans, for example, maybe a welcome option for borrowers with less-than-stellar credit.

You can also segment based on current and former clients. Doing so will remind you to follow up with past clients who might be willing to send leads your way.

Focus on Specific Products

Many mortgage lenders find success by carving out an industry niche. Specializing in a specific type of real estate can showcase your unique value and give you a competitive edge.

But that assumes your marketing tactics reflect your products. Your sales data will give you a clear idea of what products generate the most revenue. If your aim is to focus on these products, you can adjust your marketing materials accordingly.

Conversely, you may have mortgage products that are underperforming. Are you trying to focus on commercial real estate? Bridge loans? Low-income loans? Your data might highlight programs that need extra attention. You might create a marketing campaign to give these areas a much-needed boost.

Track the Conversion Rates of Digital Ads

Chances are that you already rely on digital advertising to promote your business. But how well are these digital ads performing? And which marketing channels are leading to more mortgage applications?

These are two separate questions, but data can help answer both. Your data will show how effectively your ads convert leads into clients. If they aren’t performing well, you may need to refine your sales approach to engage your target market better.

To that same end, data can also show you where your target market spends its time. Data-driven mortgage marketing methods will help you focus on specific marketing channels. For example, generating more leads through Google Ads may indicate that you must focus on this channel.

But data can also highlight areas to improve. If your target market primarily uses Facebook, you may invest more energy into your social media marketing campaigns.

Optimize Email Marketing

A mortgage CRM platform will help you contact your leads via email. But the success of an email marketing campaign depends on how many people open those emails.

That’s why you need a data-driven mortgage marketing strategy. Your opening rate will tell you more about who’s reading your email. Moreover, data can tell who clicks the links in your messages.

The importance should be obvious — if your current email marketing campaigns aren’t working, it may be time to reevaluate or diversify your marketing channels to include social media.

Keep Track of Inactive Leads

Monitoring your inactive leads may sound counter-intuitive, but there’s a sound strategy behind it. For one thing, you can send a final email to these inactive leads to re-engage them in the process.

If you fail to re-engage inactive leads, cutting them loose is best.

Why? Because sending emails to inactive customers can hurt your digital credibility. Delivering emails directly to someone’s spam box will increase your bounce rate (see above). Worse, it can trigger filtering (or blocking) of your IP.

Additionally, you’ll want to purge your inactive users from your larger list over time. That way, you can focus on the users that remain engaged in the process without inactive users affecting your marketing data.

Nurture Business Connections

Real estate brokers often generate leads through professional connections. You might develop relationships with real estate agents, lawyers, or other industry professionals.

A well-maintained lead pipeline might impress these business connections, forging new partnerships. A mortgage CRM will even provide a portal that lets these partners drop leads right into your pipeline. That’s a great way to get real estate partners to help you connect with leads they meet at trade shows, conferences, etc.

A data-driven mortgage marketing approach can maximize these efforts. Analytical tools can show you how each connection is contributing to your pipeline. This will ensure that you focus on the right industry connections.

Use Feedback from Past Clients

Some of your most meaningful data will come not from today’s leads but from yesterday’s clients. You might already use reviews and testimonies as part of your marketing materials. But the data received from past clients can also refine your strategy.

What materials are connecting with former clients? What made them choose your lending practice? The answers to these questions can give you a better idea of what to focus on for future leads.

Conversely, it might highlight areas that just aren’t working. If past leads were unimpressed with your blog content, maybe that indicates it’s time to pivot or focus on video over written text. By making such adjustments, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are working as hard for you as you are for them.

Unleash Your Creativity

Perhaps the most important things analytics can provide are the insights and opportunities you can’t predict.

The data you gain from a mortgage CRM might inspire you to try something brand-new. The same data can be used to evaluate your success.

This is particularly important for marketing teams. The right data can reveal flaws in your current approach. It can also inspire you to take a whole new approach. Customer data might motivate your team to adapt to new client needs or shift priorities to better connect with your target market.

The point is that data will give you greater end-to-end visibility of your business. From this vantage point, you’ll be better able to connect with your current leads and nurture new ones.

Data-Driven Mortgage Marketing with a CRM

These tips offer a helpful starting point for your mortgage marketing efforts, but getting these ideas off the ground demands the right platform.

A mortgage CRM can help. The BNTouch platform offers tools to assist you with website design, content creation, and team collaboration. In short, you’ll get more done with less and have the data to verify your success.

Contact the BNTouch team to see these features in action. We can schedule a demo so you can discover how a mortgage CRM can transform your mortgage business.

Request a free demo

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Jason April 6, 2023 0 Comments

Mortgage Marketing with ChatGPT: Improving SEO

Marketing is the fine art of getting noticed. How can you be sure that web users are finding your content? The right SEO strategy can help. You’ll build more connections by integrating ChatGPT with your mortgage marketing strategy.

Here’s how it works.

What Is SEO?

Search engine optimization, or SEO, can refer to improving your website to increase visibility on common search engines.

The most common approach is to incorporate the same keywords your customer base is likely to use. For instance, you might sprinkle “first-time mortgage programs” throughout your site. Then, when a web user searches for that phrase, your site will appear toward the top of the search engine results page.

The trick is to find the right keywords and use them strategically. Content marketing can help. The more content you generate, the better your odds of someone discovering you.

What Is ChatGPT?

 

ChatGPT is an AI-powered writing tool created by OpenAI. The application can generate content with astonishing speed and accuracy. Mortgage lenders can use this tool to create or modify their content.

That’s good news for busy mortgage lenders. If your hands are already full following up on customer leads, ChatGPT can create blog posts for you.

Are you currently using a customer relationship management (CRM) system? If so, ChatGPT can integrate with your mortgage marketing tools. You’ll enjoy a seamless user experience and create content faster.

How ChatGPT Improves SEO

ChatGPT can improve your SEO in three distinct ways. Namely, it:

1. Suggests Keywords

ChatGPT can suggest keywords to use in your blog posts. The program can even organize lists of keywords by search intent.

For instance, “first-time mortgage plans” can be classified as “home shopping.” These classifications can help you think through your blog goals more clearly.

2. Generates Schema Codes

Schema.org provides a markup for your web content, which helps search engines like Google understand what your blog posts are about. ChatGPT can generate these codes without the need for a third-party program.

3. Creates Meta Descriptions

Technically, meta descriptions won’t improve your actual page ranking. But Google will display these descriptions on search engine results pages. This can help you connect with users once your content pops up in their search window, which can generate more clicks.

4. Designs a Marketing Strategy

Believe it or not, ChatGPT can also create a marketing strategy.

How? Simply ask the program to come up with a marketing plan. The program will provide a basic roadmap, but you can ask it to expand on this outline.

From there, you can refine the outline and carve out a path to set you apart from your competitors.

Mortgage Marketing Made Easy

The right mortgage marketing tools make all the difference. If you invest in BNTouch’s CRM platform, you’ll gain access to templates and other pre-built content.

See for yourself today. Contact BNTouch to schedule a demo and discover how the right marketing tools can put your lending practice on the map.

Request a free demo

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Jason March 23, 2023 0 Comments

Blog SEO Checklist for Mortgage Professionals

Blog SEO is optimizing a blog’s content, site architecture, and HTML code for search engines. It is referred to as on-page SEO. People who are great at this practice are called search engine optimization experts. 

What is  ChatGPT?

BNTouch Mortgage CRM’s Maia Mortgage AI Assistant with ChatGPT integration lets her generate a blog post for your target keyword. You’ve probably heard the new buzz in the software industry about ChatGPT.

Chat GPT is an AI Chatbot developed by Open AI. The chatbot has a language-based model that the developer fine-tunes for human interaction in a conversational manner.

Effectively it’s a simulated chatbot primarily designed for customer service; people use it for various other purposes, too—these range from writing blog posts to drafting business plans to generating code. Yes, folks, the future is here.

BNTouch’s Blog SEO checklist will work for your business no matter how you create your content or what industry you’re in. This SEO checklist will guide you to higher Google rankings, more traffic, and generate more leads.

Blog SEO Like A Boss

You’ve got your content, but are you ready to hit publish? Hold your horses there, Sea Biscuit; first, you need to run a quick search for the keywords you want to rank for and then optimize your content so that the search engines can crawl it and index it accordingly…then you’ll be able to publish your content, right? You’d be wrong, as you’d have to optimize your content for SEO.  The team at BNTouch has made it simple and easy for mortgage industry professionals to become Blog SEO experts. Just follow these golden rules for Blog SEO and reap the rewards. 

Install Yoast 

Yoast is one of the best SEO plugins for WordPress websites.

You may already have the plugin installed on your site. But if not, it’s time to install it and enjoy the benefits of Blog SEO with this checklist. 

Work Smarter, not Harder! Yoast can be used for creating SEO-friendly blog posts and optimizing your entire website.

Write Your Title Tag

Your post’s title tag is essential to your page because it appears on the search engine results page.

If you use a reasonable title tag, people will likely click through to read your post, even if it ranks.

It helps to follow Google’s best practices for creating title tags. These practices include using your core keyword in the title tag and making it as descriptive as possible.

You can use SERPsim to run a simulation and see how your title tag would appear on the results page.

For optimization purposes, your blog post should have only one H1 header tag and include your target keyword. Most times, the H1 is also the title tag.

Aside from your H1, it would help if you also used other header tags, like H2s, H3s, which follow a hierarchy of importance.

H1 Title Tag should be 55-60 Characters – (one per post)

Use SEO Tools

Type your target keyword into free SEO tools like Ubersuggest or Google Keyword Planner to get valuable metrics like search volume, difficulty, and relevant related keywords.

BNTouch’s Maia AI Chatbot ChatGPT cranked out your excellent content, but let’s see what Yoast says about the readability. 

Here’s how to make your content easy to read:

  • Use headers and subheaders that make your post easy to scan.
  • Write in an active voice.
  • Make your sentences at most 25 words.
  • Keep your paragraphs under three sentences and avoid large chunks of text.
  • Replace industry jargon and buzzwords with simple and everyday language.
  • Use lists, bullet points, italics, and bolded text to make your post easy on the eye.

Include Primary Keyword in the Introduction and Throughout the Content

 

Your keyword should be in the first 100 words of your article. It would be best if you also used it in your headings. Be careful to keep your keyword private and make your content unreadable.

Yoast helps you track whether you’ve used your main keyword in your introduction.

Optimize Your Meta Description

The meta description is the blurb of text under the title tag that shows people what to expect when they open your blog post.

Although meta descriptions have no direct bearing on SEO rankings, they affect your click-through rates.

You can optimize your meta description by making it short (less than 200 words) and including the target keyword.

Optimize Your URL Slug

Like your meta description and title tag, your URL should give people an idea of what they will find when they click on your page. To optimize your URL slug, ensure it contains your target keyword.

It also helps shorten your URL slug and remove unnecessary stop words wrong www.the-mortgage-and-bad-credit.com – correct www.mortgage-bad-credit.com. Separate the words in the URL instead of an underscore or other symbol. We do this simply because search engines are designed to read only hyphens.

Include External Links to Authoritative Sources

You must link to external authoritative sources to make your blog content more valuable and trustworthy.

These external links could include expert research, industry statistics, and other official resources.

Include Blog Posts Under One Single Category

Keep all your posts about a particular topic under a single category or hub.

Consider Including Relevant Video, Images, or Embedded Slide Decks

Media elements like videos, images, slides, and graphs make your content more engaging.

These media elements help to break up large blocks of text and improve your reader’s experience. They also increase visitors’ time on your page and help readers understand your content better.

Include Descriptive Image Alt Text

Search engine crawlers can’t yet read images. Therefore, whenever you use images in your content, it’s vital to use alternative texts (popularly known as alt texts).

An okay alt text would be :<img src=”roses.png” alt=”roses”>

Although this is a picture of roses, the alt text isn’t descriptive enough.

Here’s a better alt text: <img src=”flowers.png” alt=”A bouquet of beautiful flowers”>

This alt text is better because it describes the image better.

Include Internal Links to Relevant Content on Your Site

Internal links are links from one page on a website to another page on the same website. These links are vital for SEO optimization because they help web crawlers discover more content on your website.

Always end with a call to action in your copy. Mortgage Professionals create a clickable contact icon or use contact form plugins. Here are some of the best free ones free contact form plugins Name, email address, and phone number should be included. Studies show that when placed at the bottom of the page, you’ll get more qualified leads if your goal is lead generation. 

Blog SEO Checklist

There you have it. A complete Blog SEO checklist Mortgage Brokers don’t have to be an expert to follow. Keep to these best practices, let Maia Mortgage Assistant crank out some boss-level content, optimize for SEO, and you’ll see an increase in traffic and leads in no time. 

  • Start with keyword research.

  • Use the main keyword in your title tag, meta description, and URL slug

  • Structure your blog post with header tags

  • Include the main keyword in your image’s file and alt text

  • Keep the title at 55-60 characters 

  • Remove all unnecessary words from the slug 

  • Add internal links within your post

  • Link to external authoritative sources

  • Create a content calendar and group your blog posts into categories 

  • Make your content easy to read

  • Include rich media elements like videos, slides, and graphs

  • Use Alt Text in all non-decorative images 

  • Include a call to action with a clickable button or contact/lead capture form.

  • Install Free Yoast Plugin 

BNTouch has integrated with ChatGPT.  Let Maia BNTouch’s Mortgage Assistant create the content, and now with this Blog SEO Checklist, you can drive more traffic and generate more leads in record time.

Check out Maia and all the features BNTouch offers mortgage brokers and loan officers by scheduling a demo today!

Request a free demo

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Jason March 23, 2023 0 Comments

ChatGPT Integration in Mortgage CRM Software

You’ve no doubt heard a lot about ChatGPT. But what exactly is it?

 

ChatGPT is an AI-powered writing tool that reproduces human communication. Mortgage lenders can leverage this tool to connect and communicate with potential clients. Here’s why you should consider mortgage CRM software that integrates with ChatGPT.

Provide an Interactive Chat Feature

Why do most first-time visitors come to your website? Chances are that they’re looking for information. They’re armed with questions. How quickly can you provide the answers? Faster than ever, thanks to ChatGPT.

Most of the news about the application has revolved around concerns of college plagiarism. But ChatGPT can do more than compose term papers. ChatGPT can integrate with your mortgage CRM software to provide real-time interaction.

Here’s how it works: users come to your website, where they receive a prompt to ask questions in a chat window. They submit their inquiries, and the AI-powered program provides immediate answers. Web visitors receive instant information, and you snag a new lead.

Summarize Complex Ideas

Face it — the mortgage industry is unfamiliar territory for most borrowers. ChatGPT can help. The advanced AI can digest complex information, then spit out a summary.

These summaries might be helpful when answering borrower questions via email. They might also function as a “cheat sheet” for the rest of your team. Most importantly, they can give your borrowers greater confidence. That might encourage them to stick with you throughout their real estate journey.

Create Social Media Content

Staying active on social media can be challenging. Many lenders struggle to decide what to post. ChatGPT can function as a great assistant.

For example, you might ask ChatGPT to provide ten posts on a particular subject. This can help you work on your wording and deliver compelling social media posts.

ChatGPT can also help you create posts unique to each social media channel. That way, you’ll maintain continuity across your social media channels, enhancing your presence and brand image.

Write Compelling Video Scripts

Lenders rely on video to engage new borrowers, but putting your thoughts into words can be challenging, not for ChatGPT.

You can dictate your ideas to the AI-powered program, which will polish your words into a final script. Even your ramblings can be refined into something useful. Once your script is written, you can edit, rehearse, and record it.

Compose Blog Content

ChatGPT can be used to create blog content optimized for today’s search engines.

But be careful. It’s unclear how Google will adapt to content written by AI software. It could hurt your page rankings in the long term.

Besides, a post written by ChatGPT will never reflect your passion or goals like you can. Using ChatGPT to generate content is possible, but it’s an option that’s best used sparingly.

Find the Right Mortgage CRM Software

To use ChatGPT, you’ll first need an account with OpenAI, the company that produced the software. You’ll also need a customer relationship management (CRM) provider that allows integrations.

The BNTouch platform empowers you to do more in your lending business.

Schedule a demo to see our advanced features in action.

Request a free demo

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Jason March 9, 2023 0 Comments