A surprising number of loan originators are trying to “do it all,” including running their own marketing campaigns. But if the blockbuster mortgage volumes of 2020 showed us anything, it’s that loan officers don’t have the time to moonlight as marketers. It only makes sense that front-line originators are most productive when they stay focused on their core skill: advising clients on home loans.
Contrary to popular belief, relieving LOs of their marketing burden does not require mortgage companies to install ad managers, content producers and social media managers at every branch. In fact, mortgage operations of all kinds — not just retail, but also consumer-direct and TPO — are turning to a centralized, admin-driven marketing model that leverages the latest innovations in customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation technology that works with the mortgage process.
What is admin-driven mortgage marketing?
Admin-driven mortgage marketing centralizes key aspects of the marketing function at the branch, regional or corporate level, freeing boots-on-the-ground lending teams from the quagmire of managing day-to-day marketing activities.
What are the benefits of admin-driven marketing?
- Higher-performing LOs. When you centralize marketing, you free your sales force to do what it does best: sell. Most LOs will appreciate having one less thing to worry about — but nobody likes being kept in the dark, so you’ll want to keep LOs in the loop on all communications that will be deployed to prospects, in-process customers or past clients on their behalf. Surefire CRM makes it easy for admins to alert LOs as new pieces of content are added to the Surefire Creative Content Library. LOs can even opt out of a specific workflow if they don’t want to participate.
- More consistent, effective marketing. Research shows that consistency and relevancy are the keys to effective marketing communications. In other words, to make an impact, mortgage lenders need to repeatedly deliver content that is meaningful to their audience. Few LOs can find the time to maintain a regular cadence of social posts, email marketing, direct mail, phone calls and text messages on their own. Admin-driven ensures contacts receive a steady diet of personalized content that is always on-brand at any part of the loan process.
- Scalability. With the right technology, a single marketing admin can easily create, automate and deliver marketing centrally on behalf of dozens of LOs. For larger teams, Surefire CRM offers flexible user roles and approvals management. For instance, an individual with admin rights usually has full control over marketing collateral and the ability to approve workflows. This individual — or team, depending on the lender’s structure — must sign off on all content. Other people, like graphic designers or marketing coordinators, can be granted the freedom and flexibility to create content but will need to secure admin sign-off before it can be deployed.
- Flexibility. Let’s face it: LOs are not all the same. Most originators will be glad to relinquish their marketing responsibilities, but there are exceptions. You may employ a superstar LO whose personal brand is as recognizable as the company’s, if not more so. Done properly, admin-driven marketing doesn’t muzzle that branding power — it unleashes it. That’s because Surefire makes it easy to customize access to creative content and marketing automation workflows at the individual level.
- Compliance. Admin-driven marketing provides peace of mind by enabling a top-down approach to marketing compliance A mortgage CRM with a well-designed approval management function, like Surefire, allows organizations to assert control where necessary while offering leeway where it makes sense. Surefire also helps lenders document marketing activities by automatically creating an audit trail.
Want to learn more?
Thanks to her extensive background in CRM implementation, VIP Mortgage Director of Marketing Cheri Booth takes a strong position on mortgage marketing and believes the best results are obtained when marketing is administered at the corporate level. She spoke extensively on the topic at our 2020 Surefire Summit, sharing the wildly creative ways VIP Mortgage has used Surefire CRM to elevate the company’s marketing department from “zero to hero” in the eyes of its LOs. You can watch the full recording — plus access other great content — by attending the virtual Surefire Summit.
Ready to get started?
To see admin-driven marketing in action, schedule a demo of Surefire, the mortgage industry’s most popular CRM. If you’re already a Surefire customer and would like to shift to a centralized marketing model, we can help. Talk to your account manager to learn more about Surefire Professional Services.