Mortgage03: Content Marketing Strategies for Building Trust and Authority as a Mortgage Lender: Mortgage Industry Marketing Part 3, Jeff Kuns

Are you a marketer working with smaller, more regional players in the mortgage industry? Then this episode is for you!

Jeff Kuns, our featured guest today, was born and raised in Southern California but ended up moving to Northern California in his 20s where he discovered his talent for voice acting. He was the voice of the first snowboarding video game for Sony PlayStation called Cool Borders. Eventually, Jeff decided to move into the mortgage business and spent 14 years in origination. 

However, after the crash in 2010, Jeff decided it was time for a change and pursued his interest in copywriting and marketing. He worked for two different software as a service companies, one focused on helping loan officers market to customers and the other doing the same thing for insurance agents. In 2019, Jeff found his way to Finance Studio and is now a business development manager there, back in Los Angeles where he started.

A Few Highlights Include:

1. Breaking down the hierarchy of the mortgage industry:

• Lenders are financial institutions that offer and underwrite home loans.
• Brokers or loan agents/officers work with multiple lenders and arrange loans based on borrower qualifications and loan type.
• Loan officers can work for brokers, subsidiaries, or lenders directly.
• Credit requirements vary between lenders and some offer specific loan types like construction loans.
• Realtors often refer to all players in the space as "lenders."

2. The mortgage industry presents unique challenges for building awareness and getting your name out there.

3. Smaller, regional players are trying to compete with big banks and lending companies, which is a unique challenge.

4. During refinance markets with low-interest rates, many new institutions pop up and saturate the market with new loan officers that tend to confuse borrowers.

5. The purchase market is still a rate-based, commoditized product game.

6. Bigger players like Quicken Loans and banks with advertising dollars pose significant challenges to smaller loan brokerages.

7. Loans on properties with acreage, duplexes, multi-units, septic systems, new construction, or bank-owned properties can create problems for larger institutional or online lenders.

8. Local brokers are the biggest competition for institutional and online lenders because of their local presence and connections with CPAs and financial advisors.

9. Local reps have more advertising money behind them from bigger lenders, creating an imbalance in advertising power.

10. Use of imagery can differentiate a brand. Use a consistent brand hero or local photography as ways to convey authenticity. 

11. There is a missed opportunity for lending institutions to form long-term relationships with clients during large financial transactions, where trust is crucial.

12. The distribution is the less talked-about aspect of content marketing.

13. Email marketing has a great ROI because it's free to send an email, and it's still a great strategy.

14. Direct mail can also be an effective marketing tactic, especially for local and smaller shops.

15. Mortgage brokers and lenders have access to a lot of information that they can use to create personalized marketing materials, including software programs and AI.

16. An effective strategy is the annual review, which is a technique borrowed from financial advisors where they reach out to their clients once a year to discuss their mortgage, provide any updates or information about their loan, and offer any assistance or advice needed. It's a way for the mortgage professional to stay in touch with their clients and provide ongoing value, which can lead to repeat business and referrals.

17. When is it appropriate and advisable to use industry jargon? Jeff explains!

Guest:

Jeff Kuns is the ​​Business Development Manager at Finance Studio. As an experienced content marketing and business development consultant in a range of verticals, he helps financial marketers develop and execute content marketing and communication strategies that move the sales curve.

Guest’s Company:

Finance Studio believes that although the financial services industry can be complicated, marketing need not be. They provide customized digital, content, and design projects for each brand, regardless of its size or budget. While the team has experience with some of the most reputable finance brands, they understand that what works for one may not work for another.

Finance Studio's goal is to provide an affordable creative solution that enables businesses of all sizes to establish, grow, or refresh their brand in a flexible manner.

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Learn More and Watch Episode 003 in Video Form:

Show notes for: Building Brands, Content, and Relationships in the Mortgage Industry: Mortgage Industry Marketing Part 3 with Jeff Kuns