Whether you’re an entrepreneurial loan officer going at it alone or part of an already established team, building a strong brand is key to being successful and having longevity in the industry.

When potential clients think of your brand, what springs to mind? Branding is more than just your company’s name – it’s the feeling that clients have when interacting with you and your team. If feedback is positive, then you’re on track. Here are some questions to consider while building your brand.

Why is it important to create and promote a top-notch brand?

A strong brand with a great reputation will be ahead of the competition and on the lips of prospects and clients happy to recommend them. Word-of-mouth marketing is still a powerful tool, particularly in a sales-driven industry.

If your brand is strong and you have happy clients, there’s a very likely chance that they will use your services again. A top-notch brand will also be able to charge more for their services – if your product is excellent and you’re doing all the right things, then your clients will be happy to pay for it.

What are the first steps?

In order to reach new prospects and to stay on the minds of your current clients, try to get creative with visual content. Eye-catching photos and videos that grab people’s attention are great for content and branding. For example, why not share case studies of clients you’ve helped by sharing a photo of them with a caption?

You could also create Q&A’s on social media to get a conversation going with potential customers while answering any doubts clients may have. This could be done using Facebook Live or Instagram Live, as both functions allow clients to ask questions in real time. If you want to get really creative visually, create an infographic with mortgage statistics and data your clients might find interesting and useful.

Are you using email marketing correctly?

Social media is vital for brands who wish to reach new people and nurture current clients. In fact, you’ll find that a lot of your clients probably search for your brand name on social media to see what’s being said about you and how you market yourself.

But another medium is via email. Email marketing is a fantastic way to keep in regular contact with your clients. Create and share content that provides value to your database by focusing on the needs of your subscribers. Send them tips and advice along with guides and information they might find interesting.

Try to be consistent

A good brand is one that is consistent. Make sure your website, social media profiles, and business listings are up-to-date and consistent. If you’ve changed your logo or altered your tagline recently, for example, be sure that it’s been updated across all platforms.

Your online feedback need to be reviewed regularly to make sure that they’ve all been answered, if need be. Use the best ones to create case studies which you can share. Finally, make sure that everyone involved with your company’s branding knows how to act – the very best brands out there will have style guides and ways in which they conduct themselves with clients.

Are you part of a top-notch brand? What’s the most important thing a brand should know if it plans on investing time and money into becoming a strong one?