How to target people who've not used a broker before

Added 10/08/23 - 4 min read

The mortgage market is never too far from the headlines and millions of people across the country are feeling anxious about the impact of rising interest rates.

So why are more people not seeking advice from a professional to help them through this tough period?

Well, it comes down to the fact that many people simply don’t know what a mortgage broker does, despite the value they can add.

So how can you target these individuals - providing a valuable service and growing your client base at the same time?

Carry out audience research

The first step is to establish who your target audience actually is.

What are their circumstances, needs, challenges and priorities? Are there particular communities in your area who are underserved or have different needs and situations to others?

You should then look into what common misconceptions or concerns any potential clients may have.

What do people think a mortgage broker does? How does that differ from the reality of what you offer and the service you provide? Are specific concerns such as cost, stopping them from speaking with a broker, and preventing them from looking at the bigger picture?

Once you’ve explored what makes your target audience tick, you can use these insights to develop client personas.

These are fictionalised representations of the people you want to attract, reflecting factors such as their age, income, the media they consume, their hobbies and ambitions.

Client personas can help you develop a targeted, focused marketing strategy, devised with the end user in mind, engaging with the issues that drive them, and ultimately, delivering better returns for your business.

Boost your online presence

Marketing depends on being visible and putting across a clear, succinct message. It’s therefore really important to make sure your company website is easy to find.

You can do this by optimising your website for search engines.

Many people will come across your website when they’re searching for relevant keywords on Google, so find out what keywords your target audience are using.

You can then take steps, such as including them in headings and sub-headings on each page and in meta descriptions - a summary of what a page is about that’s displayed on search engine results pages.

But optimising your website isn’t enough on its own.

You’ve also got to think about what happens when people arrive on your website.

Web users have a very short attention span, and will click away in a matter of seconds if a website doesn’t tell them what they need to know immediately.

So look at yours and ask yourself if it’s immediately clear to a new visitor who you are and what you do.

Is it easy to navigate and use? Can key information be found easily? Will visitors to your site know how to contact you?

If you can’t say yes to any or all of these questions, it’s time to make improvements, perhaps with the help of a specialist marketing agency with expertise in creating and enhancing company websites, tracking their performance and carrying out keyword research.

Another way to boost your online visibility is to use your social media channels effectively.

Platforms such as Twitter give you a great opportunity to engage with your target audience on social media, so use them to share unique, informative and relevant content that relates to the needs and priorities of your client personas.

Tell people what you do

The content you create should highlight the value that you can add to home movers and buyers, and emphasise the value of receiving personalised advice.

This could include:

Blogs that answer common questions from prospects and leads
Social media posts summarising various aspects of your service
Explainer videos on relevant topics, such as the mortgage process, to showcase your expertise
Video interviews with members of your team, so people can put faces to your brand and feel more comfortable about getting in touch
An About Us and Meet the Team section on your website, telling your brand story and showcasing your achievements and values
Client case studies, summarising the situation a client was in when they contacted you, how you were able to support them, and the positive outcomes that you helped to deliver

Read more: How To Write A Content Creation Proforma

Read more: Brokers - Engaging Content Ideas

Showcase your credentials

If you have industry certifications, affiliations and trade body memberships, make sure they’re displayed on your website and marketing literature.

These can hugely enhance your image and credibility, so they’re well worth shouting about.

You could also create profile pages on your website for each member of your team, as they may have individual accreditations and qualifications that deserve to be showcased.

These can, again, help to push the important message to prospective clients that the people in your business have valuable expertise and skills.

Read more: Six traits of successful mortgage brokers

Tap into your professional network

You’ll have encountered and got to know many people across the wider mortgage and housing industry over the years, and perhaps even built strong friendships with some of them.

It’s well worth working to develop strong relationships with stakeholders in your sector, such as lenders, estate agents and home builders, as each and every person you meet could be a possible source of referrals.

You should also spend time actively working to boost your professional network, both online and by attending trade conferences and industry events, so your name comes to mind every time they’re asked to recommend a good mortgage broker.

Read more: How to make the most of networking events

Encourage word-of-mouth marketing

It’s not without reason that word-of-mouth is widely viewed as the most powerful marketing tool of them all.

How often do we act on recommendations from our friends, family and colleagues, or go online to find out what previous customers thought about their dealings with a business before we spend money with them?

Probably quite a lot, so it’s well worth making it easy for satisfied clients to leave feedback, so you can use it for marketing purposes.

For example, you could send them feedback forms to generate client testimonials for your website, or ask customers to leave feedback on review sites such as Trustpilot.

It might also be worth offering happy clients incentives to leave feedback, perhaps by offering entry into a prize draw.

Honest, authentic comments from real people carry real sway, and could be crucial in influencing an individual who’s never used a broker before to pick up the phone and get in touch with you.

Find out more: Why Choose a Broker?