Social Media Guide Learn how to build your online presence on social media with best practices, post ideas, and more.
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Table of Contents Social Media Overview & Benefits Facebook · Setting up your page
· Understanding your newsfeed
· Jump-starting your Facebook following
· Content to post
· How to tag your posts
LinkedIn · Setting up your page
· Understanding LinkedIn basics
· Content to post
· How to tag your posts
· Examples
Social Media Do’s and Don’ts FAQ Post Ideas
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Social Media Overview & Benefits Why should you have professional social profiles? · Builds your personal brand as a professional · Posts can be used to drive targeted traffic · Using social media for business boosts your site’s SEO · Provides a place to network and connect with your leads and customers · Strong social media presence builds your brand loyalty
Did you know that 70% of business-to-consumer marketers have acquired customers through Facebook? Or that 84% of CEOs and VPs say they use social media to help make purchasing decisions?
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Facebook Understanding Your Newsfeed Facebook utilizes algorithms to determine which posts will actually make it onto your feed. These put significant weight on content posted by people and pages that you interact with frequently and prioritize types of posts and content that have captured your attention. Your posts need to be engaging in order to be placed into the newsfeed. Social audiences do not like to be pitched or sold to, so don’t load your pages with promotional posts. Although you do not need to post multiple times a day, you also don’t want to go weeks without posting. Once a day or every other day is a good rule of thumb. Don’t just post to post, only post if you have engaging content.
Setting Up Your Business Page It is important to distinguish between a Facebook Profile and a Facebook Page. Profiles are personal spaces on Facebook meant for individual people. You should only have one and Facebook frowns upon (and may delete) any profiles that are deemed fake or duplicates. Facebook Pages, sometimes referred to as Fan Pages or Places, are meant for businesses, groups, interests, and so on. Anyone can create multiple Pages but you must first have a Personal Profile in order to create a Page. If you already have a personal Facebook Profile, you can follow the “Create a Page” instructions on the next page. If not, you will need to create a Personal Profile first.
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Create a Page You must be logged into your personal Facebook account in order to create a Business Page. Once you are logged into your Facebook account, follow these steps to create your page: 1. T he last icon on the right side of the blue navigation bar at the top of the screen is an inverted triangle. Click on that triangle and then click Create Page on the pop-up menu that appears. 2. C lick on the Local Business or Place tile. Fill out the short form that pops up with your business information. 3. U pload a photo. This is a good place for your professional business photo. 4. C lick the Add to Favorites button. This will make your page easily accessible through a link on the left-side navigation menu when you log into your Facebook account. 5. F ill out the Preferred Page Audience form and click Save. 6. I t is generally recommended that you add the localities in which you do business and select several variations of “Real Estate” in the interests box - just start typing “real estate” or “real estate agent” in the box and options will pop up. You can add more than one and if you are associated with any other groups or activities you may add them as well. This will not limit your ability to target other audiences later. Your Business Page has been created! Now, you can add a cover photo - we have some cover photos ready made for you to choose from.
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Facebook Jump-starting Your Following Invite people you know to like your page through Facebook’s tools: · I nvite Your Friends. Below the cover photo at the top of your business page are 4 buttons: one is an ellipsis (“…”). Click on the ellipsis, and a drop-down menu will appear. Click on Invite Your Friends to launch a pop-up box with all of your friends from your personal Facebook page. This gives you the opportunity to select which of those friends you would like to invite to like your page. · I nvite Email Contacts. This allows you to upload your contact list so Facebook can send an invitation to your contacts on your behalf. The names and email addresses that match existing Facebook users will prompt the system to send an invitation within Facebook. · P ersonally invite people you know to like your page by email. Make sure your email request is personalized (no BCC emails), written in a conversational tone and includes the link to your Facebook page so they can get to it quickly and easily. · L ike the business pages of Realtors and other industry professionals from your business page. Here’s how to like another business page from your business page:
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· L og into Facebook. Find the search field on the left side of the top menu bar and begin typing the name of the business page for which you are looking.
· O nce you find the page, there will be four buttons: Like, Follow, Share, and the ellipsis. Do not click Like as this will like the page from your personal page. Click on the ellipsis and select Like As Your Page.
How to Tag Your Posts One of the most important ways for your posts to gain traction and be seen by more people is tagging. You can tag a location and people you are with, like the Realtor and the homebuyers. Make sure you have their permission first! · T o do this, type “@” in your caption box and begin typing the name of the location. This will pull up a list of places, pages, etc. to tag. · Y our post will then show up on the tagged pages as well as in the newsfeed of people who follow them. You can also tag people in your posts by choosing the Person with a Plus in the bottom left corner. This is done the same way, type “@” and begin typing the name you are looking for. All similar names will show up. Choose the one you wish to tag.
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LinkedIn Setting Up Your Page LinkedIn is a social networking site dedicated to professional networking. Unlike Facebook, you can participate on LinkedIn through your own professional profile and not a business/company profile. As you set up your profile, it helps to think of it as a resume and to think of Realtors as the hiring managers for which you are preparing your profile. You can then share content from the Fidelity Bank Business Page and use our provided cover image for your page.
Create a Page Follow these steps to create your account: · Go to www.linkedin.com · E nter your first name, last name, email address, and desired password. Click Join Now. · Follow the instructions provided to confirm your email address. · L inkedIn provides a Profile Organizer to walk you through each section of your profile. Go through each section and enter the information you wish to share. It’s important to have a complete, well-rounded profile. Though it is your personal profile, try to write from the perspective of what would be valuable to potential customers and referral sources. Connections will care much more about what they have to gain from working with you. Congratulations, you now have a LinkedIn profile!
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Understanding Your Newsfeed LinkedIn is a unique social network. Like Facebook, other users are much more likely to see your posts if they have recently engaged with your posts. Unlike Facebook, self-promoting business-oriented posts are more widely accepted on LinkedIn. However, if all of your posts are self-promoting (or about recruiting), your actual audience will shrink, regardless of how many connections LinkedIn says you have. Do Post: Posts that inform, inspire, or seek to connect people are more likely to succeed on LinkedIn. Think higher-level content. Don’t Post: Posts with heavy humor or personal opinions are not likely to succeed on LinkedIn. Make it a point a couple of times a week to login and spend a few minutes scrolling through your news feed. Like, comment, or share a few posts from different connections each time. Social media is about interactivity. The more you interact with your connections, the more they will interact with you
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LinkedIn My Network On the top menu bar is a button called My Network. When you click this button you will see the total number of connections you currently have in the left sidebar, pending invitations to connect if you have any, and a list of people LinkedIn thinks you may know. You should scroll through these regularly and accept connection requests from those people you know or are familiar with.
Scroll through the people you may know section to grow your network. Click their name to go to their profile page. When you use the Connect button on the user’s profile, you can type a short, personalized message to that person. Nothing elaborate is necessary, even if you do not really know each other. For example: Hi ______, would you like to connect? I thought I would reach out as it seems we know many of the same people.
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Conversing With Your Connections When your connections update their profile, change jobs, have birthdays, or reach a work anniversary, the system will let you know in the Notifications section. · S end them a personalized message with a simple “Congrats on the new job, John. Good luck!” or “Congrats on your three-year anniversary, Mary!”
Tag Your Posts Similar to Facebook, you can tag people, organizations, and locations in your posts by typing “@” and beginning to type the word for which you are looking. Options will begin to pop up, choose the one that you need. This builds interactivity and makes your posts more visible as they will also appear in the newsfeeds of the tagged profiles’ connections
Recommendations One of the most powerful features in LinkedIn for a Mortgage Loan Officer is the Recommendations portion. Ask every customer if they are on LinkedIn, and if they are, ask them to connect with you and provide a recommendation. Prompt them in person or on a phone call and follow up through LinkedIn if they do not respond. Once connected: · G o to your profile by choosing View Profile from the dropdown menu at the top of the page · S croll down the page until you reach the Recommendations section and click on Ask to be Recommended · Select which of your positions for which you wish to be recommended · Add up to 3 connections at a time · Select how you know them and add a brief, personalized message · Click Send
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Social Media Do’s and Don’ts Do: · Share relevant, engaging content · Tag when possible · Join industry groups · Comment and start discussions on industry related pages · Share real time pictures of events, closings, etc. · Respond to comments that you receive on posts
Don’t: · Post just to post (no fluff) · Post overly opinionated content · Be offensive · Post too often (multiple times a day) · Post irrelevant content · P ost content that is too personal (keep it mostly professional)
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Frequently Asked Questions How Often Should I Post? There is not an exact answer to this, but you want to find a good balance so that people are informed but not overwhelmed. Here are some best practices: · 1-2 posts per day - more than 2 posts a day will start to feel like spam · Factor in the best times to post, typically 1 - 4 pm · Post a minimum of 3 times a week and a maximum of 10 times per week Use Facebook’s Insights tool to see how your posts are performing. Just log in, go to your Business Page, click Insights and select Posts.
How do I Export LinkedIn Contacts? · Click My Network on the top of your LinkedIn homepage · Click Your Connections on the left rail · Click Manage Synced and Imported Contacts near the top right of the page · Under Advanced Actions on the right, click Export Contacts · Click Request Archive · Y ou will then receive an email to your primary email address which will include a link where you can download your list of connections 16 |
Which social media platforms should I use? The beauty of social media is that every platform is similar, but different. For our industry, you should definitely utilize Facebook and LinkedIn. Both of these platforms allow you to promote your brand with various media (i.e. pictures, video, written content, etc.) while still staying professional. Since most people with social profiles are on these two sites, your content will also reach a large audience. How do I know what to post? The content you are posting must be relevant to your business. Always remain professional – this is not your personal account. Please reference pages 19 - 23 for appropriate content. If you ever have a question about content, please reach out to mortgagemarketing@lionbank.com or marketing@lionbank.com. Is it a good idea to post the same content on my social accounts every day? It is okay if your content has the same themes, but posting the same content every day will be boring for your followers. It is important to have a variety of professional posts so that you keep the attention of your followers. Again, even though posts should not be the same, they need to remain professional and related to your business. You will lose your audience if they feel like you are spamming them or not putting effort into your posts. Do not just post to post, be sure to keep your posts intentional. How do I get more followers? You will gain more followers by posting high-quality content to your target audience. By being creative and unique, you will catch the attention of people scrolling through their feeds. You can also still be personal while posting in a professional manner, which will help your content not seem rigid (see pages 19-23). Ultimately, posting quality content to your audience at the right time is the best way to attract more followers. What time should I post? There’s no exact magical time to post; however, there are general trends. Engagement rates peak during weekdays when most people are on their computers/phones. Try posting at different times in order to figure out when your audience responds best.
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Post Ideas
New Employee Highlighting new employees is a great way to show the world your company is made up of real people. It also helps welcome the new recruits and gives them a little face time.
Client Testimonial The best posts are the posts where someone else is tooting your horn. Testimonials from real clients strengthen your brand build trust with potential clients, and otherwise feel good!
Employee Spotlight Similar to a New Employee Post, the Employee Spotlight does just that: highlights a current employee. These posts are great for introducing employees who work in ops and explaining what they do.
Events A client party is an exciting and fun event. Why wouldn’t you showcase such an event on social media?! It not only gives your past clients a little face time on your profile, it also shows potential clients that you really do care. | 19
Post Ideas
Loan Products Talking about a new or existing loan product can be exciting. It can be a great way to pique the interest of a follower who has yet to become a client.
Client Closing Even if you can’t be at the closing, ask a partner to snap the photo. There’s no happier client than one who just closed on their new home, office, school or restaurant!
New Company Location If you have recently moved or have opened up a new office in a new city, let everyone know about it. You’ll get the word out about your new market area and highlight the fact that your company is growing. Internal Office News Let everyone know what’s going on at your office. Give them sneak peeks into what it’s like working for your company. Inspirational Quote Not everything has to be mortgage, mortgage, mortgage. People love being inspired and encouraged. We find inspirational posts are often shared, too. Sponsorship Opportunity Sponsoring a golf tournament? How about a local baseball team? Show your sponsorship pride on your social media profiles. Work Anniversary Celebrate your employees’ time with your company by congratulating them on their work anniversary.
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Personal Accomplishment Your great employees are doing amazing things every day in their personal lives. Nothing humanizes a brand more than real people in your company doing real things. Adding personal accomplishment posts to your social media plan also shows your employees you care about them beyond work.
Market Statistics Statistics are great to share on your social media page because they present information in a different way than a typical post. Share relevant market statistics to draw viewer attention and start engaging conversions.
Company Milestones/Ranking People love to share in the success of others. This pertains to individuals as well as companies. Share your company’s growth and accolades. Give your past clients another reason to recommend you and your potential clients another reason to use you. Company in the News If you’re in the news a lot, sharing these news articles about your company helps with brand notoriety and trust. Business Owner Spotlight Business partners can be the lifeblood of any business. They can not only be an immense source of referrals, they often are your biggest supporters. Be supportive of local business owners in your database or local market area by showcasing them on social media. They’ll likely remember this little gesture for years to come.
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Post Ideas
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Holiday Message The Holiday Message post is one that most companies actually remember to do, even if it’s the only one. We typically post a branded graphic or video for every holiday for you to share.
National Day The National Day is not quite a holiday, but it is a day celebrated by lovers of all types of things: donuts, pizza, dogs, secretaries and more! Share these with your followers and share in their love of the every day.
Blog Post It’s important to cross-promote any and all online marketing efforts as much as possible. It almost goes without saying - but we’ll say it anyway - that you should always share your company’s blog posts on all social media accounts.
Job Posting Often the best referrals for new employees come from people you already know. Crowdsource your next employee using social media to announce your job posting.
Post Ideas: Mortgage First Client Meeting Snap a photo of you and your clients at your first meeting together. Engaging your clients in your social media from the beginning will help them stay involved once the transaction is over. Past Client Remodel Project If you have a past client who’s completed a gorgeous remodel on a house you helped finance, bring over a house re-warming gift and snap some great photos of the space. Local Real Estate News Sharing local real estate news is great; make sure you’re lending a fresh perspective on it, not just syndicating something that’s already been shared. Partner Spotlight There are few things that show your business partners you care like helping them grow their company. Share a personal experience you’ve had with your business partner to strengthen the recommendation. Realtor Listing Spotlight Help your referral partners grow their business by showcasing their listings. Mortgage Glossary Term We often get so caught up in the teeny, tiny details of mortgage loans, that we forget most people don’t know the most basic of terms and principles. Be a guiding light by explaining the terms found in any mortgage glossary. Top Producers Spotlight Happy employees make for happy borrowers. Show you’re proud of your employees’ successes by highlighting top producers in your company.
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