Web 2.0 Marketing Secrets for Mortgage Pros: Secret #4: Convert Your Agent "Fans" into "Referral Partners!"


(TheNicheReport.com) -- In last month’s article, we talked about how to build a herd of Real Estate Agent fans on Facebook. So, now that you've got fans, we need to find a way to engage them so they'll watch your videos, "Comment," "Share," "Like," and ultimately send you actual referrals that close.  It's not enough just to have "fans"; the secret to getting more referrals is dependent on your ability to convert more of your agent "fans" into "partners." Here's how...

10 Tips for Turning Your Agent "Fans" into loyal "Referral Partners"

Tip #1: Share quality, relevant content – at least weekly, if not daily. When it comes to getting people raving and commenting on your Fan page, content is KING! Content is what causes people to either turn up the volume or change the channel. Make it short, punchy, and most importantly, something "remarkable" - worthy of a remark.

As a quick reminder, here are the top five most compelling topics for agents:

  1. How to attract more quality listings
  2. How to sell their listings FAST and for TOP DOLLAR
  3. How to generate more qualified, motivated buyer leads
  4. How to improve their success rate at their listing presentations
  5. How to attract more referrals and repeat business

If you can teach them how to improve in any one or all of the above areas, you'll get their attention!

Tip #2: Try ending a status update with a specific question. In other words, rather than ending with a statement, end with a question. Questions hook the mind and invite people to interact with you. Invite your agents to share their thoughts, feedback, ideas, tips, etc.

Tip #3: Reply to your own questions to get the ball rolling. If there is a comment linked to a particular post, people will be inclined to read it. When they see that your comment is asking for feedback, they're more likely to oblige. This can often create positive momentum to tip the scales of fortune in your favor. All you have to do is say something like this: "Hey, what do you think?" Oftentimes that's all it takes to get the ball rolling.

Tip #4: Reply often to your fans’ comments/questions. When people comment or pose questions, you want to jump in there as soon as possible and reply back with your comments. If there are multiple people commenting, be sure to put "@Name" at the beginning of your comment so people know who your message is intended for. For example, if you're replying back to Ralph, you would start your comment with "@Ralph." Make sense?

Tip #5: Respond to their comments quickly. Unless you're on vacation, set a goal to respond within a day or two. Ideally, reply the same day. Responding to comments in a timely fashion lets people know you're interactive, responsive, and "plugged in" to the conversation - not distant.

Tip #6: Ask questions about a photo. This is a great way to elicit feedback and comments. I learned this clever little trick from my buddy Carl White, who's an absolute marketing genius. Upload a photo of yourself with some easily recognizable landmark in the background (i.e., bridge, tower, sign, etc.) and then ask, "Where am I in this photo? The first ten people to respond with the correct answer will win free movie tickets for two!" Then invite the winners to come to your office to pick up their movie tickets, scheduled fifteen minutes apart. What a great way to build rapport and cultivate a relationship with more agents!

Tip #7: Give a prize for the best comments. It's amazing how fun and effective this strategy is!  And yes, I learned this one from Carl too.  One time Carl posted a photo of two sexy ladies who were dressed up in skin-tight police uniforms. In the photo, Carl is being arrested with his hands handcuffed behind his back. With his head turned to look towards the camera, you could see a sheepish grin on his face. It was priceless! It makes me smile just thinking about it. Along with the photo, he wrote a little note asking his fans to come up with a "caption" for the photo and announced that the best submission would win a video camera. As you might imagine, he got a tidal wave of comments on that one!

Tip #8: Put a call to action (CTA) at the end of every video tip. If you don't tell your audience exactly what you want them to do next, chances are they won't do anything. That's why it's so important to have a clear, concise call to action at the end of each video. For example, if the video teaches your agents how to profit from expired listings, your CTA might sound something like this: "As an added-value service, we can provide you with a free, completely done-for-you Expired Listing Campaign that’s battle-tested and proven – so you don’t have to go through the hassle of doing all this stuff yourself. This offer is only available to a limited number of qualifying Realtors®, on a first come, first served basis. To see if you might qualify, call us today!"

Tip #9: Offer done-for-you tools in your CTA. As the previous example depicted, offering a ready-made template can make your call to action even more irresistible. Now they have an even BIGGER reason to contact you because you're going to hand them a valuable template or tool they can use to grow their business. This can really turbo-charge your results!

Tip #10: Deliver the done-for-you tools at the face-to-face meeting. Remember, the whole point of offering your tools and templates is to get a face-to-face meeting with your agent. If you just give the tools away by email without requiring a meeting, they now have one less reason to meet with you.

Here's a little script you might find helpful: "If I could show you how to attract more quality listings and sell them faster for top dollar, would you be open to meeting with me for 30 minutes in the next week or two? What works better for you, this week or next week? Which day would you prefer, ___ day or ___ day? Just so you know, the primary purpose of this meeting would be to ask you questions about your business so we can determine how, and if, I can help you grow your business. Fair enough?"

So there you have it! I've just given you ten proven strategies for converting your herd of Facebook agent fans into loyal, committed referral partners. In next month’s article, I’ll teach you how to use "Consumer Tip" videos to explode your repeat and referral business. Stay tuned....¨


Doren Aldana is considered by many to be the nation's leading Mortgage Marketing Coach. Since 2005, he has been dedicated to helping mortgage professionals attract more clients with less effort, regardless of market conditions. Among Aldana’s latest innovations is a completely done-for-you video marketing solution that allows you to instantly deploy powerful videos through social media that attract mortgage clients like crazy. To see a free demo, visit: www.Done4UVideoMarketing.com