Are you using LinkedIn effectively?

LinkedIn is known as the largest social media platform where professionals can go to connect with over 562 million users all over the world. Because of this, it is crucial to abide by a few regulations in order to effectively utilize the platform. With that being said, this site is not another Facebook, Instagram, or even Twitter. It is meant for the sole purpose of networking and connecting with other professionals from across the globe. As a loan officer, taking advantage of your LinkedIn page can serve two purposes: Define yourself professionally and show homebuyers that you know your stuff. Loan officers need to come across as being the best choice to help individuals make one of the biggest decisions of their lives. It is necessary to keep in mind that whatever you say or do will represent who you are in your career.

Find the Right Medium
None of your followers want to be flooded with activity from you. They are looking for subtle updates to remain in the loop; they don’t need to see the five comments, three likes, and six shares that you completed on your lunch break. Avoid getting hidden or unfollowed by your connections and keep your activity to a minimum. Potential clients do not need to hear about everything you did that day. Keep in mind that you want your followers to see the more important things you have to share and that they don’t need to be seeing your name pop up on every other post in their feed.

Appropriate Posts
I cannot stress enough that LinkedIn and Twitter are not even remotely similar. Your LinkedIn page is your professional profile and should be treated the way in which you would represent yourself in the field. These are your colleagues, business associates, and potential employers that are viewing your activity. Homebuyers in particular do not know you personally. They have almost literally put their lives in your hands so you do not need to give them a reason to not trust you or think of you as immature. Do not give them a reason to think less of you in your line of work; stop yourself before you post anything that you wouldn’t say directly to your client or boss. It is inappropriate, unprofessional, and unnecessary. The content you share should be meaningful to your LinkedIn connections thus allowing others to expand their knowledge and skill sets. 

Useful Content in Branding Yourself
Videos are an ideal way to connect with homebuyers or any type of client. Anyone can post behind a screen, but sharing a meaningful video allows you to connect with your followers on a more personal level. Share a success story, give tips, teach your client, but make sure to keep the video under one minute in length.  If the video is any longer then they will either stop watching or skip it all together. As a loan officer this will help in building trust, relationships, and show that you’re confident in your profession. In addition to videos, simple Q & A posts will demonstrate to your connections that you are their “go to” mortgage expert. Think of questions that you are commonly asked and start there. At that point, homebuyers and other followers will begin to start asking you questions online that you can share.  This is another great relationship-building technique.

The mortgage industry is growing every day and loan officers are faced with various obstacles as their profession changes. LinkedIn is a wonderful social media platform for loan officers to effectively utilize, but only if it is used properly.  Follow these simple and easy “dos and don’ts” in order to execute the most efficient profile in your professional career.

Siera Smith is the vice president of operations at WebMax. She is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations to support the growth of WebMax and add to the bottom line of the organization. Her main focus is on strategic planning and goal-setting while also creating, implementing, and managing key organizational policies, processes, reports, and standardizations.