9 Hidden Secrets to a Powerful Mortgage Marketing Letter

Mortgage Marketing Letter Tip #1: Know your readers well – You can’t influence everyone, so why waste time and money contacting consumers who have no interest in your mortgage services? It’s vital that you thoroughly research the most appropriate way to reach your target audience.

How you generate the contact information for the people you’re sending your mortgage marketing letter to is not as important as who receives that message. There are numerous companies that will create worthwhile lists of potential customers who might need your lending services. Most likely, the names were collected because the person showed a prior interest in purchasing or refinancing a home.

You could also create a list yourself. Organize a free giveaway that entices the people you want to reach. In return for the complimentary product/service you give away, ask for each person’s name and mailing address. Be prepared, though, as some people might be hesitant to offer this information. You’ll want to emphasis the information is for internal use and will not be shared with outside parties.

Mortgage Marketing Letter Tip #2: Grab your reader’s attention immediately with an offer – You only have seconds before a reader gets bored and moves on, so use your time wisely. How is your lending company different from the competition? Whether the benefit(s) you’re providing to your customers is a risk-free offer or a unique service, make sure it’s the first point your reader sees.

Your offer might include free information, a no obligation consultation, a contest, an exclusive invitation or a limited-time discount.

One of the most common mistakes marketing writers make is to focus their writing toward an aspect of the lending firm that is too obvious. How many times have you seen a mortgage marketing letter praising a company’s customer service as its competitive edge? As a consumer, you assume any lending firm you work with will be able to service your needs at a high level. If they didn’t, you wouldn’t contact them in the first place. So determine another facet of the business that sets you apart from your competitors. With a little creativity you should be able to find something that makes your lending firm unique.

Also, avoid the urge to copy the marketing techniques used by other companies in your field. Not only is this unoriginal, but it will cause you to duplicate a plan that might not be effective. No one else knows your business better than you, so don’t be afraid to take a risk with your mortgage marketing copy.

Mortgage Marketing Letter Tip #3: Tell your audience what you want (your call to action) – How are your readers going to know what you want from your mortgage marketing letter if you don’t tell them? Yes, I know this seems obvious, but far too often this important step is forgotten.

For example, if you want your potential customer to call for a free consultation, include a phone number (toll-free is always best) that will allow your readers to talk with a live person. The fastest way for your new customers to lose interest is by answering the call with a recording – especially when you’re encouraging their phone calls.

The popularity of the Internet has led some lending companies to use a call to action that encourages readers to visit their websites (e.g., Visit us online today at www.xyzlendingcompany.com to fill out your loan application).

Another common request in lending companies’ marketing letters is to have the reader respond back with a postage-paid mailer. This is effective because many people view filling out a card and returning it less of a hassle than a phone call. Here’s a reminder for your return mailers: Be sure to clearly restate your offer because some people will skip your mortgage marketing letter altogether and go right to the response card.

In addition to explaining your call to action, let readers know what type of person is ideal for your lending program. If you’re a large firm specializing in helping people with bad credit secure loans, tell your readers. On the flip side, if you don’t want to deal with low credit scores, make this fact known. By narrowing down your audience, you’ll demonstrate a niche, which often leads to increased credibility.

Mortgage Marketing Letter Tip #4: Establish a deadline to encourage immediate action – Once you’ve hooked your readers with the offer and explained the action you want them to take, set a deadline for responses. You could even present discounts or special deals as incentives for acting quickly. This would also be a good time to re-introduce that magic four-letter “F” word – FREE. After all, when was the last time “free” failed to grab your attention?

For those times when you need your readers to act even faster, take the deadline a step further by making your offer available to only a select number of customers. A benefit of this technique is that the readers who respond will feel like a select member of an elite group.