Can you believe that 2011 is just around the corner? The year sure has zipped by! As we inch closer to 2011, and focus on what methods will be effective at generating a steady flow of leads, I felt it appropriate to pay homage to some of the other marketers in this industry who have done an outstanding job of using available tools to leverage their own efforts.

Before making this post I sent an email to my graphics department and asked for a whimsical image that played well with the content on this post. Here’s what they came up with:

Ok so maybe they had a bit too much fun with it, but it definitely makes the point!

(It seems that the title of this post guided the direction of their drawing)

Back to the point at hand, I was definitely impressed with how well Carl White has incorporated social media into a miniature online community. His approach is an example for the rest of us of what social media is all about.

It’s about having an audience. Think of it this way, when you speak who is listening? If you suddenly had the greatest loan program in the world, who would know about it? If your audience is small, then that means you have to work hard at “selling” as you don’t have a lot of ears waiting to hear what you have to say. But if your audience is ready built in the form of a responsive online community (Just like Carl built using FaceBook) then you don’t really have to ‘sell’ as much now do you?

There’s familiarity there, so you talk. You ask questions, you make comments, you make invitations… The people are listening, and sales become a by-product. Sure, salesmanship is still involved, but we’re no longer sinking or swimming based on cold calling.

I have immense respect for what Carl accomplished with social media, and he definitely deserves recognition for this. So for 2010, from the loan officer community to you Carl: “Congratulations, and thank you for the fine example you’ve set for the rest of us!”

Next on my list is those two crazy guys over at TBWS – Frank Garay and Brian Stevens… Is it just me, or did these guys come out of nowhere, and absolutely dominate the industry? What a wonderful example of how to use targeted information to build your audience! I’m not sure how many daily listeners/watchers TBWS currently has, but I seem to recall being quite impressed with the estimates they threw at me back in 2009. As we inch into 2011, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to learn that they’ve doubled those numbers.

The formula? Good information, a great delivery system (Video), and a heaping helping of personality to make the information entertaining. Let’s face it people – Our industry can be dry, dull, and boring! Sure, related news may be interesting to us as this is out livelihood… But to outsiders, this stuff is a veritable snooze-fest!

However, Think Big Work Small is one of the only mortgage/real estate services I’ve personally witnessed where outsiders (Non-mortgage people) subscribed and regularly enjoy the show. In other words, the information is relevant, but spiced up in such a way that just about anyone can enjoy it!

This is what is often referred to as ‘info-tainment’. It’s informational in nature, and entertaining at the same time. This can be a difficult concept to master, as it requires a fine balance. Too much focus on entertainment, and your core message is lost. Too heavy handed with the information, and you risk overloading your recipients. Frank and Brian seem to have nailed down the right balance, and I applaud them for making such a splash in this industry. I look forward to their videos every morning.

So there you have it! Carl White and Think Big Work Small are my 2 picks for the Mortgage Marketing Heroes of 2010. I apologize if the tone of this post has been gushing, but I enjoy having the opportunity to point to wonderful examples of marketing gone right. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Years to all of you. Make it a great one.