It looks like Google is committed to remaining the top dog in the world of internet search. But this launch of an all new Google Places is far reaching and extends beyond just the world of Google and local search. Remember, the other tier 1 search engines often play “follow the leader” when Google does something big.

So take a look at the new Places format by clicking on the image below and spend some time browsing the new format. (Still in testing mode) Expect to see this layout and these types of features soon in your own city.

With these new features you will soon be able to grab large amounts of exposure for your own business through the community/Review/Spotlight/Offers features. Why not have a look now?

So what does all of this new technology mean for you as a loan officer? Wondering how you can harness the power of Google, and other online tools as a means of generating leads whenever you need them? This Friday (The 22nd) we will show you exactly what you need to do. Join us for a 45 minute demonstration of what you could, and should be doing with all of this new technology hitting the web. (Google+, Google +1, Facebook Business Pages, etc.)

These tools can serve as time wasters and money pits, or they can serve as a unique, and reliable method for generating all the business and leads you could ever want. The choice is yours. Join us and we’ll show you a method that has proven to work in the real world – Not just on paper… Here is the link to get the details:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/172589090

I managed to get in early myself, and am now extending an invitation to those who need an invite. Here’s where you can make your request:

http://loanofficermarketinglab.com/blog/need-a-google-invite-i-can-help

There are demo links below as well. This has the potential to be absolutely huge. Not saying it’s the next big thing, as we should take a “wait and see” attitude. But with Google pushing this so hard, and with 2 previous failures at entering the social media landscape under their belt; Maybe they learned from their mistakes and have hit the nail on the head this time? Take a peek:

http://www.google.com/+/demo

http://www.google.com/support/+/

https://plus.google.com/up/start/?sw=1&type=st

This time around Google has sent out a warning to WordPress site owners. Here’s a look at the email that was sent:

As you can see Google is concerned about the version of WordPress you’re running. (How nice of them to care!) Running out of date versions of WordPress leaves your site quite vulnerable to hacking – Specifically “exploit” hacks, so Google has taken the time to send out the above message to those who are using out of date versions of WordPress. (If you’re a Google Webmasters Tools user that is.)

Does this mean that if you fail to update your WordPress install that you’ll lose your ranking and be banished from page 1 for all eternity? No… (But you already knew that) However, as with all advice received from the horse’s mouth, it’s recommended you follow it if you want to maximize your chances for a stable page #1 ranking.

So let’s run through a quick WordPress update on one of my own websites that is out of date. This will only take about 2 minutes or so, you might as well do it now before you forget:

Step 1: (The notice will be at the top of your page when you’re logged into your admin)

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

Step 6:

That’s it! You are now up to date, and immune to future “reminder” emails from Google on this matter. There’s more going on in the world of Google right now than we had room to chat about today, so check back here in the next day or so to find out what’s up!

I was thinking back to all the loan officers I’ve met in the past 5 years of training, and I pushed my brain to try and recall if I’ve ever met anyone who made the claim: “I don’t like getting referrals.” The result of all this recollection? Nada… Not a thing… I can state with 100% certainty that I’ve yet to meet a loan officer who doesn’t like getting referrals! The reason for asking myself such a silly question?

Because I was trying my best to dream up the best way to convince the largest percentage of loan officers to go visit my new Complete Mortgage Marketing page… The solution? I decided to make a copy of the very email I sent to the highest producing real estate agents in my area available to you. This email was responsible for over 2 dozen closings + additional referrals… Not bad for a single lonely email eh?

To get a better look at just what this email said, go check out my latest project here:

Complete Mortgage Marketing

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.

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/346619458

We’ve managed to shorten this session to just 4 days this time around, 1 hour per day. What will you get in return for attending these 1 hour per day sessions?

How to target only the best agents who have loans to refer

A unique “approach” that is both easy to implement, and works almost every time you use it

A strategy that absolutely blows agents away, and makes them want to meet you

A step by step follow up approach that makes getting referrals an “after-thought”

How to place your Realtor marketing on auto-pilot

As you can see, we’re going to pack this 4 day webinar series with usable information that you can begin using right away. You really don’t want to miss this! I’ve been told an extra special guest will be making an appearance during one of the webinars to share some marketing nuggets that we haven’t touched on yet. Want in? Here’s that link again: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/346619458

Well, I found a great blog post that summarized some of the more important statistics found in this 125.00 report. (See? Reading my emails just saved you 125 dollars! – haha)  I found 3 of those statistics useful for loan officers:

In 2009:

- 90% of home buyers used the Internet to help find their home
- 78% of buyers purchased through a real estate agents
- 85% of sellers used an agent to sell

What’s the big deal about these stats? Well first of all, we can go back to previous year profiles released by the NAR to see the growth of the web and how it plays an ever increasing role in how buyers shop. Last year the statistic for those using the web to find a home was 87%. Prior to that it was 84%, and it shrinks little by little the further back you go. (This figure was 2% in 1995, 74% in 2004, 77% in 2005 and so forth)

In other words each year, more people are using the web to shop for a home. This also means that your opportunity to capture home buyers (Who will obviously need a loan soon right?) has gone up year after year, so long as you know how to effective use the web to market yourself. Think about it. You have 90% of all home buyers last year who went online, identified themselves by using search engines, and ultimately spent time actively searching for a home. What if it was your name, or your website that showed up first when these buyers performed a search?

Even though you don’t sell homes, how difficult would it be to work hand in hand with local real estate agents to place homes, or links to homes for sale onto your site? Think about it for even a moment, and you’ll begin to see the opportunity that exists here for enterprising loan officers.

The statistics above also tell us that most buyers and sellers are also using agents to represent them. This means that there is still a huge opportunity to work with high producing real estate agents, and benefit from an avalanche of referrals. Imagine having just 3 or 4 high producers sending you their referrals… What impact would that have on your income?

See what I mean? This really is exciting! I have no real goal for today’s post other than to share this information with you. Perhaps it will get your creative juices flowing? Have a great one!

NOTE: This weeks online marketing webinar is scheduled for Friday:  https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/842465875

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/674482123

PS – I could’nt resist a Halloween specific post on my main blog:

http://loanofficermarketinglab.com/blog/halloween-i-just-couldnt-resist

Here’s a copy of the agenda for hte first 3 days:

Day #1 Agenda:

- 3 things you must know about web marketing before you’ll generate a single lead
- What Google cares about and why
- 3 ways to make rapid online progress
- Build your website – Live walk-through
- A realtor marketing plan – Identify the top 250 realtors
- 5 things you must never do with your website! (This would kill your SEO)

After the call: – Supplemental video and downloads

Day #2 Agenda:

- How to make your website more effective
- Basic Search Engine Optimization strategy
- Realtor marketing: pre-written script
- how to use RSS Feeds
- Blogging basics for SEO

After the call: – Using plug-ins the super easy way – Video plus downloadable script

Day #3 Agenda:

- Widgets – easy and powerful
- Mid-Level SEO with permalinks (This part is fun)
- Page customization
- How to get prospects to convert
- Final step of realtor marketing strategy

Hope to see you there! This instruction will change the way you think about online mortgage marketing!

Online Mortgage Marketing Registration