Written By: Karen Deis, An Interview with Daniel Martin, www.MadMortgageWorld.com
Have you ever been stuck in traffic without ever noticing the huge ad on the back of the bus?
As traditional advertising gets louder, bigger, more provocative in trying to capture the consumer’s attention, it becomes less and less effective!
Why? Because people filter out the irrelevant! If it doesn’t apply to them—or they are simply not interested—then billions of dollars spent on traditional advertising has been wasted!
Enter blogging and social media platforms. It’s not about in-your-face ads, it’s all about referrals and conversations! In the new marketing and advertising model, you create a message (conversation) worth passing along from person to person. It’s about what interests them!
Social Media (or Web 2.0) is on the cusp of reaching critical mass. However, the mortgage industry has been slow to adapt to this new way of doing business.
Maybe it’s because loan officers don’t know where to get content.
Maybe it’s because loan officers are confused about which social media sites to use.
Maybe it’s as simple as not knowing where to begin!
Read this interview with Daniel Martin who recently launched MadMortgageWorld.com and is considered one of the gurus of social media for the mortgage industry.
Karen: How did you get your feet wet in the blogging arena?
Daniel: In 2003, my wife and I found out we were pregnant and 3 months into the pregnancy, we found out that our daughter would have Down’s Syndrome AND a heart condition. The diagnosis was that she would only live a maximum of 6 weeks! I did not know what to think. I had trouble communicating with my wife about it. So I just started posting my feelings. I started asking questions. I started visiting other blog sites of people who are experiencing the same things we were.
Karen: How did you know that blogging would make a huge impact with your customers and your mortgage business?
Daniel: What surprised the ever-lovin’ snot out of me was that I had people all over the world reach out to me (because of my daughter’s condition) and there was even a Mass held for my daughter by the Arch Bishop of Ireland. It’s all about connecting with people who have the same issues and interests that you do.
The “conversations” also helped my wife and I communicate during this tough time in our lives. By the way, my daughter is 5 years old now!
Karen: Why should loan officers get involved NOW?
Daniel: Within the next 36-48 months, we are going to experience the greatest upheaval our society has ever experienced. Why?
Because the first “global generation” is turning 20. The Millenniums are turning 30. Baby boomers are choosing NOT to retire. Since the boomers are NOT retiring, the nice transition we had (in the work force) from generation to generation is causing the social media phenomenon. The Echo Boomers and Generation X are being skipped over and they are frustrated with the way business is done. They are reaching out and challenging the antiquated ideas and technology and are gravitating to social media and changing the way we do business.
Karen: What are the first steps loan officers should take?
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