Marketing Strategies for Lending Platforms

Lenders picking up market share right now aren’t waiting for rates to drop. They’re adapting, innovating, and playing offense while everyone else plays defense. Marketing Services Agreements (MSAs) That Generate Business MSAs with real estate brokerages, builders, and financial planners are back. The lenders structuring partnerships that drive referrals, build relationships, and create steady business flow are winning. The key is providing real value through marketing support, education, and co-branded initiatives that benefit both sides. Partnering with Influencers to Engage Buyers First-time buyers trust TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram creators more than mortgage companies. Smart lenders are teaming up with housing and finance influencers to build credibility and drive inbound leads. But it’s not just about borrowing an audience. The best are also training LOs to brand themselves on these platforms, turning their teams into trusted industry voices. Using LinkedIn Influencers to Recruit LOs The best recruiters aren’t just posting job ads. They’re leveraging industry influencers and LinkedIn creators to position their company as the place to be while also coaching their LOs on how to brand themselves and attract talent. Owning Their Local Markets Big-box lenders are losing ground to local brands that actually understand their communities. Buyers want trust, relationships, and expertise - not just a transaction. Lenders doubling down on local content, agent partnerships, and community engagement are pulling ahead. Offering Buyer’s Agent Services The commission lawsuits are reshaping real estate. Smart lenders aren’t waiting to see how it plays out - they’re offering in-house or preferred agent services to get in front of buyers earlier and create more transaction stickiness. Leveraging AI to Convert More Borrowers AI isn’t replacing LOs, it’s supercharging them. The best lenders are using AI to nurture leads, predict borrower intent, and automate first-touch conversations so LOs can focus on closing deals. Expanding into Niche and Alternative Loan Products Traditional mortgage volume is down, but non-QM, construction-to-perm, and down payment assistance programs are growing. The lenders gaining market share here are educating borrowers and diversifying their product offerings. The old playbook isn’t working anymore. The lenders winning are thinking bigger, faster, and smarter. Onward & Upward Consulting

2,250 mortgage applications generated with a single OOH campaign; WCU turned their streets into a lead gen machine. Their challenge: every financial institution was fighting for the same customers online. Digital ads were expensive, competitive, and getting lost in oversaturated feeds. The solution: Westerra Credit Union took their mortgage marketing offline. The Results that matter: - 24,000 clicks directly attributed to OOH placements - 2,250 mortgage applications submitted - 10,000 rate page views generated - ROI that made leadership believers in OOH advertising The 5 keys to their success: 1. Strategic placement over spray-and-pray They mapped high-intent locations: near real estate offices, home improvement stores, and affluent neighborhoods where their ideal customers lived and worked. 2. Proper attribution They used unique URLs to connect every billboard impression to website behavior. No more "we think it's working" conversations with leadership. 3. Message-market fit While competitors shouted about rates and features, Westerra focused on their local advantage: "Your Denver Credit Union." Simple, memorable, and perfectly timed for a community seeking stability. 4. Frequency without fatigue Multiple touch points across a customer's daily route (home → work → errands) created natural repetition without feeling pushy. 5. Integrated Campaigns OOH drove awareness, digital captured intent, and their website converted. Each channel amplified the others instead of competing for budget. 🟢 Why this matters for your marketing: If you're relying solely on digital, you're paying premium prices to reach people in distraction mode. Use OOH to supercharge your funnel and capture attention when people are moving naturally through their day.

Don't build a lending product before addressing distribution. Fintech lenders make the mistake of building credit policies based on what they wish to approve. Then, they try to force that policy into a marketplace. They build the product in a vacuum. A credit analyst runs the numbers and says, “If I could get more of these people, this would be a great business.” But can you actually find those people? Do Credit Karma or Experian or other marketplaces have the data to target them? Will this offer convert in the real world? Do this instead: 👉 Study the marketplaces. Credit Karma, Experian, and Red Ventures are good places to start. See what targeting data they have. Figure out which segments are visible, which ones are under-monetized, and where there’s actual volume to go after. 👉 Then, build the credit model. Optimize for high approval rates and low friction. If I you can't approve the majority of people who apply, the marketplaces will slow down traffic. 👉 Finally, communicate approval certainty upfront. The customer should feel pre-approved before they even start the application. ***** It's tempting to build your credit model first. But, if you don't reverse engineer distribution, you might build an awesome model that will collect dust.

After 13 years in mortgage tech and consulting with 200+ lenders, I've cracked the code on zip code domination. It's not about having the biggest marketing budget. It's about momentum. And momentum comes from being undeniably better at technology than every competitor in your market. Here's your step-by-step roadmap: Phase 1: Technology Audit (Week 1-2) • List every piece of technology your company pays for • Have each loan officer use every tool with real data (not demos) • Document what works, what doesn't, and what needs training • Identify which tools borrowers actually interact with Phase 2: Competency Building (Week 3-6) • Master income verification: Truv, Argyle, Trueworks, AccountChek • Know when to use each tool and why • Practice the borrower-facing features until you can do them blindfolded • Create your "tech stack story" for coffee shop conversations Phase 3: Market Positioning (Week 7-10) • Become the "tech-forward" lender in your zip code • Start talking about technology on social media • Host events showcasing your digital capabilities • Train referral partners on your technology advantages Phase 4: Relationship Mapping (Week 11-14) • Identify the top 10 real estate agents in your target zip code • Map their technology pain points • Create joint presentations showing integrated solutions • Build referral partnerships based on tech superiority Phase 5: Scoring Implementation (Month 4-6) • Score your workers by loan type (like Madden ratings) • Score your customers by likelihood to close, refer, and refinance • Score your tasks by complexity and priority Use decisioning software to optimize all three Phase 6: Community Dominance (Month 7-12) • Launch zip code-specific content marketing • Host monthly "homebuyer education" events • Partner with local businesses for cross-referrals • Build the local brand as the "tech expert" The secret sauce? Most lenders stop at Phase 2. They implement technology but never build the competitive story around it. The opportunity? While your competitors are still doing manual income verification and struggling with basic technology, you become the obvious choice. This isn't theory. I've seen this roadmap transform regional lenders into market leaders. The technology exists today. The question is: Will you commit to the process? Because zip code domination isn't about size. It's about being systematically better than everyone else in your market. And that starts with mastering the technology you already have.

We are marketers and branders FIRST.   If you’re a loan officer or real estate agent, hear this loud and clear: You’re not just in the mortgage or housing business. You’re in the marketing business!   The amount of success you’ll achieve in this industry is directly tied to the clarity of your brand and the power of your marketing.   Your audience doesn’t choose the best technician — they choose the best storyteller.   People work with those they know, like, and trust. And marketing is how they get to know you.   Want to grow your influence, your reach, and your pipeline? Start thinking like a marketer.   Here are proven techniques top performers are using right now:   1. Create a Content Machine: Batch your content weekly. Mix video, graphics, and written posts. Talk about wins, client stories, FAQs, and market tips. Build trust before the first conversation.   2. Niche Down to Stand Out: Speak directly to your ideal client or referral partner. Become the go-to expert for that audience.   3. Use Storytelling: Data informs. Stories move people. Share real client journeys, challenges you helped overcome, and personal insights. Stories make you relatable and memorable.   4. Leverage Video: Instagram Reels, Facebook, LinkedIn , TikTok, YouTube Shorts — this is where attention is right now. Keep it short. Hook them fast. Be Authentic.   5. Build an Email List & Own Your Audience: Social media is rented ground. Your email list is owned. Send value-packed newsletters. Be the local market expert in their inbox. Email marketing is not dead, only boring boiler plate emails are.   6. Repurpose Everything: One video can turn into a Reel, a LinkedIn post, an email, and a blog. Maximize your message — don’t reinvent the wheel every day.   7. Be Consistent! Especially When Business Is Good: The best marketers don’t stop when they’re busy. That’s when they double down and dominate.   If you want more deals, more referrals, and more freedom — don’t just be great at the transaction.   Be unforgettable in the presentation.   This industry rewards those who market boldly and brand intentionally.   Start now.

As a loan officer, you know how crucial it is to stay top-of-mind all the time. And it's not just about offering the lowest interest rates; it's also about adding value beyond traditional loan services. Here are some proactive marketing ideas to help you stand out: 1) Teach your clients how to navigate their homeowners association. Homeowner's associations can be confusing and intimidating, but you can offer your expertise to help your clients understand this complex system. Educate them on: - The board structure - The bylaws and rules - How to resolve disputes Not only will you be helping your clients, but you'll position yourself as an expert who goes above and beyond. 2) Leverage your community for referrals. You are likely already networking with real estate agents, but have you considered reaching out to other community groups? Join local business organizations, take part in community events, and engage on social media platforms. When you take the time to build relationships and offer value, you'll be amazed at the referrals you can generate. By adding value to your clients' homebuying experience, staying top-of-mind, and being proactive in building relationships, you'll set yourself apart from the competition.

If you had to get 1 million customers in 30 days and grow your lending business on a global scale, what would you do? You could go organic: use word of mouth, referrals, hustling one sale at a time. But it’s slow and by the time you’re done, humans would have gone extinct. You could throw money at ads on #Facebook, #Google, #LinkedIn, etc. But it’s expensive as hell. And by the time you’re done, you’re broke, and TechCrunch would gleefully announce your demise. 🪦 There’s a third way. Strategic partnerships. The right partnership drops tens of thousands of customers in your lap overnight. Instead of fighting for leads and burning cash on ads, just straight access to borrowers who are already vetted and ready. Here’s what that looks like: 1. Salary loan partnerships Every lender knows that salaried borrowers are the best in class. Instead of selling salary loans one employee at a time, why not go straight to the employer? Case in point: Instead of selling salary loans person by person, strike a deal with HR at Africa’s largest employers and gain access to hundreds of thousands of verified, salaried employees. Your repayments would be deducted at source, reducing default risk. And I have seen this happen before - Access Bank Plc partnered with SystemSpecs Group to offer loans to Nigerian Federal workers and in one smooth shot, it had access to millions of the best paying borrowers in Africa. You can be rest assured that Access was getting paid before Federal workers never miss salaries or get fired. 2. BNPL + Telco partnerships Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) isn’t just for e-commerce. Telcos and large platforms have millions of customers who already spend daily on airtime, data etc. What if you powered the credit behind those transactions? For example: Plug into their ecosystem: airtime loans, phone financing, even everyday BNPL. Get access to millions of customers pre-vetted, credit-scored, and waiting. Safaricom PLC #Fuliza used this model and recorded 7.5 million subscribers in 2023. Potential partners: ✔ Safaricom PLC - with 47m subscribers ✔ MoMo from MTN - 60m customers across Africa ✔ airtel – 31.5 million customers in Africa as of March 2023 ✔ Orange – claims to reach over 160 million customers and 37 million active accounts in 17 countries across Africa and the Middle East. ✔ Jumia Group – bleeding cash but its number of visitors was around 379 million. Organic growth is slow. Paid ads get expensive. Strategic partnerships are your best bet to growth on a global scale.