On the surface, it seems like connecting with clients and agents during the holidays is a daunting task. Home buyers and sellers are busy shopping and preparing to celebrate. And with the pandemic throwing a wrench into the typical holiday parties and events, many Loan Officers are struggling to find ways to stay top of mind.

However, the holiday season is actually the best time to take your mortgage business to the next level. While most loan officers are shutting down or slowing down for the holidays, smart loan officers know that staying top of mind with clients and prospects during the holidays will be the launchpad for a massive 2021.

Here are my top 3 tips to help you stay top of mind—without breaking the bank—during the busy holiday season:

Produce Content that Engages Prospects Without Being Salesy

We’re all beyond tired of seeing “used car salesperson” type advertisements during the holidays. Especially in this year of constant change and uncertainty, your regular sales content might ring a little hollow. So, it’s a good time to get creative with your marketing approach.

Remember, your clients and prospective clients are human. And as humans, they are constantly bombarded by thousands of advertisements on a daily basis. You can stand out from all the noise by creating content that engages your ideal client without being overly salesy (or even mentioning what you do at all). After all, people are attracted to people who are similar to them.

For instance, you could create a quirky holiday video series. Everyone is thinking about decorating their homes for the holidays and many are pulling out all the stops this year. Help them out by creating a series of short, fun videos showing how to spruce up their homes. But, stay away from doing just another boring “how to” video. Show some personality!

Here are some ideas for inspiration:

• Interview an “arts and crafts expert” to demonstrate how to make homemade Christmas decorations. The “expert” could be someone (or you) dressed up as an elf, a local celebrity, or even a child.
• Show how to safely hang lights outside and inside your home by doing a series of “here’s what not to do” videos.
• Stage a holiday lighting contest and feature the best homes from your area with prize giveaways.
• Take a page from late night comedians. They always come up with fun sketches and bits during the holidays. For example, Jimmy Kimmel asks kids to explain the true story of Christmas. These are always good for a laugh!

Your videos can be live or pre-recorded and will give you great content to share on Facebook or your other social media channels. They can also be edited to use for social media ads.

Other ideas:

• Curate a list of the 10 best places to take the family to see Christmas lights.
• Curate a list of family friendly and quarantine-approved holiday activities.
• Create a live video series where you give away prizes to engagers those who watch the video and comment on your post.
• Write a series of posts with tips about finding the silver lining in having to adjust your holiday plans because of the pandemic.
• Create an infographic with unusual holiday stats, like how many Christmas cookies or latkes are made and consumed in the U.S. each year.
• Design a cool visual or graphic about the history of Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Christmas

Have Organic Conversations with Clients and Prospects Via Social Media

Speaking of being human, I highly recommend making contact outside of your clients’ Inbox. While a personalized email is great, don’t forget to stay connected with clients by showing up where they are.

• Connect directly with clients through LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
• Engage with, and comment on, your clients’ and prospects’ own content.
• Direct message them to start organic conversations. You can send a text or short (10-, 15-, 30-second) videos through Messenger, with a warm holiday greeting.

Here is a simple conversation starter: “Hey there! I just wanted to reach out and wish you Happy Holidays. And I’m looking to connect on a deeper level with my social media connections. I hope you’re having a great day. [Add a personal comment or fun quip about their content or profile.] I wish you and your family a safe and fun holiday. Take care!”

Again, the key is to start real conversations, not create a bunch of generic posts that you can recycle over and over. We all appreciate a kind word, especially this time of year and these relatable conversations are opportunities to set yourself apart.

Make an Effort to Over Communicate

Because you are not taking your foot off the gas pedal during the holidays, this can give you a leg up over others who are taking a break. But, you only get to reap the rewards if your clients and prospects know you’re available and working.

Keep in mind, you can keep them in the loop without “bothering,” “hounding,” or “bombarding” people with information. Here are some ways to over communicate like a human:

• Update your office hours on your website, Google, and all social media channels.
• Talk in specific terms about what you’re doing to move your clients’ documents forward.
• Be transparent about when your clients can expect to hear from you and keep your word. If something goes wrong with the timeline, be honest about what that means for your client.
• Manage client and prospect expectations by being honest and real about the loan process.

What’s your strategy for staying top of mind this holiday season?

Luke Shankula is a devoted husband and father to two children. He is also a leading mortgage marketing expert and the CEO of Paragon Digital Marketing. Luke’s biggest wish is to transform lives and businesses in a positive way and become a role-model for the future generation. Click here to learn more about his 10 application guarantee.