Dave: The first step is to determine what you want to use social media for. Do you just want a decent presence so that prospects are not turned off by looking at your pages or are you actually focused upon lead generation at the other end of the equation? Obviously, the first goal is much easier to achieve than the second goal.

Whichever goal you choose, you need to understand that this is a relationship business. Social media is a vehicle for enriching relationships, but it is not a substitute for human contact. Therefore, the more automated your tools are, the better. Because your time should be spent calling and meeting with people--not merely waiting for social media to bring contacts to you.

Even if you want to get more involved, you need to start with upgrading your presence. I always advise starting with LinkedIn because that is where your referral sources are active. For example, before a real estate agent meets with you, they are likely to check out your Linkedin page first and you might get an invitation to connect, if you haven't already initiated the connection. What makes your page professional?

We single out LinkedIn because your referral sources are likely participating in this venue and will be reviewing your page. First, a professional headshot with business attire is essential. This means no selfies, no pictures with your spouses and children, and no pet pictures. While family pictures are acceptable on Facebook personal pages, Linkedin is a business site.

Second, your write-up must be professional and not duplicate what everyone else says. The worst statement is: "I am a loan officer and I give great service and have FHA, VA and conventional refinance and purchase loans." What loan officer says they have bad service and states 'we only do loans for a certain group,' unless you have a specific niche? Think about why people use you specifically... why do you stand out from the others?

Lastly, fill out your entire profile. The schools you attended and the groups to which you belong are all relevant. Imagine a real estate agent checking your profile before they decide to meet with you. Will they be impressed? If they see that you graduated from the same school as them, will they feel a certain amount of camaraderie? 

Dave Hershman is Senior VP of Sales of Weichert Financial and the top author in the mortgage industry. Dave has published seven books, as well as hundreds of articles and is the founder of the OriginationPro Marketing System and Mortgage School – the online choice for expert mortgage learning and marketing content. His site is www.OriginationPro.com and he can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..