Edan Gelt Communications Strategist

In today's tough financial climate, getting the most out of every dollar is crucial. We understand that budget constraints can make outsourcing challenging, especially when essential expenses like payroll need to be covered. But don't worry – there are smart and budget-friendly ways to boost your brand without draining your bank account.

Why brand?

At its core, branding distinguishes you from competitors. Marketing communicates your unique value, and consistency amplifies your brand's impact.

Stay consistent

Define your strategy, values, and messaging from the outset. Frequent changes erode trust and waste valuable resources. Make adjustments as necessary, but maintain a clear identity and trajectory.

Laser focus

Identify your target audience and their needs. Trying to appeal to everyone may result in appealing to no one. Understand your market, research their preferences, and align your offerings with their needs.

Network

Utilize traditional networking methods at work events, conferences, and even everyday situations. Putting a face to your brand enhances its recognition. Challenge yourself to introduce your brand to at least three new people weekly.

Engage

Merely having a social media presence is insufficient. Actively participate in your customers' conversations, understand their values, and deliver accordingly. Develop a concise social media strategy, curate content, and use hashtags to maximize engagement.

Lead by example

Credible testimonials on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook bolster your brand. Encourage existing clients to share their experiences through reviews or video testimonials. Showcase your work through case studies and samples to demonstrate value.

Partnerships

Expand your reach and budget by partnering with complementary brands targeting a similar audience. Collaborate with businesses that already enjoy trust with your clients for mutually beneficial co-marketing.

Guest appearances

Feature on external platforms like podcasts or blogs to showcase your initiative and expertise. This not only exposes you to new clients but also positions you as an industry expert.

Increasing brand awareness doesn't necessitate significant spending. Experiment with these tactics to discover what works best for your business.

Copywriting is key to articulating your message. Writing words and copywriting are not the same.  The goal of copywriting is to increase your bottom line, create brand awareness and/or deliver a strong ROI.

Our consumers are bombarded with ads and have less time than ever to absorb what you are trying to say.  Although there are no official figures, it is estimated the average person consumes between 6,000 to 10,000 ads every single day!  

Copywriting is Key to Selling

Headlines can make or break your campaign. Words hold a lot of power. A headline compels a viewer to read more by grabbing their attention or eliciting an emotional reaction. You are going to spend less of your budget to reach more people and be more effective in getting your desired response.

Capture Attention - Immediately with Copywriting

Which headline compels you to read more?

Headline: Get rewarded when you shop at XX Retailer?

Subhead: Dress your best and get a free gift, it’s as simple as 1-2-3!

-OR-

Headline: Receive a $100 Gift Card – FREE!

Subhead: When you spend $500 at XX retailer November 1 – 10.

Copy and the Bottom Line to Articulating your Message

By holding the audience’s attention, good copy ensures that your call to action is well communicated to the audience. Also, that the audience gets to hear your story. Good copy does not just resonate; it gets people to take action. Copywriting is meant to boost sales, traffic and/or brand loyalty.

Keep it Simple

Wordy descriptions, heavy jargon and communicating in platitudes do not work. Lengthy paragraphs and complicated ideas are not effective in holding the attention of your reader. The best content is scannable, meaning when someone glances quickly at your ad they should get an idea of what it is about.  Think of a billboard and imagine you have a split second to capture attention, that is your headline.  

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) just increased buying power for conforming loan limits. The changes go into effect starting in 2023 and some limits have increased by nearly $100K. Here are the changes for the Chicagoland market and some other numbers you should know to help guide your client in selecting the right property for them.  

 Max Loan Amount in Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area as of January 2023: Conventional Max loan amount: 

○ 1 unit - $726,000

○ 2 unit - $929,850 

○ 3 Unit - $1,123,900 

○ 4 Unit - $1,396,800 FHA Max loan amount 

○ 1 unit - $472,030 

○ 2 unit - $604,400 

○ 3 Unit - $730,525 

○ 4 Unit - $907,900 Jumbo (call your LO for competitive pricing!) 

○ 5% down - up to $1,000,000 Minimum Downpayment: Conventional 

○ 3% down for first time homebuyers - owner occupied 

○ 5% down for repeat home buyers - owner occupied 

○ 15% down for investment properties (does not include multi-family) FHA (has to be owner occupied) 

○ 3.5% down (1 - 4 Units) VA ○ 0% down (1 - 4 Units) 

Guiding your clients through the process of investing in multi-family real estate can be a valuable way to help them build wealth. Here are some things to know about buying and financing these types of properties: 

● Homes with up to four units are considered residential for the purpose of financing.

 ● Buyers of a multi-unit home can use rental income to help qualify for a loan. This means if you have a client approved to purchase a single family home at a certain limit, they may have more purchasing power if they instead buy a two- to four-unit property that has rental income. Note that not all the income applies though. Typically, 25% is subtracted to account for vacancies and maintenance. ● Owner occupants of two- to four-units can choose among FHA loans, VA Loans or conventional financing, just like they would a single family home. There are some nuanced underwriting guidelines depending on the program and number of units, so always check with your Key Mortgage loan officer to uncover any requirements around the property’s self sufficiency or payment reserves. 

● Investors that do not intend to live in the multifamily property have some limitations. A higher down payment will be required and they may notice higher interest rates because these loans are considered more risky.

At Key Mortgage, we have financing options for your buyers in as little as two years post-bankruptcy dismissal or discharge. There are limitations as to the chapter of bankruptcy, loan type, current credit and other factors.

The most common type of bankruptcy is Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This type of bankruptcy wipes away all of the debt and has a severe negative impact on credit. For a typical conventional loan, your client will need to wait at least four years after a court discharge or dismissal for a conventional loan but only two years for an FHA or VA loan. However, under certain extenuating circumstances (i.e. death of a wage-earning spouse) that time for a conventional loan can be cut from four years to two.

A Chapter 13 bankruptcy is not as restrictive as Chapter 7. This type of bankruptcy reorganizes debt instead of wiping it away and requires the consumer to continue to make monthly payments through the court. A borrower can apply for a conventional mortgage two years after the discharge date (vs. four years for a chapter 7). FHA and VA are even more lenient in that they allow a borrower to apply for a mortgage loan only after 12 months of entering into a Chapter 13 repayment plan provided they have made all payments on time and the court approves taking on the new mortgage debt.

In today’s environment, budgets are tight and you have to get the biggest bang out of every dollar spent. Learn how you can be increasing your brand awareness on a budget. You know you have to brand but now is not the time to hire out, you can barely cover payroll.

Don’t lose hope, here are a few simple things you can do without breaking the bank.

Why Brand?

Let’s start with the basics – the “why”. The point of branding is to showcase what makes you different from your competitors. Marketing conveys your unique value and consistency increases the power of your brand.

Stick to it

Identify your strategy, value and messaging at the get go. When you waiver and change your position frequently, you waste valuable dollars and lose trust with your target market. Get it right, right away. That’s not saying you can’t make small changes along the way or as you grow but know who you are and stay the course.

Laser Focus

Identify who you are trying to reach. You can’t be everything to everyone or you will wind up being nothing to no one. Come to the market understanding not only who you are trying to reach but also what their needs are. Identify your target market and learn about them; research what they value, where they look for content, what their pain points are and how your service, product or business fulfills that need or eases the pain.

Network

This is the easiest and most effective way to market on a dime. Learn how to mix and mingle at work events, conferences, virtual calls, lines at a coffee shop even your kid’s school functions. Traditional old-fashioned networking can go a long way to getting your name out there. When you put a face behind the business or brand it goes a long way. Challenge yourself – try to introduce yourself and your brand to at least 3 new people a week.

Engage

It is no longer enough to just have a social media page and presence; you need to jump into your customers’ conversations and understand what they value and give it to them.

Create a concise social media strategy and curate your content, including company updates and trends, to maximize engagement on your platforms to establish yourself as an industry leader. Use specific hashtags and maybe even develop your own hashtag to group your content and make it easier for people to find.

Lead by Example

Testimonials on Google, Yelp and Facebook lend credibility to your brand. Ask your existing clients to write a review and share their experiences. Even better than written testimonials are those done in video format and shared to your Google page.

Samples of your work or case studies can also be extremely helpful when closing a new client or attracting new ones. Case studies share how your product or service created value for someone else and samples of your work exhibits how you did it.

Partner

Double your reach and budget by partnering with another complementary brand that targets a similar audience. If you engage with a brand that already has established trust with your clients, they are more likely to trust your brand. Make the most of your partnerships by finding businesses with similar but non-competing target markets and co-market.

Be a Guest

Appearing on someone else’s platform, such as a podcast or blog, exhibits your initiative and your intelligence. Podcasts and blogs are all the rage and being featured on one gives you the opportunity to get in front of new clients. It also positions you as an industry expert.