Welcome back to Lending Leadership: The Creative Brief, your podcast guide to creative strategies in mortgage and real estate.

Today, we dive into the power of storytelling and relatability in marketing, exploring how even small businesses and loan officers can use techniques borrowed from billion-dollar brands to grow their influence and close more loans without spending more on ads. We’re thrilled to welcome Rebecca Covington, creative producer and director of marketing for a major brand as well as a dear friend of ours for over twenty years.

Rebecca brings her wealth of big-brand experience to the table, sharing practical tips on leveraging video, authenticity, and personality to build deeper connections with customers and real estate partners. We chat about everything from memorable personal branding moments to navigating trends, building trust, and finding marketing partners who inspire growth.

We also get candid about mistakes to watch for including the risks of losing your authentic brand voice and discuss the real-world strategies and templates we use and develop for our loan officers every day.

Key takeaways:

1. The Power of Relatability and Authenticity: We learned from Rebecca how showing genuine personality is crucial for building trust—whether you’re a loan officer or a major brand. Customers connect with people they find relatable, not just experts with numbers and facts.
2. Big Brand Strategies, Small Business Budgets: Even without multimillion-dollar ad budgets, small businesses can engage audiences powerfully. Rebecca highlights that quality storytelling and authentic connection matter more than high production values and expensive campaigns.
3. Stopping the Scroll: Success on social media relies on grabbing attention quickly. We discussed tactics like starting videos with the brand, using audio and visuals, sharing memorable hooks, and making content easily shareable so your message travels through word of mouth.
4. Embracing Trends But Staying True: Participating in online trends and fresh content types shows you’re actively engaged and builds memorability. However, Rebecca cautions against chasing trends that don’t align with your brand’s values, emphasizing the importance of staying authentic.
5. Personalization and Community Building: The most effective marketing starts with understanding your own brand and community. We shared how our team builds custom strategies for each loan officer, empowering them with templates, event support, CRM automations, and storytelling tools tailored to their personality and market.

Whether you’re trying to stand out in your zip code or just craft a memorable video for social media, Lending Leadership: The Creative Brief is here to help you build trust, spark growth, and inspire your audience!

Rinn and Rach

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You want to showcase a little bit of a personality. I want, I want to trust someone in many different ways other than just knowing the numbers and facts. So seeing a little bit more about that person or about who that person can be in your, in your community is very helpful, I think.

What if the same storytelling strategies used by billion dollar brands could actually help close more loans? Think about that without spending a dollar on more ads. And today we're bringing a heavy hitter to our loan officers and talking about how to use video and relatability to better connect with real estate partners and your customers. Plus, what actually works when it comes to building trust and growing your business. I welcome today a creative producer of a big brand and industry and one of my absolute best friends in the entire world for more than, I think, 20 years now. Rebecca Covington. How's it going?

Hi. So happy to be here and chatting with you today.

Hey, how long have we talked about doing this?

Oh, I mean, a long time. A long time. Corinne is one of my favorite people to talk business with. We're in two different industries, but I think there's a lot of crossover in what we do and, and how we think about things and how we want to drive forward what our, you know, what our work is. And so it's really fun to chat work with you. And now we're actually chatting work.

Now we're actually chatting work. And it all started so long ago. I, I'm excited to put the picture up on the screen of where we had that super fun conversation that one of us found meeting at the rugby pitch at iup. And I think another funny story that we have to share, Becky, is didn't you. You and another friend of ours who were like captains of the rugby team back in the day, like, like calling on me when I was a rookie to say, hey, come, come to practice. Probably for the same reasons.

Now.

It's. It's an exciting and fun experience to chit chat. Right?

It totally is. I'd love to. I'd love to dive into that a little bit. My first impression of Corinne, and this is how, you know, it translates to today. What is your personal brand? What do you bring to the table as someone who needed to call the list of. We had a calling list. We had to go down the list, tell everyone when practice was, get them excited. There was no need to get Corinne excited.

We. It was a name on a paper. I didn't know your face yet. But we loved. Whoever got to call Corinne loved it because the excitement and enthusiasm in which you received practice, timing and location was just unmatched by anyone else. And so it really was fun to reach out to you. And then finally through practice, I put the face to the name and then learned your personality. And of course, from the beginning, you were always you bringing a level of enthusiasm and excitement to everything you do, as well as getting other people excited, which I think speaks to that personal brand and why, why someone would want to have you on the team or be on your team.

Oh my gosh. How fun. Well, it's funny because I don't remember the first time we met on, on our side, but I do have like a plethora of memories from back in those times and, you know, as far as our, you know, charisma and hanging out together. One of my favorites is all the adventures that would occur during the Pittsburgh era in the early 2000s, which is right after college. So really right around the same time, the Cherry Monroe concert. Friends, you know this workout guy that Becky and I followed to a creepy concert in the Shayl area of Pittsburgh. And then one of my all time favorites was when we rode up that big hill. What was the bridge, Becky? We rode our bikes up that huge hill to Mount Washington and Pittsburgh.

We lived in Pittsburgh for three years.

Yep. PJ McArdle. We would ride our bikes up PJ McArdle.

Heck yeah. We'd ride on boats. We ride our bikes. We did all kinds of adventure activities during that time. And those are some of my best memories of our early friendships. Our later friendship is with kids and about everything else going on, but it's still adventures.

And, and what it, what it proves is find people who inspire you. Find people who have similar. Similar hobbies, similar interests, but also the ability to inspire you to do better. You were always my best workout buddy. When you left, things went. Things went down a hole. So find those people and, and attach yourself with those people who make you better and who can continue to help you grow. And whether that's personally or in business, finding the right partners is everything.

Yeah, we talk about that a lot. I'm glad we got a chance to share a little bit about how we met and where the friendship started. But the reason that I thought it would be so valuable to have someone like Becky on our show is not just because we have a lot of overlap in marketing and direct response and working directly with businesses, but Becky comes from the side as a corporate producer and director of marketing for a big brand. So now that we're doing a lot of storytelling and our loan officers are doing a lot of video presentations, communications through connecting their products and services directly to the story of the customer. I know that Becky, you have a lot of experience and your background is relative to this. So I was curious, you know, what do you think in regard to some smaller businesses, how they can relate to, you know, big brand storytelling and take some tips and tricks specifically that they can use in their everyday marketing on a smaller budget?

Yeah, absolutely. I think no matter who you are, what your budgets are, it's all about connecting. Are you connecting with your customer, consumer, your fan? And that comes at all types of budgets. In fact, here we work on million dollar, multimillion dollar commercials, but we also work with influencers who are connecting in a very natural, organic way. Their production value is low, but their quality, the quality of what they're putting out is very high. And it really speaks to their audience and our audiences. So budget to me is not really constrained. It can really help put some bells and whistles in.

But as long as what you're putting out and what you're putting into it is pure and driving, what you're the story you want to tell and I think you're going to be successful.

What are some of the things that you look at, Becky, when you're putting together a commercial, so to speak, and then we'll break it down into short video and you know how you just related that influencer comparison, which I think is really powerful. What are some of the things that you're driving and digging on when you're trying to put together a story to make an impact on an audience or.

Yeah, so we think about the audience. Who do we want to see this and. And what are the takeaways? What do you want them to get from it? Are they inspired? Are they hopeful? Are they, do they want to donate to an organization after that? What, what are the goals coming out of it? So all of that is thought about and then we think about how do we tell the story. Is a big visually connected way, the best way to pull someone into this? Is it more emotive? Do we need kids faces, adults faces, like straight to camera so that you can really connect into whoever's telling a story or sharing something about themselves and then really what medium are they going to use it on? Is this a TV commercial or is this going to be scrolling? And do I need to stop that thumb and get them to stop and look and listen and really absorb your, your content? Those are all the things that we think about going into it. And then once you have A plan for what you need to do, then you can find your way in depending on all those factors.

Okay, that's awesome. And I mean many of our, our loan officers are in the game of social media. They're connecting on social media, they're connected with their real estate partners, customers, family, friends who are engaged in their business or following them. So we are a lot of times in that game that you just described of trying to stop the scroll, trying to grab some attention, trying to get an extra look or maybe just to have the loan officer's name and our company, HMA Mortgage resonate with them for one second before they continue their, their mind break or whatever they're doing for that day. Are there any tips or tricks that you suggest regarding that? We do, you know, hooks and grabbers and CTAs. But again, how's the conversation coming from big business? Is it or big brands? Is it all the same stuff or is there more or some different nuances that we could probably think about on the small business side when we're working in this creative space and we're all using a similar medium in social media.

Yeah, there are standard rules of put your brand at the beginning, put your logo at the beginning, have it be audio as well as on screen to really stop and grab. I think when you're making a personal connection as a loan officer or someone who's trying to real estate agent who is making a personal connection into someone, your face and being able to share who you are is very important. Capturing the essence of vulnerability, of being able to get your message out there in an authentic way, I think grabs people and I'm sure in your, in your line of work, word of mouth is so important and so the ability to share someone with, with a friend and family, hey, check out this girl. She knows what she's talking about. Work with her, work with this guy. You know, being able to share those videos in a very easy way is very important and so give them something to share. Is it a story that's relatable that I can feel like I can see myself in as, as one of your clients? Is it something that I want to. Oh, that reminds me of Julie.

I'm sending it to Julie or. Oh, Jim has been looking for someone just like this and you can, you can share it. So having easy ways to be able to get to people and then get spread around is very, I think, I think it's going to be successful.

We have stats, actual stats that we're going to be going over in our sales Rally and my presentation regarding storytelling and how powerful it is and how messaging, product, service, brand, person can relate and hit home for so much longer with a consumer when it's based around stories, not just I've got something to sell, which everybody has something to sell. Right. We also talk a lot with our clients, our loan officers, our real estate partners about being different, standing out in your zip code. Because there are a lot of options, right. In many of these regions and areas in which we, we are as a business. So how are you standing out? How is somebody recognizing you and remembering you at a different level than someone else who might provide the exact same service? So we talk a lot about different is better than better. One of our actual partners came up with that. Our business partner came up with that slogan or idea and we've built off that quite a bit for our loan officers.

Focusing on being different, doing something that's different in your marketing that allows one to remember you. We were talking, I think it was in our last sales rally, there was a pitch in which someone was going up on stage to give a presentation for one of our business partners and he mentioned that they were brought up in a coffin and they just set the coffin down and then the next presenter came out of the coffin to begin their presentation. Talk about something you'll never forget at a business conference, right? Like somebody get coming out of a coffin to start their presentation. So of course, now you know David Holland, someone you might know, the owner, one of the owners of our business here, he would like to come out of a coffin too. But she's put out there so often, as I'm sure you can imagine, Becky, it's already known now from our group, he would like to arrive that way. But just a great story and example of how to do something wild and different to grab attention. And everybody is eyes are open, tuned in, ready to go on what you have to say, even though it might have nothing to do with what you're about to talk about. Yeah, right.

Having something memorable at the beginning, having an impact and having that moment that people are going to stop and stick around for is, is super important. I think babies and dogs really sell things. And if in the business of, of owning a home and being able to live that life, you know, dogs, dogs slay, put them, put them up, show some puppies, pull people in and, and, and keep them around for your message. But there's something about being different and putting something out there in a new and authentic way. And then just like Dave's thinking about that Coffin. There's something about jumping on a trend too. Putting out content that is, that is trendy, that shows that your office knows what's happening. You're up on current events, you are playing the game too.

And it helps, it helps people to get to know you in a different way. When you're introing the office with that template that is going around in the moment, it shows that you, you, you see trends, you're, you're tracking on them, but you're still putting yourself out there and, and becoming memorable because of it.

Yeah, I love that. I, I, I buy into that and I, I think there's so much going on that we can pay attention. I see, we see so many. Our, our marketing team does this. I know a lot of marketing teams do it in business groups, financial groups, it can apply in different industries. Just paying attention to the online trends. Like I saw one where, you know, they're texting the boss to see who texts back on social media first. There might be five people that report to the same boss.

They're all on a team. And it's a really funny conversation memo where everyone's like kind of riding on each other and laughing. I've seen so many shares going around about that and many other trends online, but it's just a nice moment to connect in a softer way.

Yes.

Hey, we're not talking about what we're selling for a second, but oh, I remember your name, I remember who you are. And that's all that it's really meant to accomplish and show you as a person, show you guys as real people helping people. Not just, again, I'm selling something, I'm a suit which is just out there and have been done to death on it. On a transition question that builds off of it. Are there any mistakes or things to look out for or watch that you've noticed in your career and perspective that maybe a bigger brand has done or gone in a direction where you guys have thought, analyzed or paused on for, for clients and partners that you have when, when working on promotions that we should note and think about.

Sure. I think being inauthentic to your brand really stands out for me when, when the brand ethos isn't coming through in an organic way, meaning they're, they're trying to maybe be too trendy or jump into something that is outside of what their brand stands for and doing it to try and grab attention. To me that, that, that is a real turn off as opposed to knowing who you are and telling your stories through that stretching from Serious business and giving you tips and tricks to being more playful. But staying within your own brand ethos is helpful. And when it comes to an individual who's going to be garnering a community and gathering a community around to help spread the word of their business and to trust them to take something like home buying, which is very personal, and to be their guide and their partner in that you want to showcase a little bit of a personality. I want to trust someone in many different ways other than just knowing the numbers and facts. So seeing a little bit more about that person or about who that person can be in your, in your community is very helpful, I think.

I agree. Yeah, I think it really helps just kind of develop the trust I know like and trust you, but still combining it with creativity, with personality, I think really can stand above the rest. I mean, I don't have anything else. I mean, I feel like we're in a good place that we're about 22 minutes plus our opening.

I'd love, I'd love to hear what, what templates are you using? How are you helping support these loan officers in their journey? And, and how does that, how does that work for them?

Well, that's a great question and it's a great question for loan officers who are outside of, of HMA Mortgage to here. Ones on the inside know how we work and know our style and our, our process. But we typically start with our, what we call our maze, our marketing account executives who work directly as marketing consultants with each and every one of our loan officers. And they build basically a brief and a plan that's based around them meeting them where they are. So we really like to treat our loan officers like clients. Not everybody is in the same place. Some are more heavy on video, on social media, and feel more comfortable in that space. Where others really dial in on CRM communications and automation and follow ups that are different and more tech involved and then some kind of sprinkle around their time and want to dive in on different tools that we offer.

So we start off with a plan and a brief basically for everybody. And then as far as support goes, Becky, we are pretty well rounded. So we have templates for sales presentations, graphics, flyers. We have an event package where we have an event manager, you know, on the inside track of our organization that works with our loan officers on setting up all the logistics and swag for their events to connect through lunch and learns and happy hours and brunch and learns in the field. Because our LOS are doing a lot of work directly in the field. So that's a big kind of cornerstone of our business. And then we have a CRM platform that we're diving pretty deep into, especially this year, building out some new automations, new layers of communication and alerts and information of when to pick up the phone, when to connect with a customer, when they might be interested in taking another step. So we are pretty, I would say, pretty well rounded in that facet.

And as far as social media goes, we have all the platforms, we have tools and stuff that they're using to help aid, you know, a busy salesperson during their day to be able to connect even when they can't be working on marketing all day long. We have some set and forget systems, but we really drive those systems. We drive the campaigns, the conversations. And specific to storytelling, which, which is really about what, what we've been talking about a bit today, we're building out a new series in which we're trying to make kind of some generic graphics that can be used based on any story. So for example, if one loan officer has a really powerful story to share in one market, another lo can take bits and pieces from that story without using names or direct information to share about the product and service in that platform. So we're building graphic templates and examples, storytelling video scripts that will live in our video software, some communication avenues through drip campaigns and our CRM, as I had mentioned. So the sky's the limit, but it's really first starts with a plan for each officer and understanding their market, their brand and where they're at. And then we kind of build some of those pathways, you know, off from that original conversation and those meetings that occur.

That's awesome. And I think having your support and, and you know, the way I follow you guys, I know what you're doing, I see all the, all the tools that are set in, in place and it's fantastic. And having that support is great for someone who doesn't have that support. Find the companies, find the brands, find the people that you see are doing it well and look to emulate in many ways. Don't steal, don't copy directly, but you can take pieces and parts of what others are doing to help build for yourself. See the templates, see the way they're communicating, see the way their stories are hitting you as an audience member. And then use that inspiration to tell your own story or get your own audience in that same way is a recommendation of mine.

Oh, I love it. Becky, one of many. She's had many recommendations for me over the years. Guys. I take many of them. So this has been awesome. I'm so glad we were able to stop and connect again. Rebecca Covington represents as a creative director of a big brand close by to us and near and dear old and best friend of mine.

I hope you you guys like subscribe and follow. I hope you get something out of this tidbit and if you have any questions or want to follow up with us, feel free to comment, like or share or connect with us directly. Thanks Becky. Thank you.

See you.