Overview

This toolkit provides you with the information you'll need to run a successful event or activation, with the goal to generate leads and establish yourself as a local home loan expert.

Bringing your event or activation to life

Booking your event or activation

Once you’ve decided on the type of event or activation you will run, reach out to the organiser to start the booking process. Book in as early as possible to ensure you get your preferred spot and don’t miss out. Be prepared to pay a deposit or pay upfront to secure your spot.

Mortgage Choice event kits

Mortgage Choice has a wide range of event equipment to help you create an event or activation that packs a punch.

To book an event kit, visit the Marketing events equipment page on the Marketing Hub and follow the instructions below. The first step is to check the event kit items available, then fill out the form with your request and event details.

Step 1️⃣: Check what event kit items are available in your state by clicking here

Step 2️⃣: Once you have chosen the event kit items you would like for your event, fill out this form with your event kit request and event details

Step 3️⃣: Your state team will contact you to confirm the event kit booking and arrange pickup details.

⭐Bookings must be made at least three weeks in advance to ensure we have sufficient time to organise your kit. The use of event kit items is subject to availability – so get in early!

Events and activations webinar.mp4

How to set up and run a successful event and local activation webinar

You will be able to view the webinar recording on the left.

If you have any questions about this webinar, please reach out to your FDM or us by emailing marketing@mortgagechoice.com.au.

What is an activation?

An activation is an interactive, in-person event that brings your brand and business to life in your local area. Activations are designed to drive local brand awareness and new customer enquiries and can help you generate exposure in your local area, initiate conversations with customers, foster meaningful connections within your community and grow your network. If you’re a newer broker – or new to an area – activations can be particularly important in establishing yourself as the local mortgage expert.

Activations can take place in a range of settings, including shopping centres, community groups or sport clubs.

Activation examples

Local sport club activation: You’re a lifetime member of a local football club. The club’s players are aged between 20 and 35 and are potential first home buyers. You might consider running a sausage sizzle or sponsoring the canteen for a day to drive brand awareness and build relationships with people at the club.

Local school fete: Your child’s school runs an annual fête. The parents and teachers at the school are potentially refinancers or upgraders. You could book a stall at the event and run a promotion or hand out giveaways to engage with potential clients and build your sales pipeline with new enquiries.

Shopping centre activation: Your local shopping centre is thriving with activity and you’re well known among the locals – a diverse group of people, from first home buyers and refinancers to investors and upgraders. You could book a space at the shopping centre and set up a stall to meet new customers and generate enquiries.

What is an event?

Events are typically more structured and focus on a particular topic or demographic (e.g. first home buyer event, property investor seminar, home show, local fair or fête). Events are a great way to establish a new network of contacts, build a sales pipeline for the future, generate new customer enquiries and drive leads into your business.

Event examples

Local property webinar: You have built a strong relationship with a local real estate agent, and you think you can both offer valuable insights to each other’s databases. You could organise a property webinar where you both invite your existing and prospective customers, so you can advertise your services to a new group of people to generate new enquiry.

Home Show/Expo: You’ve booked a stand at an upcoming home show. The main demographic of attendees is current homeowners who may be looking to refinance, upgrade or purchase an investment property. This is a good opportunity for you to speak with potential clients, drive brand awareness, build your sales pipeline, and to be positioned amongst other businesses associated with homeownership.

⭐ Remember, there may be a cost associated with running an activation or event, so be sure to factor this into your planning!

Planning your event or activation

Define your objective and target audience

When planning your activation or event, it’s important to set goals for what you want to achieve. Understanding your target audience is the first step in determining your objectives, as this will allow you to identify existing areas of opportunity in your network. For example, if you’re wanting to drive refinance enquiry, you might consider booking a stand at a home show, as the demographic of people attending a home show are likely to have an existing property and loan and may be interested in help with refinance. You can then measure the success of your event based on the amount of refinance enquiry and customer engagement you generate.

The goals you set will influence the type of event you run and help you plan accordingly.

Some examples of goals for your activations/events include:

✅ Lead generation

✅ Building relationships in your community

✅ Brand awareness

✅ Building a sales pipeline

✅ Networking with local business owners to establish referral partnerships.

Determine your budget

When planning your event or activation, it’s important to set a budget. Within this budget, consider the full price to participate in the event – this would include the cost of a stand, purchasing prizes or giveaways and printing any Mortgage Choice branded material to hand out.

Leverage your existing network

Activations and events are most successful when they are based around groups and organisations that you have an existing connection with. Think about your current network – who are the people, groups and communities that you have existing relationships with? Where is there an existing element of trust? Once you’ve identified these groups, consider how you can leverage these connections to run a successful event.

What marketing event kit equipment is available?

The items available in the Mortgage Choice marketing event kit are listed below.

Super wall 6 meter
Super wall 3 meter
Blade stand
Premier 850
Presenter 800
Prize wheel
Jumbo cheque
XL flag
Gazebo

If you’re unsure whether you’re booking the right equipment for your event, ask your FDM or email marketing@mortgagechoice.com.au for guidance.

Promoting your event

Promoting your event ahead of time can help drive interest amongst your network, encourage attendance on the day, and showcase to your network that you’re an active participant in the community.

To promote your event and showcase any potential giveaways or competitions you’re running, post on your social channels, do a letterbox drop in your local area, and advertise in a local publication or newsletter (e.g. promote your stall at a school fete through the school’s newsletter).

Social media templates

What's available:

⭐ Facebook and Instagram post

⭐ Instagram stories post

⭐ LinkedIn post

Caption example:

This weekend, <community group> is celebrating <event name>. I’ll be there to lend a hand and catch up with fellow <area> community members.

Feel free to come along and spend some time at the event with us. And if you’re interested, I’m more than happy to discuss your home loan options with you while you’re there.

Contact marketing@mortgage.com.au to get access to these assets or visit the Help Centre to find out more.

DIY Email templates

Email template example 1: Local community example

Subject line: Join me/us at <event name>!

Text preview: I’ll/we’ll be at <event name> on <date> Come along!

Body copy: Hi <Name>,

As <a local/locals> supporting locals, <I’m/we’re> excited to be attending the <community group> <event name> <next week> <to lend a hand> and catch up with others from the <area> community.

E.g. “As locals supporting locals, we’re excited to be attending the Richmond Tigers annual sausage sizzle fundraiser. I’ll be there to lend a hand and catch up with others from the Richmond community.

All are welcome, so feel free to come along and spend some time with us. And if you’d like, I’m more than happy to have a chat about your loan options while you’re there.

Event details:

Event name:

Event date and time:

Event location:

<I/We> hope to see you there.

And if you can’t make it but would be interested in discussing your loan options, contact <me/us> to arrange a time to talk.

Kind regards,

Email template example 2: Shopping centre activation example

Subject line: Join me/us at <Shopping Centre>!

Text preview: I’ll/we’ll be at <Shopping Centre> on <date> Come along!

Body copy: Hi <Name>,

<I’m/We’re> excited to share that <I/Mortgage Choice <Franchise>> will be at the <shopping centre> on <date> to catch up with others from the <area> community.

Event details:

Event name:

Event date and time:

Event location:

<I/We> hope to see you there.

If you can’t make it but would be interested in having a chat about your home loan, contact <me/us> and we can arrange a time to talk.

Kind regards,

Content on the day

While your event is running, make sure to take plenty of photos of yourself with your Mortgage Choice set up. Post these photos across your social channels to showcase the event/activation to showcase your marketing activity and diversify your online content.

Lead collection

One of the main reasons to run an event or activation is to generate leads and capture customer information. It’s your responsibility to capture any personal information in a compliant and responsible manner. Wherever possible, avoid any manual data collection using pen and paper or unsecured Excel spreadsheets.

Unique URLS (UTM code)

We support you with unique URLs you can use to collect and store customer information in a compliant manner. A unique URL is a snippet of text added to the end of a website URL to track the website metrics and performance. By using a unique URL, we can create a QR code for customers to scan and then enter their details. Using a unique URL means that all contact details will be unique to you. It also allows us to monitor how many people visited your minisite, ensure the leads are entered correctly and measure the success of your activations.

To create a unique URL and QR code, email us at marketing@mortgagechoice.com.au with your request and the following details:

Franchise ID
Type of event or local activation

Please request your unique URL (UTM) and QR code as soon as you’ve locked in your event or activation. This ensures there is sufficient time for the marketing team to set-up and test.

Lead collection back-up plan

In the event that there is no internet or poor phone reception and you can’t use a unique URL, we recommend using a password protected Excel spreadsheet to collect customer information. After the event, enter the data from the spreadsheet as local leads into Broker Platform, then permanently delete the spreadsheet from your computer to mitigate the risks of storing sensitive customer data.

Unsure how to create a password protected Excel spreadsheet? Click HERE to view step-by-step instructions.

During the event

Setting up your activation

Wondering how to set up your event kit and equipment? Check out these handy walkthrough videos.

Branding and attire

We recommend you wear a Mortgage Choice branded uniform at your activation or event so you can promote the brand and look professional. Another consideration is handing out giveaways and merchandise, which can help you kickstart conversations with potential customers and make seamless introductions.

You can purchase branded apparel and merchandise on Skoop.

Effective customer conversations

Start to think about how you’ll approach potential customers and initiate meaningful conversations that can convert into future appointments.

Conversation starters
After you’ve introduced yourself, try asking the following questions:

“Do you live locally? Are you renting or do you own?”
“If you’re a renter, are you looking to buy a place soon?”
“Do you currently have a home loan? If so, what rate are you on?”
“If you own your home, when was the last time you reviewed your rate?”

Conversion tips
These conversion tips can help you close the conversation and convert enquiring customers into appointments.

“If you’re thinking of buying your first home, why don’t we have a chat next week and I can look into your borrowing power and loan options.”

“I can review your current rate and see if we can get you a better deal. How is next Thursday?”
“If you’re coming off a fixed rate, I can book you in for an appointment and we can discuss your loan options to manage increasing repayments.”
"What we’re talking about is important, so how about we make a time to discuss it in more detail.”

By mentioning a day or time to meet with the potential customer, you can get a sense of their level of commitment and even book an appointment on the spot.

Lead conversion

Contacting your leads after the activation/event

After your event, it's important to follow up every single lead you collected on the day. We recommend doing this within 1-2 business days of the event to ensure you’re still top of mind with the customer. Even if the lead seems ‘cold’ or the customer isn’t interested in progressing with an appointment straight away, reach out to them and share your contact details because they may need home loan help in the future and you want to be the first broker that comes to mind.

You might like to use this SMS template to follow up customers after an event:

Warm/hot lead:

Hi <customer name>. This is <broker name> from Mortgage Choice. It was great to meet you at <event name>. I’d love to help you review your current loan and see if we can get you a better rate. I have some time on Friday at 3.00pm. How does this suit you? Thanks.
Hi <customer name>. This is <broker name> from Mortgage Choice. It was great to meet you at <event name>. I’d love to help you with purchasing your first home and I can look into your borrowing power for you. I have some time on Thursday at 12pm. How does this suit you? Thanks.

Cold lead:

Hi <customer name>, this is <broker name> from Mortgage Choice. It was great meeting you at <event name>. If you ever need help with your home loan, feel free to reach out on <contact details>. Thanks.

Post-event follow up

The Marketing team will be in touch with you after your event to discuss how it went and to arrange the return of the event kit items. We ask that you return these items to the REA office in your state. If you are unable to do so, the Marketing team will be in touch to arrange a courier pick up. Please note, courier pickups will be approved on a case-by-case basis.

We will also send you a short survey to complete for you to provide any feedback or insights you’d like to share with us.

Post-event follow up 1:1 email template - high intent leads

Subject line: Thanks for attending the <insert event>

Text preview: It was great to meet you!

Body copy: Hi {First name},

Thank you for visiting us at the <insert event name> on <insert date/day>. It was a great event and I’m glad we got the opportunity to connect.

I would love to continue our chat about your home loan needs and am available to meet at the following times:

<insert date/time>

<insert date/time>

<insert date/time>

I would love to continue our chat about your home loan needs. You can use the link below to book an appointment with me.

CTA: CTA <book an appointment> link to Calendly.

If you can't find a time that suits you, feel free to give me a call or reply to this email to find another time.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

{Broker name}

Plan your next activation

Having a consistent presence at local events will help you successfully embed yourself as the local home loan expert in your area. Running a one-off activation or event won’t generate long-term returns – the key is to plan regular events in your marketing plan. This will allow you to build your profile in your local area, drive brand awareness and generate customer enquiries.

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