Stuart Powell from Ocean Mortgages explains why he produced several consumer-focused videos on Equity Release and the unexpected outcome.

Earlier this year I looked at social media and industry websites to see what information was available for consumers looking to find out more about their Equity Release options. I was shocked to discover that there was very little available, and what was available was mainly only in print format.

There was nothing available in video format, and little that answered the main questions that clients were asking. I decided to produce my own videos and started by looking at who was using video in the financial services market.

Alex Curtis of the Lead Engine inspired me to set up my laptop and film my views of Equity Release using few scrawled notes. The response to my videos was really positive, so I decided to produce a series of eight short videos to help consumers and other advisers understand key aspects of Equity Release.

The videos were then filmed and edited by a local company, and I introduced them via Linkedin and our website. They were superior quality than the originals I had filmed, and were edited and subtitled, but you could see I was nervous on them!

Around this time, I had helped a client, Wendy, to release equity from her home. It had made a huge difference to her standard of living. I wanted to share her story with other people in her situation so approached the local paper to run a story. They ran it as an advertorial, which was the best way to get the message across as they were also able to boost it on social media to reach more over 55s.

The response we had was phenomenal with over 5,000 hits on the website article, more than they had ever had for this type of story. The marketing I have embarked on this year has certainly helped to raise the profile of our business, explain equity release to more people, and start the conversation about money for many older consumers.

The unexpected bonus has been the number of advisers who have contacted me. They have either asked questions, sought advice on their client’s situations, or congratulated me on our marketing. If you are considering how to market your business to the public, I hope my experience helps you.

The key thing is to put yourself in the consumers shoes, and don’t be afraid to try something out of your comfort zone.