The advantage of community involvement marketing is that it actually develops for you a community presence or community personality. People want to buy from friends and when you are part of a community, you become a friend. You separate yourself from the hordes of strangers and become a real giving person. Marketing through the community also gives you unlimited opportunities to take on marketing relationships, partners, and affiliates.

Community involvement can take many forms. Here are some simple ways you can improve your community:

1. Offer your mortgage expertise and knowledge to a local charity as part of their fund-raising program.

2. Sponsor a little league team, a bicycle race, a 5K or 10K race, or even a clean-up campaign for a not-so beautiful section of your city.

3. Sponsor an essay contest, an art contest, or a contribution campaign to a local charity.

4. Help your church raise funds; write articles for their newsletters, posting signs on their bulletin boards, and advertising in their local paper.

5. Participate in local clubs and civic organizations by becoming an active member.

6. Adopt-a-school or schools to keep teachers and parents informed of the status of local sex offenders, child molesters and pedophiles. Create a monthly newsletter or notice that keeps parents and teachers informed. This is a hot topic and most certainly needed. You would be performing a great service.

Your community definitely needs your help. It needs your time and effort, your participation, and your hard work. It isn't a matter of signing up for a committee and then standing on the side-lines and doing nothing. It means rolling up your selves, getting involved and busting your butt for your community.

People in your community will quickly recognize your hard work and dedication. They'll assume that you'll even work harder for them and will be attracted to your mortgage marketing message. Many mortgage professionals have flourished using this concept, and for many it's the only marketing they'll ever need.

Drive through your community on a regular basis and be on the look out for new opportunities and ideas that will help your community. There are many there...you just need to look for them.