PROJECT TYPE​
Lead Nurturing Email Campaign
ROLE
UX Designer, Content Developer, and Copywriter (Contractor)
CLIENT
Lower.com,
Yes Mortgage
TOOLS
Figma
DURATION
2 months
Project Context
Yes Mortgage, a sub-branch of Lower.com, lacked a systematic approach to nurturing leads. As a contractor for Lower.com, I was tasked with creating a user journey spanning several months to automate engagement with potential customers. This framework was intended not only for Yes Mortgage, but also for utilization across Lower’s various sub-branches.
Problem
Without an established process or strategy, brokers struggled to maintain meaningful contact with potential customers throughout their home-buying journey.
Solution
Create an engaging and educational email campaign to help mortgage brokers nurture new leads through different stages of the home-buying process, improve conversion rates, and provide a better customer experience.
Project Constraints
1. Lack of Subject Matter Knowledge
I had limited knowledge about mortgages and the housing market.
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2. Minimal Brand Training
As a contractor, I was not familiar with the Yes Mortgage brand's value proposition or inner workings.​​
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3. Ambiguity
The project lacked clear guidelines and I received little instruction or feedback.
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4. Multiple Roles
I acted as strategist, researcher, copywriter, and designer, working entirely remotely.
Research
I employed a systematic approach to gather insights and inform my design decisions:
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Self-Education
I researched the mortgage industry to familiarize myself with key concepts and terminology.
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Competitive Analysis
I reviewed content from other mortgage lending websites to gather ideas and understand industry standards.
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User-Centric Approach
I adopted a user-centric mindset, considering what information would be most helpful and reassuring during each phase of the home-buying journey.
Ideation & Strategy
Understanding the Audience
To create content that resonated with a wide audience, I focused on the emotional and practical needs of potential homebuyers. I considered the various stages of the home-buying process, from initial consideration to closing, and empathized with the feelings and concerns that customers might experience at each stage.
Brainstorming and Categorization
I began by brainstorming content ideas and categorizing them based on different stages of the lead journey: new, cold, warm, and hot leads. This helped structure the campaign and ensure relevant content was delivered at the right time and with the right tone.
Content Planning
I proposed a schedule for sending emails, balancing educational content with engaging visuals and clear calls-to-action (CTAs). Each email was designed to provide value by offering timely, useful information, such as checklists and process overviews for home buyers. I also aimed to leverage existing blog posts on Lower.com's website to drive traffic and increase engagement.
Design & Execution
Designing a series of 32 unique emails was a challenge, especially in keeping the content fresh and engaging, and avoiding repetitiveness. Through the design stage, I focused on:
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Visual Appeal: Using imagery to humanize the emails and make them visually engaging
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Clarity and Brevity: Ensuring emails were concise and not text-heavy while still providing valuable information
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Consistency: Aligning with the Yes Mortgage brand elements to create a cohesive look and feel.
Iterative Process
When I placed the drafted copy into the email designs, it became clear that they were too text-heavy and cluttered. I revised the copy to be more concise, making the emails shorter, easier to digest, and still informative.
I identified emails with content suitable for adaptation into downloadable PDFs. This allowed me to shorten the emails further while providing clear and engaging CTAs, encouraging recipients to download the one-pagers to improve engagement with the content.
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Topics converted into downloadable one-pagers included “Unlocking the Language of Mortgages,” which defined key mortgage terminology, and a “Home Shopping Guide," which provided useful tips for first-time buyers as they navigated the home shopping experience.
Emails Featuring Downloadable PDF Guides
Deliverables
In two months, I delivered a comprehensive email campaign framework that could be adapted for different Lower.com sub-branches. The campaign included:
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32 emails tailored to different stages of the home-buying journey
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Engaging content that balanced educational value with visual appeal
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Clear CTAs guiding users through their next steps in the home-buying process
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Campaign strategy including email frequency, order, and paths based on user engagement (i.e. jumping between cold and warm stages)
Results & Impact
Optimizing Outreach
The new email campaign provided mortgage brokers with a structured method to maintain meaningful contact with leads. Brokers could now confidently send educational and engaging emails, adding value to the customers' home-buying journey and effectively nurturing leads through each stage, all without increasing their workload.
Elevating the Mortgage Experience
These emails were crafted to transform the typically mundane topic of mortgages into a delightful experience. By combining informative content with engaging visuals and a friendly tone, they provided recipients with a thoughtful, human touch. This approach enhanced their overall experience with and perception of the Yes Mortgage brand and other Lower.com subbranches utilizing this campaign.
Reflections & Takeaways
Lessons Learned
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This project taught me how to thrive in ambiguous situations and trust my instincts, even in the absence of detailed instructions or feedback
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Focusing on the emotional journey of homebuyers taught me that empathy is crucial for creating content that resonates deeply
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Balancing multiple roles, from strategist to designer, demonstrated my ability to leverage my marketing background to adapt and deliver high-quality work independently
Takeaways
This project was a significant learning experience that emphasized the importance of empathy, adaptability, and self-reliance in UX design. This project not only refined my design skills and enhanced my ability to strategically plan user journeys and create engaging content, but also strengthened my capacity to navigate and succeed in ambiguous environments.