How to Optimize Your Listing on Smarter Loans: A Guide for Lenders

In the world of lending, competition is fierce. With so many lenders vying for the attention of borrowers, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. But fear not, dear lenders! The key to success lies in optimizing your listing on Smarter Loans, the premier loan comparison platform. And who better to guide you through this process than yours truly?

Now, you may be thinking, “But Vlad, how can I possibly optimize my listing on Smarter Loans? Isn’t it just a matter of filling out a form and waiting for the borrowers to come to me?” Ah, my dear lender, if only it were that simple. In reality, optimizing your listing on Smarter Loans requires a strategic approach that takes into account a variety of factors, from creating a strong profile to using video and media to your advantage.

But don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the key strategies and tips you need to know to create an effective and compelling listing on Smarter Loans. A well optimized listing will bring you more customers while lowering costs. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and let’s get started!

Section 1: Creating a Strong Profile


The first step is to create a strong profile that showcases your brand in the best possible light. Remember, borrowers are looking for a lender they can trust, and your profile is often the first impression they’ll have of your business.

Crafting a Compelling Company Description

The company description is one of the most important elements of your Smarter Loans profile. This is where you can showcase your unique value proposition and convince borrowers that you’re the best lender for their needs.

To craft a compelling company description, start by highlighting what sets you apart from the competition.

  1. Do you offer more flexible repayment options?
  2. Do you have a higher approval rate than other lenders?

Whatever it is that makes your business special, be sure to include it in your company description.

Showcasing Your Success Stories

Another important element of your Smarter Loans profile is showcasing your success stories. Borrowers want to know that they’re working with a lender who has a proven track record of success.

Include testimonials from satisfied borrowers and highlight any awards or recognitions your business has received. This will help build trust with borrowers and increase the likelihood of them choosing your listing over the competition.

Tips for Creating a Strong Profile

  • Highlight your unique value proposition in your company description
  • Include testimonials and success stories to build trust with borrowers
  • Use high-quality visuals to make your profile stand out

Section 2: Optimizing Your Product Listings


Once you have created a strong profile, the next step is to optimize your product listings on Smarter Loans. This will help you attract more borrowers and increase the likelihood of them choosing your lending products over the competition.

Understanding Your Product Fit

Smarter Loans is the home to 60+ of Canada’s top lenders who offer a wide spectrum of products, often with subtle differences. It’s important to understand how your particular product fits into the mix, and how to highlight the unique features of what you offer to borrowers, that others don’t. To do this, browse through your loan category on Smarter Loans (i.e Personal Loans, Business Loans, etc.) and pretend to be the borrower. Try to identify opportunities to highlight something about your product offering, that is unique from other lenders on the list.

Smarter Loans offers a wide range of loan products, from personal loans to business loans, auto loans, motorsport and even aviation financing, so if you offer loans in multiple verticals, you will have even more opportunities to get new business through your Smarter Loans listings.

Creating Compelling Product Descriptions

Borrowers want to know what sets your loan products apart from the competition, so be sure to emphasize their key selling points.

Use clear and concise language to describe your loan products, and be sure to include important details such as interest rates, repayment terms, and any fees or charges associated with the loan. Make sure your descriptions are easy to read and understand, and avoid using technical jargon or complicated terminology.

Using High-Quality Visuals

Visuals can be a powerful tool for optimizing your product listings on Smarter Loans. Use high-quality images and videos to showcase your loan products in the best possible light. This will help borrowers visualize themselves using your loan products and increase the likelihood of them choosing your business over the competition.

Bullet List: Tips for Optimizing Your Product Listings

  • Understand how your product fits within the Smarter Loans ecosystem and focus on your unique differences from competitors
  • Create compelling product descriptions that highlight the key features without overly complicated terminology
  • Use high-quality visuals to make your loan products stand out

Section 3: Leveraging Video and Media


In today’s digital age, video and media have become essential tools for businesses looking to reach new customers and build their brand. As a lender on Smarter Loans, leveraging video and media can help you stand out from the competition and attract more borrowers to your listing.

Video is a powerful tool to attract and engage more customers, build trust and showcase the benefits of your business in an engaging way. Check out our video, “Highlights From The Canadian Lenders Summit 2022”, to see how we leveraged video to promote Canada’s #1 Event for FinTechs and Lenders.

Creating Engaging Video Content

One of the most effective ways to leverage video is by creating engaging content that showcases your brand and services. This can include explainer videos that highlight your lending process, customer testimonials, or even fun behind-the-scenes looks at your business.

To create engaging video content, it’s important to understand your target audience and what type of content resonates with them. Keep your videos short and to the point, and make sure they’re visually appealing and easy to understand.

If you don’t have any videos or aren’t sure what’s the best way to go about it, we can help! We work with many content creators in Canada and US and have a large library of videos we’ve already done to promote loans and financial products. They are very effective and low cost.

Check out our YouTube channel to access a wide range of videos. Our library of videos, created in collaboration with content creators in Canada and the US, can help you stand out in a competitive market and attract more customers.

Partnering with Social Media Influencers

Another way to leverage video and media is by partnering with social media influencers. Influencers have large followings on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, and can help promote your listing to a wider audience.

When partnering with influencers, make sure they align with your brand and target audience. You should also be clear about the terms of the partnership and what you expect from the influencer in terms of content creation and promotion.

If you find it challenging establishing a connection with a local financial influencer to promote your product online, we’ve built out a roster of them as well, and would be happy to make an introduction or even facilitate a campaign for you.

Tips for Leveraging Video and Media

  • Create engaging video content that showcases your brand and services
  • Partner with social media influencers to reach a wider audience
  • Focus on modern video styles (i.e. vertical videos, tik-tok style clips)

Section 4: Leveraging Reviews and Ratings


Reviews and ratings are an important part of building trust with borrowers on Smarter Loans. Positive reviews and high ratings can help convince borrowers that your business is reputable and trustworthy.

Encouraging Borrowers to Leave Reviews

To leverage reviews and ratings, it’s important to encourage borrowers to leave feedback on your listing. This can be done by following up with borrowers after they’ve received their loan and asking them to leave a review.

Try an automated email campaign with a link to your Smarter Loans profile reviews – this will create an ongoing flow of positive reviews. You can also instruct your call center or client service representatives to encourage happy customers to leave you a review at Smarter Loans.

Lenders on Smarter Loans with the most reviews have a significant advantage over ones that don’t. Gathering more reviews on your profile will surely make you stand out from competitors.

Highlighting Positive Reviews

Another way to leverage reviews and ratings is by highlighting positive reviews on your listing. This can include featuring testimonials from satisfied borrowers or showcasing your overall rating on your Smarter Loans profile.

Make sure to highlight reviews that are specific and detailed, as these tend to carry more weight with potential borrowers. This will help build trust with borrowers and increase the likelihood of them choosing your listing over the competition.

If you’re looking for more than just good reviews, we have you covered. Our platform also offers a Quality Badge that showcases your commitment to excellence. This prestigious badge is only awarded to select financial companies with a proven track record of providing exceptional product offerings, customer service, responsible lending practices, transparency, and safety for all Canadians.

By displaying the Smarter Loans Quality Badge, you can set yourself apart from the competition and demonstrate your dedication to providing top-notch service. Join us today and earn your Quality Badge!

Tips for Leveraging Reviews and Ratings

  • Encourage borrowers to leave reviews by following up after their loan
  • Activate an automated email campaign with a link to leave a review on Smarter Loans
  • Highlight positive reviews and ratings on your Smarter Loans profile

Section 5: Establish API Connection with Smarter Loans


To take advantage of the full potential of Smarter Loans, it is essential that lenders establish an API connection with our platform. By doing so, lenders can unlock a range of benefits that can help drive business growth and improve the overall borrowing experience.

Pre-Qualification and Real-Time Offers

One of the key benefits of establishing an API connection with Smarter Loans is the ability to pre-qualify borrowers and present them with real-time offers. By integrating with Transunion and Flinks earlier in 2023, we are now able to gather valuable data about a borrower’s credit history and income. With this information, we can match borrowers with the best possible loan offers from our network of lenders.

What this means for lenders:

  • Ability to receive much more pre-qualified leads
  • Better funding ratios
  • Lower acquisition costs
  • Highly scalable new business channel

Streamlined Loan Application Process

By establishing an API connection with Smarter Loans, lenders can also streamline the loan application process. Once a borrower has claimed an offer through our platform, they can be directed straight to the lender’s CRM or Application to complete the final steps. This saves time for borrower and lender, as well as improves overall approval and funding ratios, creating a better experience for all parties.

Enhanced Analytics and Reporting

Establishing an API connection with Smarter Loans also provides lenders with enhanced analytics and reporting capabilities. By tracking loan performance and borrower behavior, lenders can gain valuable insights into their business and make data-driven decisions to optimize performance.

Benefits of Establishing API Connection with Smarter Loans

  • Pre-qualification and real-time offers for borrowers
  • Streamlined loan application process
  • Enhanced analytics and reporting capabilities
  • Improved approval ratios and funding ratios
  • High scalable and lower cost

To learn more about establishing an API connection with Smarter Loans, please reach out to vlad@smarter.loans.

In conclusion, optimizing your listing on Smarter Loans can have a significant impact on your business’s success. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this article, you can create a strong profile that showcases your brand, optimize your products and offers to attract more borrowers, leverage video and media to reach a wider audience, utilize reviews and ratings to build trust, and use analytics to track your performance and make data-driven decisions.

Remember, Smarter Loans is a powerful platform that can connect you with qualified borrowers and help you grow your lending business. By taking the time to optimize your listing and take advantage of all the tools and features available, you can set your business up for long-term success.

So don’t wait any longer – start implementing these strategies today and see the results for yourself. And if you have any questions or need additional assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Smarter Loans. We’re always here to help you succeed.

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Vlad Sherbatov

Vlad is the President and Co-Founder of Smarter Loans, Canada's original and largest loan comparison website. He is a passionate entrepreneur and business leader in the Canadian financial sector. He was selected as a 2019 Top 25 Leaders in Lending by the Canadian Lenders Association. Vlad is an author at Smarter Loans, and has been featured in publications like the Toronto Star and National Post, among others.