As an insurance agent, you already know the importance of connecting with your clients and prospective clients. After all, today’s policyholders not only expect but demand a personalized level of care and attention from their insurance agents.
From both a communications and marketing standpoint, being active on social media can be a great way to potentially gain new clients, engage with customers, and build your reputation as an insurance agent.
Of course, winning at social media can be easier said than done. We’ve got some practical tips to help insurance agents like you get started.
1. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Begin by having a solid understanding of your target audience and the specific social media platforms they’re using. This will vary, of course, depending on the type of insurance you offer and your target demographics.
For example, a younger audience of Millennials shopping for renters insurance or auto insurance may be more likely to be on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat than LinkedIn.
Tailoring your efforts to the right platforms based on existing knowledge of your customer base will help you get off on the right foot.
2. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RESOURCES
Publishing content regularly and staying active on social media can be a time-consuming task—and you likely have enough on your plate as it is.
Make sure you take advantage of resources and tools, such as post-scheduling and publishing software, to automate your social media activity as much as possible.
Hootsuite, for example, is a well known Social Media Management System that helps you stay on top of many different aspects of your social media pages.
3. GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR CONTENT
Publishing content regularly on your social media pages isn’t always enough to keep your customer base engaged. In order to encourage “shares” and interaction with your client base, your content needs to be truly unique. This is where it pays to get as creative as possible with the content you post.
For example, if you’re writing a blog post on an auto insurance topic to share on social media, do your best to take a new angle or approach that hasn’t already been beat to death by other insurance agents. Surprising headlines, the use of imagery, and other creative steps can help you take your content to the next level and truly invite your audience to interact with it.
On the same note, don’t be afraid to branch out and publish content in mediums other than just text. On social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, video and imagery are the true stars. Even Facebook has fun features you can use to your advantage, such as 360 imagery/video and live video.
4. INCORPORATE SOCIAL MEDIA INTO MARKETING
If you haven’t done so already, now is also a good time to make sure that you’re inviting people to “follow” or “like” your agency’s social media pages on all your marketing materials both on- and offline.
Adding your Twitter handle or a link to your business Facebook page to brochures and business cards is a good place to start. Make sure that you’ve also integrated social media buttons on your agency website, and that all of your website’s blog posts have buttons or links that allow readers to quickly and easily “share” the content on their preferred social media platform.
5. SHARE CLIENT TESTIMONIALS AND REVIEWS
Social media is an excellent place to share excerpts and quotes from gleaming reviews and client testimonials. Some social media platforms, such as Facebook, allow you to set up a section dedicated to reviews. Don’t hesitate to reach out to past satisfied clients here and ask them to leave a review on your page.
Even if you already have existing testimonials that are published on your website or elsewhere, you might consider taking screenshots of them and posting them to your social media page for added exposure.
6. BE DILIGENT ABOUT RESPONDING
Last but not least, remember that at the end of the day, social media is all about interacting with others. While it’s true that you should be publishing content regularly, it’s just as important to make sure you’re engaging back and forth with users who comment on your posts.
Never let a question go unanswered, and take the time to follow up with anybody who sends you a private message. Yes, this will require some time and diligence on your part, but seeing you interact with others helps to humanize your brand and encourage further engagement with your page.
These are just a few of the countless ways insurance agents can use social media to their advantage from a marketing standpoint. With these tips in mind, you’ll be raking in new followers (and potential clients) using social media in no time!
