The Recipe for Insurance Agency Social Media Success

Social media is an important part of any online marketing plan. Why? Because more than 80% of all Americans use social media. Consumers use social media as part of their research process and to ask for recommendations on products and services. Including insurance. Here are some tweets I found in a Twitter search for "recommend insurance" last week:

As you can see, people really do use social media to find insurance.

Social media is not difficult. Once you start using it, you quickly figure out what kind of information your audience wants, and you can adapt your posts accordingly. Here's our recipe for Social Media Success to get you started.

Recipe for Insurance Agency Social Media Success

Total time: Consistent Use | Serves: One insurance agency | Level: Easy

An Awesome Social Media Profile

Ingredients:

   Basic information - the who, what, where

   Website URL and other contact information

   Pictures and graphics

Directions:

1. Pick which social networks to join. There are so many that it would be impossible to be successful on them all. So decide which few make the most sense for you and your agency, and concentrate your social media efforts on that handful.
2. Fill in your profile as much as possible. Use every character, every field that is available to you to describe your agency and what you do. It is also a good idea to tell prospective followers what kind of information they can expect to see if they follow you whether it's promotions, educational information or a combination of both. Use keywords where possible.
3. Add as many pictures and graphics as you can. 

Insurance Agency Social Media Success

Ingredients:

   One Awesome Social Media Profile

   Interesting Content

   Audience Engagement

   Promotion

   Fun

Directions:

1. Once your Awesome Social Media Profile is complete, start sharing content daily. There are many different kinds of content. You can share general posts about insurance meant to encourage your audience to contact you for more information. For example, "Every season has its own liability risks for homeowners, drivers and businesses. Contact us to find out how you can be ready for each season." You can also share your blog posts if you're blogging or different pages of your insurance website that provide information and tips like your free reports, customer service forms or insurance glossary. And there's also content curation, which is sharing content you didn't write, and community news and events.
2. After you find daily routine of posting and sharing, start engaging with your audience. Thank people who follow you. When someone shares good news, congratulate them. If someone asks a question, if you know the answer or can provide a recommendation, do so. Even if it's not about insurance. This is where your skills in customer service and building relationships can come in handy. Just as you would engage with someone in the real world to start a relationship, so you should online. Ask questions, talk to people, join in the discussion. Remember our examples from above? If they were in your target area, answering their questions would be a perfect example of an opportunity to engage with someone through social media.
3. Add just a pinch of promotion to season your social media efforts. The hard sell does not work on social media. People are immediately turned off when you try to sell them. Keep a good ratio of promotional posts with non-promotional posts. A good rule of thumb for social networks where posting several times throughout the day is common, like Twitter, would be for every 1 promotional post, you should share 9 that are non-promotional. For social networks where posting once a day is more common, like Facebook or LinkedIn, the ratio is more like 1 in 4. Don't forget to add social media buttons to your email signature, your website, brochures, etc. to make it easy for your customers and prospects to follow you.
4. Sprinkle some fun into your social media efforts. Share funny videos, pictures or jokes. Show you and your staff having fun with what you do. Social media is an ideal place to let your hair down, not be so serious and share why you love what you do.