Google Tip #7935426

Another tip that Google doesn't want you to know...

Happy Friday!

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.

Masters of Marketing: How to Write an Effective Email

Presentation slides from the April 5th Masters of Marketing webinar from Insurance Technologies Corporation, presented by Jennifer Fitzsimmons, AgencyBuzz Coordinator. Get more information on Insurance Agency Email Marketing. If you would like to join us every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. Central when we discuss marketing tips, you can register here.

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Tip of the Iceberg

This is your Fun Friday posting, but it's actually a very honest depiction:

Be sure you let this one sink in!

Secret to Success

Here's a little tip that Google probably doesn't want you to know...

Happy Friday!

Let's Talk Expiration Dates

You've heard it time and time again. Content is King.

To show how your content is a reflection of your site to Google, let's consider expiration dates.

Somewhere, either sitting in your refrigerator, on your kitchen counter, under the seat in your car, or at your desk, you probably have food that will one day go bad. It will eventually sit there too long, start to grow mold, eventually stink up everything, and you will finally throw it out. Imagine if Google viewed your site the way you view that food.

Well it does. Kinda.

Google wants to expose its users to fresh sites. That means it will take note of sites that are updated often and updated with meanigful changes. Sites that are left too long and become stale will be tossed aside and may never be served up as a search result. So if it hasn't been stressed enough already, keep your site fresh.

How often should a site be updated? Often. Weekly, if possible.

How much should a site be updated? A lot. More should be changed than just the date, navigation, or advertisement.

What kind of content should be added to the site? New Pages. Not just new content on existing pages. Google wants to provide new value, so it wants to find new pages.

As a bonus, here's an infographic from bitrebels to further breakdown how to make your content King.

Anatomy of a Social Consumer [Infographic]

58% of consumers connect with brands on social media because they are a customer. When one follower shares information about you or something you've posted or written on social media, on average 77 people are reached. This can have a profound impact on increasing your agency's awareness. This infographic has more information and stats on how consumers are interacting with brands on social media.

Source:truaxis.com

How to Share Interesting Content on Social Media

There are countless articles online about social media, how to use it for business, how to engage your audience on social media, etc. etc. Almost always one of the tips include sharing content on social media your audience will find interesting. But how do you know what content to share?

Sharing content that you didn't write is called content curation. It can be a great way to be seen as knowledgeable and to build your social media audience.

Here are 4 tips to help you decide what content to share with your audience:

1. Be curious.

If you are curious about the same things your audience is curious about, posting articles that share in that knowledge and curiosity will be interesting and engaging.

2. Make the connections for them.

Ever see an article that is not directly about insurance, but you see how it could apply to insurance? Post it. There is no reason why you can't share seemingly unrelated content. Just make sure you make the connection for your audience when sharing.

3. Get excited.

When you get excited about an article, it shows when you share it with your audience. Your audience will respond to your enthusiasm. So if that article you found made you excited, share away!

4. Think about your audience.

Share content that is of interest to your audience. Strive for a balance of articles that you like with articles your audience will find interesting.

Masters of Marketing: Advanced Websites for Insurance Agents

Here's the presentation from today's Masters of Marketing webinar on Advanced Websites for Insurance Agents. If you would like to join us every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. Central when we discuss marketing tips, you can register here.

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