Social media is about connection. You may use it to facilitate your personal social life and you know that, as a businessperson, you can use social media to connect with your customers online. However, social media is an insurance marketing strategy that has benefits far beyond immediate sales to customers.
1.) It Puts a Human Face on Your Company
Connecting with customers on social media isn’t just about making the sale. In fact, your connections should have little to do with sales at all. Instead of sales pitches, connect with current and prospective customers in deeper ways. Profile a customer who is thankful for your services. Ask your customers about their insurance needs and what they want to know about insurance. Show them that you’re real people, and you’ll build a relationship that’s stronger than a one-time insurance sign up.
2.) It Can Strengthen Networks With Other Businesses
If you sell insurance to individuals, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter will likely yield the most traffic. However, if you sell insurance to organizations, you can use platforms such as LinkedIn to facilitate these interactions. Make B2B contacts by commenting, posting expert content, or approaching others on LinkedIn.
3.) Social Media Creates a Venue for Customer Service
When a customer is unhappy, that person may give you a call or send you an email. However, today there’s also the possibility that customers will go to social media and share their troubles with the world. Use your social media accounts to create an open and personable feel to your brand, then monitor them for discussions and concerns. Respond to them quickly and personally, and you’ll find that your customer service complaints go down because you’ve managed them preemptively online. If someone does respond or interact in an unpleasant way, be sure to reply in as positive and helpful a manner as possible: the rest of the social media world is watching.
4.) Your Business Can Go Local
As a small insurance agency, you want to reach your local audience and develop a strong base in your community. Social media allows you to do this with ease. You can not only use local content in your posts, you can use local hashtags and Facebook’s local business ads to drive customers to your business. Local ads can even include a map and directions, so those prospective customers who need to renew their auto insurance ASAP can visit you immediately.
5.) It’s One of Your Long Term Insurance Marketing Strategies
Since social media is about creating connections, it’s a long term play. You might think that posting a Twitter announcement will improve your sales, and you could be right. However, the biggest impact of social media is not on your short term sales, it’s on your long-term relationships with customers. By connecting with customers and sharing content on social media, you establish yourself as an expert in your field, and your business will spring to mind the next time someone needs a referral.
When you’re trying to expand your real life social network, turn to the American Agents Alliance. We’re here to support the development of your insurance business. With conferences, education, and networking opportunities look to the American Agents Alliance: contact us about our many membership benefits today.
