Tweet! Tweet! No, that's not the birds chirping in the summer sky, it's the sound of your computer or phone as you scroll down through your Twitter feed. Twitter is an excellent way to network and share information, but it can also be overwhelming when you're trying to get used to this fast-moving social network. Here's how to get Twitter working for your insurance agency marketing.
1. Be Selective About Who You Follow
On Twitter, you follow people and organizations and they may follow you. These may be two separate groups, although they likely have some overlap. You get followers through marketing, content, and engagement, but you choose who you want to follow. Do this carefully. Choose people or organizations you'd like to network with or those who have engaging content that you can see yourself sharing with your own followers. Look at the volume of each of the people you follow to make sure one follower won't dominate your Twitter feed.
2. Retweet and Respond
Twitter is a conversation, and one of the ways that you participate in that conversation is by retweeting what others have to say. You can also respond to questions and comments from those you'd like to connect with, strengthening your engagement with those individuals or organizations.
3. Engage in Many Different Ways
If you stood in a room at social event and constantly talked about yourself, you'd be a poor conversationalist. The same goes for your Twitter feed. Talk about yourself, but ask questions of others, give them great information, and retweet information, quotes, or questions from those you follow. Diversity is the key to your success.
4. Commit to the Discussion
Sometimes your tweets will start a discussion, and that can be a good thing, as long as you're able to engage. Make sure that you have someone in your company who can commit to dialogue with your customers so that Twitter becomes not just a tool to send out information but a discussion between you and your customers.
5. Be Aware of Volume
Whether you're sending out tweets or watching them flow through your Twitter feed, the sheer volume of information on Twitter can be overwhelming. When you're sending out information, four tweets a day is usually enough to keep you in your customers' minds. If you need to do less, be strategic about when you send your tweets and make them valuable. On the flip side, try not to overwhelm your followers' Twitter feeds with your tweets.
6. Consider When You Tweet
While Facebook tends to be the social media venue that people use in their free time, Twitter is quite active during work hours. It's also hopping on the weekend, as people catch up on their reading. If you're trying to capture your audience, remember that your tweets are bound to be lost in the shuffle if you send them at the wrong time. Distribute them throughout the day and throughout the week.
7. Think About Your Brand When You're Using Twitter for Insurance Agency Marketing
As with any social media venue, you need to consider how what you tweet influences your brand image. If you send out something that you find funny but that offends many of your followers, you could hurt your brand. Create a corporate tone and a policy about what sort of content you'll post and retweet, and monitor customers' reactions closely.
When you're planning to network, Agents Alliance can help. With a free legal hotline, discounts, and agency consulting services, we're the network for insurance agents. Contact us about membership today.
