With more than one billion people actively using it each month, Facebook is without a doubt the biggest social network. A Facebook Page is a platform from which you can engage with your customers in ways you never could before. It’s a chance for you to get personal and show a side of your insurance agency your customers might not usually see.
To get started on your Facebook Page, click on the “Create a Page” link at the bottom of the news feed in your personal account. If you don’t have a personal account, you can go here to create your Page.
Choose your type of Facebook Page. Note: for a local business, you will need to add address, city, zip code and phone number. Agree to the Facebook Pages Terms and hit the Get Started button.
Upload your logo or a picture that represents your insurance agency. This is your avatar or picture, that will show up with your name in your followers’ news feeds. Click the Save Photo button.
Write a description of your insurance agency. A great source for this section is the About Us page of your website. Speaking of, add your website URL and other related links, such as your blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yelp, etc. Basically, wherever your insurance agency might be online, be sure to include those links here. This step is very important for search engine optimization. You can also modify or add to this section in the future. Click the Save Info button.
Enter your unique Facebook web address. This unique address will make your page: www.facebook.com/youragencyname. This cannot be modified in the future, but if you skip this step, you can choose it in the future by going to Update Info page.
Your Page is created, but you’re not done. The new Timeline allows Pages to post cover photos like personal profiles. This cover photo is 851 x 315 pixels and is a great place to get creative. Choose a photo that represents your brand. Some agencies choose a picture of their entire team. I’ve also seen agencies use photos of their offices or the header from their websites. Facebook has a policy of what cannot be included in cover photos:
– Price or purchase information, such as “Cheapest Rates!”
– Contact information, such as website URL, email, phone number, mailing address or other information that should go in the About section
– References to Facebook actions or features, such as Like or Share
– Calls to action, such as “Get a quote now” or “Tell your friends”Now Facebook features photos, likes map and apps at the top of your page below your cover photo. Photos are automatically included in the first spot, but you can rearrange the others to feature whatever is important to you.
You can fill up your Timeline with your insurance agency’s milestones like when you were founded or a new location opened. Just click on the Event, Milestone + link in the status box on your page, then click Milestone. Name the event and add a date. You can also include a story about that milestone and add pictures. Click Save.
You’re done! You can start inviting friends and insurance clients to like your page, posting updates and sharing content. One last thing, like our Facebook Page from yours, and we’ll like you back.
About the Author: Laird Rixford, vice president of product development at Insurance Technologies Corporation (ITC), currently consults agencies nationwide on their online marketing initiatives. Laird and the Insurance Website Builder team have launched more than 2,000 insurance agency websites nationwide. In addition to Insurance Website Builder, Laird has designed the AgencyBuzz drip email marketing and lead management solution exclusively for the insurance industry. To learn more about ITC and its products and services for insurance agents, visit www.GetITC.com.
