Is your social media not working? Ever feel like you’re talking into the social media mic, but no one is listening? The honest truth is that not every tip or social media plan works for every insurance agency. There could be any number of reasons why the tips and tricks you’ve tried do not seem to resonate with your followers. If you’ve tried social media, but it’s not working, you’ve probably been looking online to social media articles like this one for advice. If you’ve tried the ideas in those articles and your audience still isn’t responding, it may not be the advice or implementation of those ideas. It might be the social network you’re using, your expectations, or your audience’s comfort level with that social network.
To find out, compare the age and demographic data from your social network to that of your target audience. Imagine your target audience is made up of young African-American or Hispanic young adults, who are more likely to use Twitter and Instagram. If you are not seeing engagement on Facebook, it may be because your audience is spending their time on Twitter or Instagram instead. If you haven’t yet identified your target audience, you need to do so. Knowing who your target audience is will help you focus your agency marketing, not just online but also offline, and make it easier to engage them. This recent Pew Internet study has some interesting data on the different demographics for the main social networks that could be useful to you in determining what network your target audience is using. You can also poll your current clients and find out what networks they use. These three tips will help you adapt the tips you read in social media articles to the needs of your specific audience.
Where to Be
Facebook and Twitter may seem like the obvious social media choice. However, if you have abandoned your profiles because of the lack of engagement, you are doing more harm than good to your business. When someone finds your abandoned profile, they will presume you will approach their needs with the same lack of enthusiasm. What did you find out when reevaluated your audience and their preferred social networks? You may have discovered that your audience is using different networks. If that’s the case, set aside the obvious choice, and focus your marketing efforts on where you will get noticed.
What Works
There are many different types of social posts you can use: images, polls, text updates and links to name a few. Try as many as you can, and see what works for your agency. Post at different times of the day and on different days of the week to identify the optimal times and days for engagement. Keep in mind that while engagement is always nice, at this early stage, your goal is to gather data. Social media articles can’t tell you what will work best for your audience so you need to gather your own data and use your own metrics.
Find Your Loudest Fans
As you continue to post, you will discover the followers who are more engaged than others. Pay attention to the types of content they engage with. Use this information to refine your social media strategy to include the content that appeals to these followers.
Bottom Line
If your social media efforts are not working, reevaluate your strategy. Find where your clients are, and meet them there. Experiment with different tactics and gather data to help you.
About the Author: Entrepreneur and technology consultant Laird Rixford is the president of Insurance Technologies Corporation (ITC.). Founded in 1983, ITC provides marketing, rating and management software and services to the insurance industry, including independent agents and insurance carriers. Rixford oversees the direction for each of ITC’s products while also leading the company’s sales and marketing departments. His philosophy is to become a strategic partner with agents and carriers instead of being just another vendor.
