INSURANCE AGENTS
What can Social Media do for my agency? | How do I use Social Media?
Where should I start? | Reality Check
Can I get help, is there a turnkey solution? | Let's get started!
WHAT EXPERTS IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY ARE SAYING ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA:
- Independent Agent Magazine, May 2009: “Find Us on Facebook” - ...“I think (social media) will be a significant part of our agency’s growth and a way to build customer loyalty,” said Higgins. “The more links you have out there, the more positive it can be.”
- Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America: “Empowering a Cultural Transformation” - ...“Web 2.0 culture in not a passing fad. It’s a long-term hard trend that has significant implications on how your agency can most effectively interact and communicate with your prospects, customers and employees. Only by understanding Web 2.0 culture (technology and trends) will you be armed with the knowledge necessary to create and implement appropriate strategies to tap into and profit from the Web 2.0 culture.”
WHAT CAN SOCIAL MEDIA DO FOR MY AGENCY?
Social Media can increase your reach and depth exponentially. It is a powerful way to connect with and influence people.
If you are seen in the community, then the community expects to see you online.
You interact with clients and prospects in-person. You interact over the telephone, with mail and with email.
Building and nurturing relationships is the lifeblood of an insurance agent’s success.
Social media has now become an expected part of the relationship mix. People are using social media to interact, to engage, to build relationships. They use social media to get information and more importantly, to find recommendations.
Clients and potential clients are looking for you in all the right online places.
- Recruiting - both future employees and accounts
- Branding - represent your brand anywhere you can
- Call to action - post offers to your fan base
- Build Awareness - reminder them of your agency
- Internal Market Research - post questions and see what your fan base thinks
- Networking - people like to do business with people they know (or first hand referrals)
- Most important of all - allows you to listen, you may be surprised at what you learn.
Like all relationship activities, Social Media takes a long term commitment and an understanding of the game.
The Social Media formula is:
Content creates Conversations creates Relationships
Some of the ways in which agents can use Social Media:
- Educate clients and potential clients with information and tools
- Give your clients a voice and a place to connect with others. Allow your followers to post comments, tips, ideas, even criticism.
- Provide instant customer service and answers to questions
- Generate awareness, recommendations and referrals through the conversations of your community
- Give potential clients an open window into your personality, who you are, what you stand for, what sets you apart
- Conduct research with online surveys and use it to make changes to your customer service or selling strategy
- Feature clients’ stories on your social media sites. Feature their businesses.
- Publicize worthwhile events in the community.
- Don’t sell. You earn the right to sell by providing content.
Social Media is all about CONTENT that is valuable and relevant to your target audience (which you want to turn into a community).