There are plenty of activities in life that we have the best intentions to do… if we only had more time in the day! Exercising, reading a new book, and social media marketing are all things that tend to fall by the wayside when it gets busy. Don’t let your insurance company's online marketing become a failed experiment; keep reading for a few easy things you can do daily to see a return on your investment.

Post & Share Daily

Many insurance companies have a social media account, but they haven’t shared an update since 2011. This behavior reflects poorly on your organization, aim to create a consistent posting schedule. Shoot for once a day on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google+. On Twitter aim for once every hour to start.

If you don’t have the resources to meet this requirement, use some type of scheduling software to help you reach your posting goal. There are plenty of free platforms available to help businesses schedule social media posts in advance. That way instead of trying to find time every day, or on a day you know you will be particularly swamped, you don’t have to worry about finding time to post. Carve out an hour or two to schedule your whole week’s activity out in advance.

Cultivate an exciting library of industry thought leaders that you could post articles from so your social media doesn’t come off as, “salesy.” The goal of social media isn’t to push your products, but to build relationships. Break up your word posts with images, videos, and other colorful visuals such as infographics. Did you know visual content is 40xs more likely to get shared on social media than other types of content?

You might be thinking, “How is sharing a blog going to help me close more business?” Well, when potential customers are researching agents online, who do you think they’re going to be more inclined to contact for more information? The company up to date on the latest insurance news and trends, who is updating their website and content regularly, or the company that must be out of business because they haven’t even updated their status in a year?

Support Your Offline Marketing Tactics

Many businesses are still relying on offline, traditional marketing techniques because they don’t have the knowledge or resources to dive into digital marketing, plus it’s scary to implement an entirely new way of doing things. But did you know social media can be a free way to compliment your offline marketing actions? That’s right; it doesn’t have to be one or the other.

Using social media to tag yourself in tradeshows and utilize their specific event hashtag is a smart way to leverage your in-person conference marketing efforts online. This allows you to build relationships with others who attended the conference or those who couldn’t make it, so they are following the activities on social media. Make sure to share your booth number and a photo with the masses to draw a crowd.

It doesn’t have to stop there. Are you thinking about putting an ad into a paper or magazine? It’s not a bad idea considering there are many trusted sources for insurance professionals such Rough Notes and the Insurance Journal. While you’re working on a snappy paper ad creative, don’t forget to make a cohesive version you can share on your social profiles. Utilize the same imagery and offer so your paper and digital efforts work hand in hand to promote your message seamlessly across both audiences.

Word of Mouth

Word of mouth and referrals are crucial for customer acquisition. Facebook reviews are one area that insurance brokers, MGAs, and underwriters can utilize to help promote their work. Having a hard time gathering followers and reviews on your social media? After you’ve successfully finished a project, the best thing to do is to ask your client to fill out a review. Chances are, if they’re happy with your relationship and work, they will be glad to share their positive experience.

More importantly, make sure you respond to all reviews on social media and job sites, even if they’re scathingly negative. It shows that you’re open to criticism and that your company is capable of thoughtful self-reflection. Respecting clients, even when they’re mad, can stop a spark before it becomes a wildfire and hurts your online presence.

Another avenue to gain reviews and followers is a “tit for tat” route. Follow and interact with businesses you’d like to work with in the future. Once they realize you’re engaging and that you share related content it’s more likely they will follow back. On some channels, you’ll see businesses saying #FollowforFollow, which means precisely what you’d think. They’re trying to have a more significant audience and will scratch your back if you scratch theirs.

Digital marketing is continuing to evolve with technology. Now there are exciting possibilities in 360 video, virtual reality, and chatbots, but that doesn’t mean standard social media is going anywhere! For insurance companies, sites like LinkedIn and Facebook are goldmines for lead generation and customer relationship building. With these easy tips you’ll not only become an industry thought-leader, but your social media will grow into a powerful tool for inbound lead generation.

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