Guide to Mastering Social Media for Insurance Brokers

Social media marketing seems so easy on the one hand and yet so difficult on the other. It can even be intimidating to some degree. Many brokers make social media part of the overall marketing strategy, yet fail to achieve a decent return on investment. It doesn't have to be that way.

Do not give up on social media marketing if you don't feel you're getting enough for the time and effort you put into it. Instead, rethink the way you use social media. A simple change of direction might make all the difference in the world.

Still the Place to Be

Social media is still the place to be for insurance brokers. It gives brokers access to the largest possible audience along with the ability to micro-target specific segments of that audience based on marketing goals. If you're still not convinced of the value of social media for marketing purposes, check out these statistics from Trulist:

• 56.8% of the global population utilizes social media
• 54% of internet users research products via social media
• 64% make purchases after watching social media videos
• 33% prefer social media over telephone calls for interacting with brands

Estimates suggest that social media marketing could eclipse $223 billion in total spend this year. That is a lot of organizations spending on social media posts, ads, videos, etc.

How Social Media Contributes to Your Success

It's clear that people use and trust social media and make purchase decisions based partially on social media's influence. The employers, HR representatives, and benefits managers you work with every day are just as likely to be influenced by social media as the employees your benefit options target.

The number one rule of social media marketing is to avoid the temptation to sell, sell, sell. Social media is more about a conversation than anything else. It is a platform through which you can develop your brand. It's an avenue through which you can educate your followers about who you are, what you do, and how you can help them. Best of all, social media is the perfect tool for establishing authority within the insurance and benefits industry.

Recommended Social Media Channels

Your primary goal with social media marketing should be developing conversations that foster the growth of relationships between you and your clients. Use social media to develop your brand so that people think of you when the need for health insurance, retirement plans, and voluntary benefitscomes to mind. As for which social media channels you should use, the following platforms are popular choices because of their effectiveness and ease of use:

• LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the primary social media platform for business professionals. It's where you can make connections with industry colleagues and employers alike. LinkedIn also offers the opportunity to join professional groups where you can participate in potentially profitable discussions.
• Facebook: Facebook is a no-brainer because it is the undisputed champion of the social media world. It allows you to easily connect with friends and family members who could also be in need of your industry expertise and services. The three keys to Facebook marketing are avoiding long-winded posts, making regular use of images and videos, and offering a variety of content to keep things fresh.

Twitter and Instagram are possibilities as well. However, these two platforms work best with very short, simple, and concise content. Give them a try and see what happens.

When it comes to content, it’s recommended to cover a wide range of topics. Educate your audience with insurance tips, share best practices, answer frequently asked questions, and highlight client testimonials on how your insurance services positively impacted their business and employees. Just keep the content informational and relatable rather than being sales oriented.