If someone told you five years ago that you’d be selling insurance on social media, you’d probably have laughed. But today you’re reading, not laughing.
The fact is, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even Instagram are all great opportunities for insurance sales, for both your web leads and your aged leads.
Despite its gimmicky appearance, selling on social media isn’t the latest fad. It’s simply where smart sales agents are turning their focus because that’s where their customers are.
As early as 2015, social media was surpassing organic search as the top website referral traffic source. In the years since, social media has become an even bigger part of people’s lives, and targeting, analytics, and sharing algorithms continue to improve.
In today’s post, I’m going to share some social media marketing basics, plus some specific creative ideas for nurturing and selling to your social media audience.
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Social media marketing basics to get you started
Just where do you start with your social media lead gen and marketing work?
Watch and learn
Well, first sign up for one or more of the big social media platforms. Facebook and Twitter are good places to start. Then, observe.
“Follow” (or “like” as the case may be) some brands, news sources, or popular personalities. Take note of how people interact with each other and with brands like yours.
Each social media platform will be slightly different, though there are general patterns that hold true for many corners of the web.
Put yourself out there
The only way to learn and get better is to try. So start posting after you get a hang of the basics.
Don’t worry if you don’t have fans fawning over you immediately. It takes time to hit your stride, and, if it makes you feel better, the average social post has a half-life of a few minutes, so just carry on if no one laughs at your joke or comments on your office photo.
Post about interesting industry-adjacent topics
Since this will be social media with business intent, think strategically about what content you put out. It should all make sense from an insurance customer perspective.
Think car maintenance tips, household spring cleaning, retiree health, and fitness—whatever fits with your lines of business, i.e., auto insurance, home mortgage refi, Medicare supplement, etc.
Just don’t hit people over the head with hard sells or post only pictures of your little one’s chinchilla.
Be consistent
A big factor in being seen in your followers’ social media timelines is posting consistently. The algorithm punishes business pages that post in fits and starts with low visibility.
Users themselves tend to be annoyed when a page that has gone silent suddenly posts a firehose of content, too. Instead make a point to post daily, a few times a week, etc., and generally stick to it. There are also social media management tools if you prefer to schedule posts ahead of time.
Promote your social presence
Lastly, don’t forget to tell your current clients, your network, and your friends and family that your agency is now on social media. There are widgets for integrating your social media content into the sidebar of your website and blog.
You can also add social icons to your website, email signature, lead gen page, or even your business cards. And don’t feel shy about asking your biggest fans to share your page or your social posts, and help grow your social following.
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Creative ideas for your insurance content on social media
Of course, you’ll grow your following faster and larger the more interesting and useful the content that you post. This is where your creativity comes in.
On social media, you should generally always avoid the hard sell. Instead, you want to subtly remind clients and prospects of your existence, add value to their online experience with good and interesting content, and build a positive, favorable reputation for your brand.
Here are some content ideas that might help:
- Post stories about saving clients money: Everyone loves a good, memorable story — especially when it has a happy ending for your insurance customers. Give some details — perhaps the type of car that was insured, or some detail about how they chose to go with your agency — and most importantly, the success that this decision led to.
- Post the bad stories too: The other side of the happy ending client story is the horror story about that person who didn’t buy life insurance or had a bad experience with a competitor. These negative stories can be just as persuasive as your own agency’s positive tales.
- Announce new product lines or coverage options: When you expand your business or begin selling new products, let your followers know. Make sure to personalize it—explain how this new product is great for people who… and fill in the blank.
- Cross-sell to your current clientele: Many of your biggest social media fans are already going to be customers. They’ve already bought and they only have so many cars or homes to insure. Use your platform to advertise other lines of insurance you sell, remind clients to refer their friends, and so on.
- Share positive testimonials: On social media, one of the most powerful marketing tools is social proof. The word of another person just like your target can go a long way toward a sale. So when you have ecstatic customers, ask if you can use their glowing reviews as a testimonial on your website and social media.
- Educate through infographics and visual content: People tend to process visual information much more quickly than text. Incorporate infographics and other visual content to explain complex insurance concepts in a simple, digestible manner. This not only provides value to your audience but also increases the shareability of your posts, extending your reach.
- Engage with polls and surveys: Interactive content, like polls or surveys, can be an effective way to engage your audience. Ask questions relevant to your line of business. For instance, you could ask about their biggest concerns when buying insurance, or their understanding of certain insurance terms. This serves two purposes. It boosts engagement and provides insights into your audience’s preferences and needs.
- Host live Q&A sessions: Take advantage of live video features on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Host live Q&A sessions where you answer common insurance questions, offer advice, or discuss current insurance trends. This not only establishes your expertise but also allows for real-time interaction with your audience, fostering a more personal connection.
- Highlight community involvement: If your agency is involved in community events or charities, highlight this on social media. Show your company’s human side and commitment to giving back. This can greatly enhance your brand’s reputation and make your clients feel good about doing business with you.
Social media is a powerful platform for selling insurance when used creatively.
By providing valuable content that resonates with your audience, you can build a strong online presence and convert followers into clients.
Leveraging social media analytics to boost insurance sales
It’s one thing to use social media to sell insurance but another thing entirely to track your results and use the data accordingly. Here are three tips for leveraging social media analytics to boost insurance sales.
1. Analyze your audience
Use social media analytics to understand your audience better. Look at the demographic data of your followers, such as their age, location, and interests. This will help you tailor your content to attract the right audience and potential leads.
If you’re selling auto insurance, for instance, you might target younger adults who are likely to be new car owners, whereas if you’re selling life insurance, your target audience might be older adults thinking about their family’s future.
2. Monitor engagement metrics
Pay attention to the types of posts that get the most likes, comments, and shares. This will help you understand what kind of content resonates with your audience.
Is it infographics on the importance of having insurance? Or is it customer testimonials that generate the most engagement? Use these insights to create similar content and drive more engagement, which in turn can lead to more sales.
3. Track conversions
Most social media platforms provide tools to help track conversions — from click-through rates to completed lead forms or sales. Use these tools to identify which posts are not only driving engagement but also leading to tangible results.
This will allow you to identify successful strategies and focus your efforts in the right direction. For instance, if a certain type of post consistently drives users to fill out a quote request form, that’s a good sign you should replicate this approach in future posts.
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Challenges of selling insurance on social media
While social media is one of the best ways to find, engage, and sell to prospects, it’s not always easy.
Understanding your target audience
The first challenge when selling insurance on social media is fully understanding your target audience. The digital world is dynamic, with users’ preferences and behaviors constantly evolving. It’s vital to stay informed about these changes and adapt your marketing strategy accordingly.
For example, younger users might be more receptive to video content on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, whereas older demographics might prefer text-based content on Facebook or LinkedIn. Consequently, producing content that doesn’t resonate with your audience will lead to a lack of engagement and missed sales opportunities.
Managing social media algorithms
Social media platforms use algorithms to determine which content is displayed to users and when. These algorithms change frequently and can significantly affect your content visibility.
They prioritize content that generates high engagement, meaning you need to create content that not only appeals to your audience but also prompts likes, comments, and shares.
This can be a complex task given the technical nature of insurance products and services, making it challenging to produce consistently engaging content.
Maintaining consistency and frequency
Another challenge of selling insurance on social media is maintaining a consistent and frequent posting schedule. The algorithms of most platforms favor accounts that post regularly.
However, continually creating high-quality content that educates, entertains, and engages your audience can be time-consuming and requires a high level of creativity.
Infrequent posting or large gaps between posts may lead to decreased visibility and follower engagement.
Balancing promotional and value-added content
Promoting insurance products on social media isn’t about constant hard selling. Overly promotional content can alienate followers and result in lower engagement.
Instead, a successful social media strategy involves a careful balance between promotional content and value-added content that informs, educates, and engages.
This can be particularly challenging in the insurance sector, where the intricacies of products can be difficult to communicate effectively in a non-promotional way.
Measuring success and ROI
Measuring the success of social media efforts and the return on investment (ROI) is a common challenge. Although platforms provide a range of metrics such as likes, shares, and followers, these don’t always translate directly into sales.
Moreover, the journey from a social media interaction to a final insurance sale can be long and complex, making it difficult to attribute a specific sale to a particular social media activity.
Insurance agents need to define clear, measurable goals and use analytics to track progress and adjust their strategies based on these insights.
Now that you understand the challenges, you can better plan to overcome them with your sales strategy.
Selling insurance on social media summary
Social media insurance marketing is nothing to count out. This is a real platform where you can generate real leads, build your brand, nurture leads to a closed sale, gain referrals, and more.
It can take a bit of practice to get the hang of social media if you’re new to the game, but the results are worth it. Your customers and leads aren’t going anywhere, they’ll still be on Facebook and Twitter next year, so you might as well join them and introduce yourself.
You’ll find thousands of sortable aged leads, ready to boost your sales, whether your business is auto, life, health, Medicare supplement or homeowners insurance, annuities, auto warranty coverage, mortgage refinance, or solar installation.
