Insurance agencies are told repeatedly they MUST have active social network sites, yet not enough do. Social networking is a business marketing tactic that is particularly suitable to insurance, whether your customers are businesses, individuals, or both. The most common networks are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. They can be intimidating, especially if you have had no exposure to them or their concept/function doesn’t match your personal style. However, don’t allow your personal feelings about social networks to eclipse their value to your insurance agency. It’s time to get started.
So, why, exactly, do you need to bother with social networks? A top criteria for a buyer selecting an insurance agency is trust, and this is heavily influence by getting to know the agency and receiving recommendations. Social media is the best vehicle available to you for this. Following are six reasons why you should start or strengthen your social networking program.
1) They enable word of mouth advertising to spread over the Internet through networks of people who share, link, follow and influence one another. Buyers are five times more likely to buy based on a peer recommendation than an advertisement.
2) They provide an environment for your customers to share their views, compliments and suggestions. This level of engagement bolsters customer retention and recruitment.
3) They give your insurance agency the opportunity to interact with your target audience so you can gain insights about their needs, concerns, buying criteria and more.
4) They provide one more opportunity for an insurance buyer to find you on the Internet. If you are mindful to use keywords in your social network content, search engines may lead a prospect to your social network company page before your website for a given topic.
5) They positively impact your search ranking. The more a particular page on your social network gets linked through the “share” feature and the more visitors link from your social network pages to your website, the higher your chances are for an improved search ranking.
6) They help extend and demonstrate your brand and key differentiators. The social nature of these platforms allows you to better show the personality of your agency.
The business imperative for insurance agencies to adopt a social network program is clear. However, the concept can still be intimidating. Social Networks can be perceived as requiring technical knowledge and lots of time for constant updating and writing. These are both myths, well partial myths. Social networks have become quite user-friendly, but the more you know about them the more you can maximize use of their many features and functionality. And they do require time and attention but there are many existing tools to help minimize this work.
Cazador makes it easy for insurance agencies across the country to have a successful social network marketing program. We set them up, customize them, post frequent and engaging content, and handily manage multiple networks at once for our clients. If you would like to learn more about all or a few of these services, feel free to contact me at shelley@cazadorassociates.com or 855-CAZADOR, x703.
