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I can’t stress enough how important it is to engage on social media for your insurance agency’s digital marketing strategy. There are many avenues that you can post to via social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest just to name a few. Here’s the thing though, if you’re looking for an engaging following that will help you and your insurance agency grow, then you can’t just post and walk away. When you join a social network and engage in conversations online, you have to continue engaging your audience. People appreciate consistency, so let’s talk about a few ways you can give back to your network by checking in with them from time to time.

The Purpose behind Responding

There are multiple reasons you’ll want to check in with your audience on a regular basis. If you’re looking for ways to connect to your audience, you have to engage in the social world. It’s a two way street folks. Here’s another thing to think about: if you open up a twitter account, and only post a couple of times, how does that make your agency look online? That’s like pulling up to a business that hasn’t had their “open” sign on the door in months. You don’t want to look abandoned, so it’s important to be consistent and post regularly. It’s also important to realize that people are more prone to buy into your brand if a personal connection is established. Statistics show that:

• Customers will spend 21% more if they receive good customer service via social media (provided by Sentiment Metrics)
• 1 in 3 users prefer to contact brands using social media rather than the telephone (provided by Nielson)
• 71% of 16 to 64 year-olds turn to the internet when they have a problem with a product (provided by Sitel)
• 71% of consumers who experience a quick and effective brand response on social media are likely to recommend that brand to others (provided by Social Media Today)

It should be apparent that people want to establish a personal connection with brands when it comes to shopping online or getting custom service. Shockingly, only 36% of consumers that make customer service inquiries via social media report having their issue solved quickly and effectively (stat provided by NM Incite), and that is a number we need to increase if we want the engagement that we are looking for. Let’s dive into the “how” behind this strategy.

The Art of Social Response

Checking into the social world can be done many different ways, so let’s talk about some of the methods that we find most effective. First of all, when people comment or share your posts, let them know that you appreciate it. If they ask a question in the comments section of your blog or show some form of concern or worry, address it immediately. If they are providing input on a discussion that you started, thank them for their opinion and see if you can add some insight yourself in return. You need to show people that, when they knock, you’ll answer. Also, when your audience gives you a follow on your network, you can give them a follow back (so long as they are posting appropriate content – it’s important that you check before you follow them). Here are some more things that you can do to engage your audience.

When you follow members of your network, it’s important to engage in their content as well. The key to a powerful social media following is to engage, engage, and engage some more. Here are a few examples of how we engage within our networks in house, and again these fundamentals can be applied to all social media platforms:

• Video Postings: We take the time to post videos to our followers, specifically during special events such as birthdays or holidays. In this example, we post to our prospect’s timeline, include a moving GIF image to catch their attention, and a link to our video to wish them a happy birthday.  Not only that, but we tag Paradiso Insurance to draw visibility back to our page as well.

• Commenting/Liking/Sharing Posts: When you see your network posting about things they are excited about, such as promotions, new business opportunities, charity/volunteer work, or any other milestones they are happy about, give them a like, or a simple congratulatory message to show you care. Also, and this is equally as important, if someone comments on any of your posts, the least you can do is like their comment. If you have some engaging feedback of your own though, don’t be afraid to comment back.  It’s also a good idea to share posts, but just make sure they are appropriate for your brand.

• Pay to Play: If you’re not a payer, you’re not a player; you’re going to want to do a few sponsored posts. Once a post reaches 10-15 likes, by paying to promote it, you’ll reach many more people. That’s no joke because social networks like Facebook & Twitter are in control and they want your money. Just be careful in selecting what you pay to promote, and remember that it’s better to pay for posts that already have a fair amount of engagement (likes or comments) already on them.

• A Few Other Takeaways: Social media marketing is about building the widest audience you can so that your insurance agency’s message is seen by as many eyes as possible. You can reach more prospects by building trust, and being real. When it comes to engaging your following, be personable, and aim to be the type of person you’d like to follow or connect with. Not only that, but when people express problems or concerns on social media, promptly respond to them.

Consistency is Key

This is something I mention in a lot of my writing, but consistency is the key ingredient that is going to pull this formula together. There should be consistency in your postings as well, including what time you post, where you post, and what you post, but right now let’s just focus on responding in the social world. You or your marketing team should be checking up on your social networks multiple times a day, at least once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening. If you leave your audience waiting around for a response, they will think that you either forgot about them, or they simply aren’t a priority to you. Be consistent in engaging your following, and they will likely return the favor.

Here’s where the magic happens folks; for every person that you engage within your network, their entire network will see it. For instance, if you get your customer “Jack Smith” to start commenting on your posts on Facebook, a lot of Jack’s Facebook friends will see an update that said “Jack Smith commented on ABC Insurance’s post.” This works for any social media platform, and is very powerful in expanding your network.  That’s free marketing. By building a strong, and engaged following, you’ll be able to reach a wider audience. If that’s not screaming ROI, I’m not sure what will.

Happy Marketing everyone!