The most effective social media for insurance agents follows a proven strategy. With a new year about to begin, now is a perfect time to plan your digital outreach for 2023.
To start, there’s a variety of social media outlets, but if you’re looking for a big metaphorical bang for your buck—or time—, let’s focus on Facebook. It’s the undisputed heavyweight of social media with:
- 2.94 billion monthly active users
- 1.96 billion daily users
Those impressive numbers also include Facebook’s affiliated platforms, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
If you’re looking for eyeballs, Facebook is too big to ignore. It’s also where you’ll find 59 percent of all social media users and 63.7 percent of the U.S. population over the age of 13. In addition, users spend an average of 19.5 hours on Facebook each month.
You won’t be treading new territory. According to Facebook’s numbers, more than 200 million small businesses globally posted on the platform in 2021.
Facebook insurance posts make up a chunk of that 200 million. Insurance companies reach an audience size on the site five times larger than on any other social media.
You can look at those numbers in two ways:
- bad for you because so many messages are out there competing with your message
- good for you because, through trial and error, old hands have discovered what works
Since there’s nothing you can do about the bad, it only makes sense to focus on the good. As you boldly delve into the world of Facebook insurances posts, keep three things in mind:
- Study social media trends.
- Engage your audience.
- Audit your mechanics.
Facebook is a lead-generating machine for insurance agents, and 2023 could be your year to get the most out of it.
Social Media Trends
You’ll probably like the first trend we share because it’s about doing less work rather than more. The number of Facebook insurance posts is going down rather than up.
The trend is toward five times a week rather than every day, and that could be considered too many by some. According to social media gurus, three posts a week is enough to effectively get your message out there.
However, there’s a caveat: One week of posting five or three times won’t cut it. Neither will two weeks. Or 20. Or 40. For the best results, commit to 52 weeks a year.
As you start to shape your messages, the obvious question is, What should you say?
Well, according to one study, using the word “tip” can help. More than 500 posts in 2017 used the word in their posts, and it connected with users. Other words that scored highly are home, “family,” “learn,” “time,” “check,” “year,” and “thinksafe.”
It helps to include images with your Facebook insurance posts. Some companies have been experimenting with video, but photos and images generally get the job done. Photos and images are also necessary on Facebook’s sister platform, Instagram.
You also might consider adding a mascot to your posts to help build brand awareness. Flo, the Gecko, and Mayhem are proven attention-getters in the insurance business. It’s also hard to watch TV for any length of time without seeing Jake from State Farm.
A mascot goes a long way toward humanizing your business and amplifying your advertising. If your agency represents State Farm, Progressive, Geico, or All-State, you have a leg up with brand awareness.
If you’re an independent agent or your company doesn’t have a mascot, consider the perks of creating one:
- Mascots build rapport with the audience and convey the type of services you offer without using words.
- In a crowded industry, a mascot makes your business and brand easier for customers to remember.
- Mascots create an impact on people of all age groups, so consumers can grow into your brand.
You also could use a spokesperson like the many who populate local television commercials. These can be actors, employees, or owners.
There’s also a caveat for creating a mascot or using a spokesperson: National advertising agencies know how to walk the line between funny and silly. The insurance agent’s role is to protect people and their property. Make sure all of your Facebook insurance posts and advertising present you as a trusted professional.
Engage Your Audience
Your audience members are your potential customers, so you want to spend some time thinking about who they are. The answer might change depending on the type of insurance. Take life insurance for example. It’s needed by:
- anyone with people who rely on their income
- spouses, parents, caretakers, and business owners
- co-signers of loans
- people who are expecting to eventually fall into one of the above categories and want to lock in cheaper rates
By asking questions and drilling down, you find the target audience and develop ideas for your Facebook insurance posts.
And if your social media outreach entices someone to get in touch, treat that interaction with the utmost respect. According to studies on Twitter use, insurance representatives responded to queries within an average of 16.5 hours.
It’s a good idea to spend 30 minutes a day responding to social media as well as comments on your website. Think ahead to make the most of these interactions:
- How will you respond if someone disagrees with you?
- Will you have easy access to the facts and figures they need?
- How will you convert a social media contact to a phone call or an in-person meeting?
Audit Your Mechanics
Whether you’re new to social media or an old hand, you should invest time to test things out. When you send a link, make sure it goes where you expect it to go. With photos, check the alt tag, which is the text embedded in a visual or image. Basically, you want to know what messages you’re sending.
After you’ve dipped your toe in the social media ocean that is Facebook, you’ll be well served to spend some time learning more about digital marketing. For instance, the internet can provide reams of data that you can use to develop a deeper understanding of your customers.
You also might want to consider branching out to Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and others. Each platform has its own rules and users.
If you enjoyed fiddling around with video in high school, YouTube could provide more customers as well as the personal satisfaction that comes from using your skills.
That’s right. Social media could be fun.
Facebook Insurance Posts
Don’t expect to get everything right at first, but with patience and a willingness to learn, you can start generating leads with social media in 2023.
However, if you prefer quicker results, consider working with a partner. Social Jazz is a social media marketing company with content developed by subject matter experts with insurance agents in mind.
It’s possible to spend three minutes on Social Jazz’s website and automate your posts for the entire year. Social Jazz will post your messages during peak times when users are most likely to engage.
We also have experience with hashtags, such as “#tips” and “#thinksafe,” that connect with users.
If you’re looking for a guide to help you get the most out of your Facebook insurance posts, visit Social Jazz. We’re old hands at this.