For local insurance agents, a robust social presence can be a great policy when it comes to generating leads for new business and deeper customer relationships.
When a consumer buys a policy from a local agent, as opposed to an impersonal source like a website, they often do so because they want personalized service and a connection with an agent who is part of their local community. Social media is one way these agents can build bonds within that community, notes Dino Cattaneo, digital marketing officer for Astonish, a digital marketing solutions company for insurance agencies.
The best types of content in social help reinforce an agent’s expertise and knowledge, as well as what makes their agency unique, he says. It also pays to remember that customers don’t form an emotional connection with their insurance policy—but they do have one with whatever they are paying to protect.
“From a branding standpoint, it’s important that they get a sense of your personality with a brand and who they will be doing business with,” says Cattaneo. “If they have an accident, they want to know who the people are [who will help resolve their claim].”
While Facebook is an obviously place for agents to create a presence, if only because of the sheer volume of consumers active on the network, Pinterest is also gaining for some agents. The image heavy social network is a great place to create boards showcasing the types of things or events that might spark areas of new coverage, including houses and architecture, children and weddings.
“Weddings are definitely a time when people are rethinking their financial situation and planning for their future,” he says. “If you create good boards and connect with people who are interested, you will get traffic.”
These social interactions are naturally top-of-the-funnel awareness building actions, but they can be successful for driving prospects and generating leads. “Social is an important tool to connect with consumers, because there’s such a low level of interactions [with an insurance agent] on a normal basis,” notes Cattaneo. “This is a great way to stay in touch with them.”
On the B2B side, for companies marketing commercial insurance in vertical niches, a good social strategy is blogging around those niches. But, Cattaneo adds, the quality bar for content can be much higher, considering the need to understand how regulations impact certain businesses and the need to understand those specific needs.
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