Statistics show more than 68% of consumers prefer to use online channels to look for information about insurance—with this many people using the internet to shop for insurance, it’s imperative for you to have a social media presence. Considering these tools are largely free or very low-cost, not utilizing them to create effective insurance social media campaigns is a huge missed opportunity.
But simply being on social media and effectively using social media tools are two different things. You can have a professional Facebook page, Instagram account, and Twitter profile and still not be using them to grow your business. With that in mind, we reached out to several agents across the country for tips on creating social media posts for insurance agents that get attention. Check out what they had to say below.
Investing in social media marketing for insurance agents can be profitable. Insurance agents can leverage the power of social media posts as a way to:
“Every time I publish a blog post, I use Buffer to automatically send an update to my Facebook page and LinkedIn. This keeps my company in front of people and also provides some valuable content for prospects. Another thing I am doing is sharing client testimonials on social media. This will continue to build my brand and show social proof of how I am helping others and what it's like to work with me. All of these things will help with SEO and will keep my company in front of people when they have a need for insurance.”
Chris Abrams, Owner, Abrams Insurance Solutions
“Some agents make their social media usage very heavy on sales and post mostly sales material…they unsuccessfully use the ratio 75% sales vs. 35% personal posts; it should be the reverse. Agents should focus on branding themselves first—establish the “know-like-trust” factor—because we’re naturally way more interested in people we’ve established a relationship with.”
Michael Weaver, insurance and financial services expert/owner of Weaver Sales Academy
“Facebook’s Stories tool (available on personal and business pages) makes it easy to market businesses. People literally like to know what you’re doing on a daily basis, and stories are almost more important than static posts. It takes 30 seconds to type up a quick, conversational post, but it’s powerful—with stories, you’re on top of people’s minds and in front of them every day.
You should do this for the employees in your agency—encourage them to be social, but stay away from politics and negativity. My philosophy is value: How can I add value to customers, prospects, and friends? Negativity and value are the exact opposite. Be positive, enthusiastic, motivational, and empower them to live their best lives.”
Michael Weaver, insurance and financial services expert/owner of Weaver Sales Academy
“Our agency uses social media to drive engagement and stay top-of-mind with our potential customers. We see good results using posts with statistics and facts about how many Americans have life insurance or how much the average life insurance policy costs. We see great response to these types of posts, with many people sharing and tagging family members.
We use both organic and paid posts to reach potential customers and existing customers. It’s important to use social media to stay fresh in your customers’ minds. People do not get on social media to shop, but you can remind or influence them to take an interest in your brand, which is important for staying competitive in a very saturated space.”
John Holloway, Director of Digital Strategy, Noexam.com
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“Social media is not to be used simply as a bulletin board to post your new blog posts. To be successful, you must actively participate in discussions. Don't be afraid to make your opinion heard. Quote an article and give your thoughts on it instead of simply retweeting. You are more likely to be remembered in the community for thought-provoking posts.”
Brian So, Founder, Brian So Insurance
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“Currently, we use social media to drive consumers to our information pages
and product review pages. If we write a review for a new product or have a new blog post that is informative, we will set up a Social Media Calendar to share the content and also do some direct paid marketing to the original content.
Once the reader has read the information or review, they might be interested in going to the next stage of the process and that is how we generate conversions through social media. Usually, social media platforms are going to bring people in at the top of the funnel when it comes to generating leads or sales, so you don't want to try to sell from social media; you are mainly looking to introduce or educate the consumer.
To make the most effective use of social media when it comes to an insurance agency generating leads, I would only recommend using it as an introduction to your company, not as a sales or lead-generating platform.”
JC Matthew, Co-Founder, Simply Insurance
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“I have found that ads with a PSA—which informs people or reminds them of a date or event—tend to work best for me. Also, it seems like I get better results boosting a post as opposed to using Facebook's Ads Manager. (This may be due to the fact that a large number of the boosted post ads are seen by people who already like my page.)
Below are a couple of social media posts for insurance agents to use that I’ve found successful.”
There are only # days/weeks of Open Enrollment left to buy health insurance and avoid being fined by the IRS. If you’ve had rate hikes, signed up for the wrong plan, or are just plain confused, I can help you! I am licensed with several nationally recognized companies, and my goal is to find you the lowest rate—and my services cost you nothing. I can help you anywhere in Oklahoma or Texas. Call, text, or message me to get a free quote. 317-514-8696
Losing or already lost your health insurance? I can help you! Many people have had this happen, whether it’s from changing jobs, losing their subsidies, or for other reasons. There are also many other events, such as moving, having a baby, getting married or divorced, or being denied Medicaid that will also qualify you to get health insurance—even outside of Open Enrollment! I have access to several nationally recognized companies and can find a plan to fit any budget. Call, text, or message me today! 317-514-8696
Larry C. Medcalf, Medcalf Advisors Inc., IndyHealthAgent.com and MedCard
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“Targeted social media posts have been great for our industry audience of 65+. You would be surprised how many seniors and baby boomers are on Twitter and Facebook. Social media leads convert well.”
Lindsay Engle, Marketing Specialist, MedicareFAQ
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“People like facts and people like people. I post a lot of statistical information that allows people to see how they relate to the numbers. For example: 80% of Americans overestimate the cost of insurance, which leads to me advising them about their multiple options. I also post a lot of pictures of my dad and I, because we are a family-owned business. Seeing our faces and getting a sense of who we are makes people feel like they know us. I would 100% recommend using social media for any insurance agency because it gives you easy access to an unlimited amount of people. It is free advertising and access to a social media market.”
Natasha Labbe, Owner, The R. Labbe Insurance Agency
“You want to target high-profile areas and not just Facebook in whole. You can pinpoint the geographic areas you want ads to appear or target areas where salaries are higher than normal or where there's a high volume of home ownership, etc.—for example, in Phoenix, Arizona.
...[But] you have to find the best of the best leads to avoid selling retention-issue riddled leads. People who own their home and bundle their auto are less likely to move their policies than people who have just one policy. Those are the target demographics. Those people stick and are prime leads that agents want to buy.”
Nick Mathews, Independent Agent, Nations Choice Insurance
Michael Weaver uses Facebook Live to share more about himself weekly, in a segment he and his wife have created called “Weaver Wednesday.”
“We’ve made it part of our business plan—you have to get comfortable and vulnerable with putting your genuine self out there. Business ownership is different than it was 30, 20, even 10 years ago—your customers are OK with you vacationing and traveling, and they don’t expect you to be in the office 100 hours a week. They want to see you living your life, because they want to get to know you.”
Michael Weaver, insurance and financial services expert/owner of Weaver Sales Academy
“One of the benefits of social media is that it can be used to foster community over time. When used consistently, you can leverage your social media platforms to entertain and engage your followers, as well as educate them. You don’t always have to post information specific to selling insurance—that would be boring! Instead, show your personality, share a little bit about your personal interests, and make people smile. You’ll find your following will likely grow just by doing this alone!”
Todd Badolato, Customer Success Representative, EverQuote
One of the most popular questions we are asked is “How often should I post? ” According to Michael Weaver, consistency is the key.
“My daily strategy is crucial to building our agency’s brand. Using social media for insurance marketing requires you to be online every day, at least to check in. Here’s what my Facebook strategy looks like:
To accompany the algorithm, I have a process to make three posts per week. (A new post daily is ideal, but it isn’t always attainable.) Make sure two-thirds of your posts are personal—motivational, pictures or videos of pets and family, etc. Throwing in sales stuff doesn’t add value to your audience’s lives at all, and they don’t care if that’s the majority of what you’re posting. Business posts should follow value-based personal posts. Add something good to their life.”
Michael Weaver, insurance and financial services expert/owner of Weaver Sales Academy