Social media is a lot more than pictures of fancy dinners, political debates, and kitten memes. Today, social media is the platform for some of the most effective marketing initiatives for businesses of all sizes.
Still, insurance social media marketing takes planning and strategy to create the best posts to attract new customers and strengthen your relationships with your current client base. What’s more, social media marketing for insurance companies can take a lot of time if not done correctly.
Along with understanding what platforms to use and what to post, it helps to integrate tools that make it easier to schedule your posts and create digital advertisements. Constant Contact offers social media tools that help you pre-plan your insurance social media posts so you can focus on content and not the often-confusing tech.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- Why companies should use insurance social media
- Types of social media marketing for insurance firms
- How to get started in social media marketing
- Comparison of different social media platforms
- Insurance social media post ideas
Find more leads and drive policy renewals with expert marketing advice and all the tools you need, all in one place.
Why companies should use insurance social media
Here’s a little marketing 101: you need to reach your audience where they are. A decade ago, the people you likely wanted as new clients were probably spending a part of each day reading their local newspaper. So, it made sense to advertise there.
Today, of course, people are spending hours every day scrolling their social media. According to Statista, 79% of the American population had a social media account in 2019. That equals 247 million people who could connect with your business if you have an account, too.
Plus, you should have an insurance business social media account because it will allow you to:
Reach more leads
In order to reach more social insurance leads, you must first identify your target audience. Then, you can use the relevant hashtags and implement the right calls to action (CTAs) in your posts.
Connect more with prospects and clients
You know that it takes more than awareness to convert leads into clients. You have to develop relationships and trust over time. Social media provides a consistent platform that allows you to develop your brand voice and speak directly and repeatedly to those you’re targeting for your business.
Increase visibility and awareness
Your insurance business needs to be everywhere these days, in order to stay competitive. This means you must integrate social media with your blog posts, webinars, professional partnerships, and paid advertisements.
Build expertise
What sets you apart from your competition is your knowledge and experience. The best way to share this expertise — and build that necessary trust over time — is through social media. This is a platform that lets you share industry news, alert clients to legislative updates, and explain your policy options for free.
Types of social media marketing for insurance firms
Without a doubt, social media can be overwhelming. Before you begin creating an insurance social media campaign, let’s review the different kinds of social media marketing techniques to use.
Organic posts
Organic posts can simply be status updates on your business page, which can be seen by anyone who decides to follow your page. These free posts could also be anything you post on behalf of your business on your contacts’ pages. For example, you can build relationships simply by wishing your clients a happy birthday using your insurance page.
Promoted posts
You may notice that those organic posts easily get lost in the scrolling. Social media companies do this on purpose because they’re trying to make money, too. To reach a larger audience, you may consider creating a budget for your insurance social media plans and pay for promoted posts.
These are posts that you pay to get in the newsfeed of more people.
Facebook and Instagram ads
While promoted posts show up in the regular newsfeed, paid advertisements appear usually on the side of the screen. What’s especially powerful about Facebook and Instagram ads is that you’re able to target your exact demographics not only by geography, age, and gender but also interests and hobbies.
This is especially valuable when searching for young families, retirees, and others who are celebrating major life changes — all situations that make people consider insurance policies more seriously.
Facebook lead ads
A new type of paid advertisement on Facebook is what’s known as a lead ad, and it’s especially effective at growing your email list. The CTA in these ads should be a “Sign Up” button, which will allow your qualified leads to connect with you through your email marketing campaigns.
Conveniently, Constant Contact lets you create new Facebook lead ads within your email marketing backend. All you have to do is connect your Facebook Business page to your Constant Contact account and go from there.
How to get started in social media marketing
The first step to any social media campaign is to claim your pages. Go on all social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, and create a page with your business’s name.
However, don’t feel like you need to post everywhere right away. In fact, Constant Contact’s The Download, a free guide to digital marketing, recommends picking just one platform to start. Determine which social media option is best for your target audience and focus on growing your following there.
Take time to plan out your posts for at least a month in advance and stay consistent with at least a few posts a week. If you have a budget, allocate the amount you want to spend on advertising to see the biggest gains in the number of qualified leads you reach.
Comparison of different social media platforms
Which platform should you pick first? It depends on your target audience. If you’re interested in creating a campaign to attract young families, for example, you may wish to focus your energy on Instagram. If you prefer to bring on more older clients, then Facebook is a better bet.
LinkedIn, meanwhile, is the best platform for business-to-business interactions. It’s the online version of business networking meetings. Be generous with referrals and endorsements on LinkedIn, and your connections will likely return the favor.
Poll your current customers through an email survey to see which social media platforms they prefer. Ask them what they’d like to learn from you through insurance social media posts, too. You may be surprised at what they share.
Insurance social media post ideas
Since you should be posting regularly, the bar can be rather low for what you can include on your insurance social media. The most important thing is to always stay on brand. This means everything you post should reflect your company’s values and tone so that your prospective customers can learn what they can expect from you professionally.
Ideas for social media posts for insurance companies include:
- Links to industry news
- Blogs that are written by you
- Tips for home or car maintenance
- Ways your customers can save money on insurance
- Contests for your Facebook fans
- Community news, such as a win by your sponsored Little League team
- Photos of natural areas in your region
- Holiday-related content, such as safe travel tips
Integrate social media into a comprehensive marketing campaign
Social media is a powerful tool to gain new customers and strengthen your relationships with your current policyholders. Still, it’s just one element of a comprehensive digital marketing campaign. Check out The Download, the free guide from Constant Contact, to make sure you’re doing everything to stand out from the competition.
