Author: Nancy Germond

Are you leaving the social media updates to your newer employees? From Twitter to Facebook, are you hesitant to wade into the murky waters of social media influencing? Social media influencing is much easier than it sounds, and somewhat addictive once you begin.

Here are ten top tips I know from experience will help you transition into a “Let the younger generation handle our agency's social media" to a “Gee, this is not only easier than I thought, but also kind of fun!" social-media influencer.

1.     Start small and don't worry about perfection

Many business owners feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of platforms. These include the following.

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest
• Reddit
• Podcasting
• Quora
• TikTok
• Twitter
• YouTube

While you may already be using LinkedIn or Facebook, it's best to focus on using one or a few platforms before trying to build your presence on all platforms.

Very often, users begin by using curated content. Curated content is content developed on other brand's social media or emails that may be relevant to your policyholders.

For example, Hartford Insurance develops excellent content for their policyholders, but often it is available to anyone searching for a specific insurance topic. If you represent Hartford, here's an example of an article catering to restaurant owners seeking insurance that you could link to in your post.

Opening your post with a simple sentence like, “Searching for restaurant insurance information? and inserting the link below, can bring you lots of clicks. End with a sentence that promotes your Trusted Choice brand, similar to this. “Did you know we can quote your restaurant with several insurers eager to work with you?"

If you want your reader to reach out to you, that's a “call-to-action (CTA)." CTAs can help motivate your reader to call you, email, or click a link to a fillable form so that you can communicate further with them.

Using curated content is a great way to get comfortable with social media. However, avoid these issues that can arise using curated content.

• Don't curate content from your direct competitors.
• Review thoroughly all potential curated content. You don't want to endorse an organization that's “sketchy" or that promises more than you can deliver.
• Seek quality of curated content over quantity.
• Avoid using photos of any kind unless you 1) pay for them through a legitimate photo site, or 2) take them yourself. You don't want to receive a copyright infringement claim in a year or so for a photo you posted, and these allegations are becoming increasingly common.
• Keep meticulous records of where you purchased photos because as photo aggregators continue to buy image content, you may be forced to prove your purchase one day.

Use #hashtags to target your posts to like-minded audiences. A hashtag # precedes words or phrases that identify specific topics. If you're posting about homeowners insurance and the importance of updating insurance values, simply write #homeownersinsurance or another often-used tag to promote your post in that topic.

2.     Evaluate your competitors' social media efforts.

While you don't want to copy them, you do want to analyze their posts that seem to get the most interaction from followers. Watch what bombs, as well. Sometimes a misguided attempt at humor can backfire, so look at competing media influencers to see what is working and what's not working for them.

Using their posts as examples for your team, get all your employees watching for articles or other topics that might interest your clients.

Social media is better when it's a team effort. Remember, too, that what resonates with one generation or demographic may not with another one.

3.     Use humor appropriately

Humor used appropriately can help build your audience. Watch for memes and funny photos but use photos only with attribution or after buying them. You can take a personal photo and build a meme around it.

Use any meme generator you find on Google. Ask any thirteen-year-olds what meme generator they use, and you'll be in good shape. I often see funny incidents such as signs, people driving badly, building damage, etc., and sometimes develop memes for social media and training purposes.

Remember that humor can be a double-edged sword. It's very easy to unintentionally offend people. You don't want to build a viral meme that offends, so run your humor by a few others who will share their thoughts honestly before you post if you have any feeling that others could misinterpret your post or image.

4.     Be intentional and careful in your posting

Especially when you're responding to others' comments on your posts, never post in haste, when you're angry, or when you're reactive. It will not end well. Even if you delete a meme or a post that turns negative, it's possible that someone screenshot the post and it could go viral.

Also remember that materials you post on social media, in your blogs, and on your website a plaintiff can use against you in an errors & omissions lawsuit.

5.     Study your audience reactions

Evaluate which posts are getting the most retweets or shares, and which ones generate the most comments. Learn from this and continue to hone your social media expertise. However, don't sacrifice your personality to the altar of blandness. People like buying from and supporting business owners who are genuine and have a personality.

One of my favorite Twitter legends is often offensive, but he's also one of the top-producing realtors in the Phoenix metropolitan area. I don't recommend you strive to alienate; I'm only suggesting that occasionally you step outside your professional box to showcase your personality just a bit.

6.     Post consistently

Consider starting small, as mentioned, and build as you gain momentum and confidence. But it's important to post consistently. Did you know your tweet lasts only 18 minutes in that fast-moving world? Re-tweeting your content is one way to make it visible again.

However, consistency is key to building an audience, no matter what social media platform you use. One approach more experienced social media influencers use is to develop a batch of posts, then schedule them for release via an online tool such as Hootsuite. You enter all your social media account information, and once entered, the app releases your blogs entries, tweets, and other social media posts at your preselected date and time.

No matter how you schedule your posts, consistency helps build an audience. Brand recognition is vital, both in your voice regularity and how often you post. Don't write too long because most people balk at longer content. Break up longer blog posts with headers, bullet points, bold text, and images when appropriate.

7.     Avoid politics and trolls

Especially on Twitter, you'll see a lot of political content. Sometimes you agree, other times you may disagree. However, while we may assume that all business owners and other potential clients share our political views, often they don't.

It's very easy to alienate a large swath of potential customers with one political opinion. Like my realtor Twitter friend mentioned earlier, he was already one of the top Phoenix realtors before he took to Twitter. He can afford to alienate people, and sometimes I think he secretly delights in it. Can you afford to alienate a client or potential client because you “liked" or commented on a political or polarizing tweet?

No matter how hard you try, you'll occasionally hear from a troll. Don't be afraid to block trolls and delete their comments. Don't engage. As my insurance agent dad often reminded me, “Never get in a stink fight with a skunk!"

8.     Create your own interesting and informative content

Remember the sales funnel? Most people begin searching for a product or service long before they buy, and you want your content to appear in their search efforts, preferably on the first page of Google, before they buy. And most searches (up to 81% of shoppers, according to one expert) today are online, according to many information experts.

Focusing on keywords that target your niche consumers, whether they are new homebuyers or heavy equipment contractors, can bring your informative content to their attention. Keyword searches is a topic in its own right. However, by focusing your social media efforts on niches where you want to write business, or where you excel, will draw those searching for that service or product.

9.     Use Trusted Source marketing materials to improve your social media outreach

Did you know that Trusted Choice offers a number of marketing tools for your use?

From winter driving tips to rideshare concerns and more, promote your Trusted Choice brand using these colorful graphics, videos, articles and infographics. These make social media efforts so much easier than developing content in-house.

There are many advantages to becoming a Trusted Choice independent agent, and this is just one tool that can help you save time and increase your professional reach.

10. Use caution but try not to over think things

After all, social media should be fun, or it becomes another chore you may dread. Remember, though, you don't want to promise anything on social media that raises clients' expectations of your standard of care, and that is a state-by-state determination.

Avoid blanket statements like, “We're the most knowledgeable in marine insurance," or “We'll respond 24/7 to your claims" to avoid having your agency face an E&O claim.

Just like you should scrutinize your website copy regularly, make sure a senior member of your staff approves posts before you have to backtrack on an unrealistic or offensive post, or one that exposes your agency to an increased standard of care. 

This Big I article on potential agency social media landmines covers the topic much better than I can in this short space.

We hope this article will soon find you tweeting, posting and writing your own blog articles. For a great article on how to help consumers find you, read this article on the Big “I" website.

Last Updated: February 17, 2023

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