When Pew Research Center began tracking social media adoption in 2005, just 5 percent of American adults used at least one platform. By 2011, that share had risen to half. And today, 69 percent say they use some type of social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, share information and entertain themselves.
As more Americans have adopted social media, the user base has also grown more representative of the broader population. Young adults were among the earliest adopters, but today, there are users from every age and life stage.
Based on popularity alone, it’s easy to see social media is a great space to share messages. But, that’s not the only reason. Posting content is free, it helps keep you top of mind, and most importantly, it’s easy.
Tips to stay social
Content: Status updates, photos and videos
Frequency: 3-5 times a week
Audience: Current and prospective policyholders
Additional Tips
• Follow the 80-20 rule: Use 80 percent of your Facebook posts to inform, educate, and entertain, and the other 20 percent to promote your brand.
• Experiment with boosted posts and paid ads. Today, the Facebook algorithm prioritizes content from users’ friends and family – which means most of your followers won’t see your content organically.
• Keep a close eye on comments, wall posts and private messages sent from your fans. Complaints and inquiries should be addressed within 24 hours.
Content: Updates, job opportunities and photos
Frequency: 3-5 times a week
Audience: Agents, employees and others in the insurance industry
Additional Tips
• Position yourself as an expert in the industry. Be a thought leader. Share fresh content that will add value to users’ feeds.
• Post career opportunities. Recruit and learn more about new employees.
• Encourage your current employees to list their experience, tagging your LinkedIn page in the process.
Content: 280-character tweets, photos, videos, polls
Frequency: 2-5 times a day
Audience: Current and prospective policyholders
Additional Tips
• Use hashtags in your tweets. A tweet with a hashtag will generate more engagement, because it’s easily searchable by users. (But stick to one or two, or it could have the opposite effect.)
• Drive traffic to your website. Point your followers to your blog or any other great content you have available.
• Start conversations. Remember, Twitter is a dialogue, not a monologue. Interact and engage with other users.
YouTube
Content: Commercials, how-to’s, interviews, etc.
Frequency: As you have new video content available
Audience: Current and prospective policyholders
Additional Tips
• Make your videos more searchable with compelling titles, descriptions and keywords.
• Create playlists for related content. Then, users can watch multiple videos on the same topic — right on your page.
• Encourage subscriptions. Once a user subscribes to your YouTube channel, they’ll receive updates whenever you upload new videos.
Want to see examples of how to manage your social media presence? Visit Frankenmuth Insurance’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube pages. Our goal is to provide you with tons of great content to share on your own pages, which is a great way to get started.
Questions? Email marketing@fmins.com.
