8 Social Media Marketing Trends & Tips for Insurance Agents in 2023
Connect directly with your client base using the latest social media marketing trends for the insurance industry.
Businesses that want to thrive understand the importance of embracing modern technology—and the insurance industry is no exception.
Gone are the days of pens and paper, telephones and fax machines, and other outdated legacy artifacts. In their place are digital platforms, mobile apps, and intuitive algorithms—which are streamlining everything from writing insurance policies to gathering client data.
The impact of technology is perhaps most evident in today’s social media marketing trend of making online connections directly with your client base. Now more than ever, insurance agencies need to take advantage of the social media marketing trend of live, online interaction.
We’ve put together the following eight tips to help you stand out from the competition.
1. Encourage Financial (and Insurance) Literacy
Regardless of how advanced technology becomes, it’s always most effective when combined with the personal touch. Insurance companies can use the online visibility of their agents to educate their social media followers about financial literacy. This includes clearing up common misconceptions about how insurance works and debunking myths. Educational content is a perfect social media marketing trend for insurance sales.
People like making a connection with a familiar face and getting to know an agent’s unique personality. When important data comes from that agent’s social media profile, it helps to humanize the learning experience while fostering a future agent-client relationship.
For example, Patrick McBride is an independent agency owner that uses his blog, YouTube, Facebook page, and personal Facebook profile to educate friends and followers, keeping it personal while branding his agency.
In this clip, Patrick shares valuable facts about specific homeowners insurance coverages:
Patrick recently shared some of his social media and video tips in a webinar that you can watch here »
2. Testimonials
Think of customer testimonials as free advertising. Sharing testimonials on your social media isn’t just great marketing, it’s a way to let current customers know you hear and appreciate them.
People trust third-party word-of-mouth over any other form of advertising, and user-generated content is like internet gold. It’s a simple, effective way to communicate your company’s credibility and trustworthiness.
Take advantage of the special features of different social media platforms. If the channel you’re on is more about images, make a picture out of an excellent user rating. Where people use text more often, paste the text. Use YouTube to upload a video testimonial and share links everywhere. Whether it’s for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok—one positive comment can reach a wide audience.
Here, Mitch Gibson from HRM Insurance Services (and host of The MVP Podcast) shares a glowing review on his Facebook account, using the impact of bold company graphics and his personalized image to speak to the viewer on multiple levels:
Mitch recently shared his advice on building a professional referral network in a webinar that you can watch here »
On our website, Canopy Connect has dedicated an entire page to a few of our favorite testimonials. In this video testimonial, one of our agent-customers talks about how our quick and easy link for new users makes a world of difference:
3. Partner Up With Influencers
In the same way that companies have historically used endorsements from well-known and respected TV, radio, and print media personalities, social media influencers can help to amplify your signal online.
An influencer is a person with a large social media following who makes themselves available to promote people, products, and companies that they believe in. Some do so as a paid promotion, while others are willing to share content for a networking partnership. Savvy agents can leverage this channel to grow their user base and connect with prospective clients.
The same concept can work to your benefit with charities, nonprofits, and organizations with a large following that would benefit from your content. Make connections and find people that can boost your reach on different social sites and circles.
4. Include CTAs
A call-to-action (CTA) allows you to steer your followers in the right direction.
CTAs are used in marketing as a psychological cue to help the customer take the next logical step once you’ve presented your marketing message. It answers the question “what action do you want them to take now that they’ve read your message?”
When you share content that grabs a client’s interest, don’t leave them hanging. Follow it up with an action you’d like them to take.
Here are a few examples of CTAs you could use in social media posts:
- Stay connected! Sign up for our newsletter
- Get the full story on our blog
- Find the best policy today
- Find out how we can save you money
You could think of a CTA as a way to summarize your message, combined with a request for the customer to take action. Don’t simply share your message and then tell them to have a nice day. Let them know what exactly you’d like them to do.
5. Create Engaging and Relevant Content
Content that’s worth sharing across your social media accounts needs to be relevant and engaging. Think of the people you’re trying to connect with and imagine what they would find compelling. Showing you’re a valuable source of knowledge is great for giving you the edge.
Use instructive articles and videos that help people learn what they need to know. You can even create content that other agents can learn from. If someone finds it beneficial, they are likely to share it with others. Create tips, tricks, and life hacks with interview articles and videos that raise your profile by reaching other audiences.
6. Market Research
Most social media platforms allow the ability to conduct polls. Asking people to choose an item they think is better or more relevant to their needs can effectively capture their attention.
If polls aren't available, using reaction emojis works well too, "❤️ if you think this, 😆 if you think that."
Social media sites are likely your most valuable resource for learning more about your potential clients. People are usually happy to share demographic information about themselves and those in their social circles. Every social media marketing trend needs to harness the ability to learn from data analytics to continuously improve content.
7. Join Groups
If you’re hoping to get people interacting with your content, it’s time to start practicing what you preach.
Social media sites have public and private communities where people, organizations, and companies that have shared interests—such as insurance—can interact directly. This is a significant advantage because it means you have less noise to cut through.
In groups, people are looking for genuine content, ask for advice, and want to share valuable information with one another. This provides an excellent environment for building a reputation as a helpful and trusted advisor and expanding yo
Joining local community groups or local special interest groups is a great place to start building a reputation.
8. Paid Ads
When you’re ready to take your game to the next level, paid ad campaigns can play a meaningful role.
Each platform operates differently with advertising, from price structure to cost per click or number of views. You may choose Facebook image or video ads that help build your awareness and drive quote requests and YouTube just for awareness, but the most important factor is to learn from your analytics by testing and retesting to improve the response you get.
One critical issue to keep in mind with this social media marketing approach is people’s attention span—or lack thereof! The average person is constantly bombarded with messages and data, meaning they can be easily distracted. Focus on grabbing their attention from the get-go and delivering value to them.
Examples of Great Social Media Marketing
These social media marketing trends will help you figure out what to focus on and what actions to take. But there are always new tactics to improve your content for even better results.
Use your social media accounts to educate people, share testimonials of your prior success, amplify your message through the power of influencers, encourage people to take action, create compelling content in multiple media formats, join relevant communities to make connections, learn from demographics and market research, use paid ads to draw the right attention, and learn from analytics how to constantly improve your message.
That’s a tall order, so we’ve collected a few more excellent examples to inspire you:
Make Sure You Look Over Your Policy
In this Facebook post, one of our customers with the Warren & Mounce Agency uses a quick video combined with some edutainment to explain why you should consider more than just the state minimum coverage.
As your insurance agent, it’s my responsibility to make sure you are properly covered! State minimum coverages are...
Posted by Mikayla Warren on Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Using a Meme to Get Their Attention
Here, Prime Insurance uses a humorous meme to draw your attention to a key feature: they always inform you 30 days in advance about policy changes or expiration. It includes their Canopy Connect direct link to capture new customers.
Your renewal DOES NOT have to blind side you!!🙀 We reach out 30 days before each client's policy expiration to review...
Posted by Prime Insurance on Monday, July 25, 2022
Another Great Meme
In this example, Dave Rueck cuts straight to the chase about how fast you’ll connect via the Canopy link, topping it off with a funny meme for good measure.
At Rueck Insurance, we use technology to streamline the process of buying insurance to make sure we are providing you...
Posted by Dave Rueck on Friday, July 15, 2022
Addressing a Common Objection
In this Warren and Mounce Agency Facebook post, they prove that sharing direct, important information doesn’t have to be boring.
It lets you know how simple it is to use the link and includes an image that lists the five easy steps to connect and share all your insurance plan details without filling out any paperwork.
“I don’t have time to get my information to you.” ⏰“I don’t have my information right now.” 📂We have an answer!...
Posted by Warren & Mounce Agency on Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Share What Happens Behind the Scenes
Sharing what your team does in the office and revealing what might be going on that clients may not be aware of can help add value and show the extra mile that your agency goes for their clients.
@warrenmounceagency 🚗🏡 Jannie works her butt off here at the office for us! While from the outside it looks like she’s quoting your insurance, there’s so much more happening behind the scenes! Thank you for all your hard work Jannie! #warrenmounceagency #insuranceagent #insurancebroker #insuranceagency #autoquote #homequote ♬ original sound - warrenmounceagency
Make Clear and Easy CTAs With Canopy Connect
You'll notice that most of these examples include a clear call to action and use a Canopy Connect link.
Canopy Connect helps you get your message across with great, actionable CTAs, by optimizing and simplifying how viewers share their insurance details. We automate the process of collecting essential insurance information. As such, prospective clients will be more likely to click on your CTA when it saves them from having to fill out lengthy paperwork!
Canopy Connect’s software solutions simplify every stage of contact and information gathering between insurance agencies and clients, including inter-agency communication. Moreover, Canopy Connect’s custom branding lets you customize easy-to-use widgets with your company logo and message.
Sign up with Canopy Connect today to experience the fastest way to collect insurance information to build fast, accurate, and personalized quotes.