If you want to be a successful on social media, you need to know social media inside and out.
Right? Wrong!
Sure, you’ll need to study up on the platforms and how to use them.
But that’s not what’s most important.
Let’s work out this idea backwards.
The most important thing to know – and, in fact, the key to social media success – is how your prospects use social media.
It’s really that simple.
Why Social Media?
Looking at cat memes.
Reading books.
Watching videos.
Shopping.
The internet is the catch-all these days for consumer activities that used to take place in person.
Instead of heading to the store to look at tires, consumers hop online, read tire reviews, and then go to the store to make the purchase – or buy online.
It’s this consumer behavior that is changing how you should be marketing to your insurance prospects.
Because they’re spending just as much time looking at cute cats online as they do finding out about insurance.
The internet, like it or not, is giving your prospects carte-blanche access to information that only you used to hold close.
Now, instead of hiding your insurance cards close and waiting to reveal your insurance expertise to prospects in person, they’ve already been shared with prospects.
Since your cards are on the table, so to speak, you need to change marketing tactics.
Here’s why:
- Google research shows that consumers today self-educate using the internet. They primarily turn to the web at the start of the sales process to get information.
- In fact, 90% of all interactions occur on the internet.
- As a result, before they ever get in touch with a sales person – and that includes insurance producers – they are already informed and empowered.
- Even more, 75% of consumers look to social media to source this information.
The bottom line is, insurance prospects are not sitting idly by, waiting for you to come into their life!
They’re already getting information from friends, family and peers – on social media.
So that’s the where.
Now the how.
How Are Prospects Using Social Media?
Here’s how the typical research process goes:
- The prospect gets online to search for information.
- She searches for people who have already done the work (purchased life insurance, for example) and reads online reviews.
- She turns to family and friends for advice.
- She conducts price comparisons.
- She evaluates whether to buy insurance online or from an agent.
See how early on in the process the prospect is available to “touch” before she ever considers reaching out to you?
Now, this doesn’t mean you’re obsolete.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
In these early stages, you have a golden opportunity to help educate and inform.
But you have to be on social media to interact.
We’ll talk more about the “how” part of this marketing tactic in future blogs, but for now, know there’s a great opportunity for you to engage prospects and deliver value on social media.
Be the resource prospects need to gather information, and they’ll turn to you when it’s time to buy. Because most consumers are using the internet to conduct research – even three-quarters of those in the “senior” category.
If you’re not on social media, you’re probably missing out on key opportunities to gather qualified leads.
It’s that simple.
Updated 5/21
