In this social media marketing series, we’ve already covered strategies like why insurance producers should be on social media, what platforms to use, and how consumers are searching for insurance information.
Now, we’re going to get into the nitty gritty: HOW to engage prospects on social media.
It’s all about:
- Reaching out to your targeted audience, and
- Creating trust.
Let’s dig in.
Networking in 2016
If you’re already quaking and ready to toss in the towel, take a step back.
You already have the skills you need to network online. It’s essentially the same as how you’ve been doing in-person networking as an insurance producer.
But we’ll show you how to take those activities online – to social media.
You already know how to:
- Meet new prospects.
- Get referrals.
- Share your expertise, offer insight and answer difficult insurance questions.
- And then sell life insurance -- or whatever insurance area you specialize in.
We’re going to take these skills to the social media-streets and adapt your networking skills.
You Have an Advantage
Reaching a qualified audience in an organic way is one of the huge benefits of networking on social media. Just one of the perks of social media, you’ll have instant access to prospects in a way that just isn’t possible in face-to-face networking.
On a digital platform, you’ll also be able to connect with a larger number of prospects in your target market: people who are interested in learning more about insurance. “On the streets,” you may meet lots of people, but they might not be qualified – or even interested in insurance.
There’s one more advantage to networking on social media: You’ll gain access to groups that might be out of your reach otherwise, such as women or younger prospects.
Building Trust
With a targeted audience at your disposal, just waiting to hear what you have to say, it’s time to build a trusted relationship. Here’s how:
Know what they want
Before you release a flurry of information, take the time to find out why these prospects want to buy. What’s their motivation? What are their needs? Then, use this information to deliver compelling content.
Learn their decision-making process
A prospect will buy insurance when they know that:
- The product will meet their needs
- They fully understand what they’re purchasing.
The way your target audience makes decisions will vary. But the great thing about social media is that you can tailor your messages to each audience’s unique needs.
Know what stops them from buying
A key to success – any way you network – is to drive the education process based on sales objections.
Many consumers object to buying life insurance because they think it’s too expensive. That’s just one objection you can counter through your social media content.
Find out where there’s missing information
If prospects don’t understand a component of life insurance, they won’t be ready to buy. In fact, many consumers actually know very little about how the insurance works.
How many times have you heard prospects refer to "whole life" when what they really mean is "permanent" life insurance?
And perhaps worse, many prospects don’t know enough about life insurance in general. For example, they may know that they’ll feel the impact if the households loses a primary age earner; however, they’re generally unsure of how long it will take to feel the pain of that loss.
This presents a key opportunity for you to fill in the gaps, present yourself as an authority, and turn leads into buyers.
Go Ahead -- Get Started!
Take the networking skills you’ve developed over the years and apply them to social media activities.
Establish your online presence, be helpful and offer advice, define and target your audience, and then start building trust.
The questions, inquiries, leads -- and sales -- will follow. Just be patient.
