How to succeed with insurance social media marketing

Social media has proven to be a powerful tool to get your insurance business message across, but while it has its positives, it also has some pitfalls. Insurance Business collaborated with three Insurance Marketing & Communication Association (IMCA) insurance marketing experts to learn how to refine your insurance marketing strategy on social media to ensure you reach your target audience and burn your brand. We investigated ways to increase this rather than increase it.

Backlinko data analysis estimates that 4.48 billion people worldwide use social media in 2021. Digital platforms may be part of many people's lives now, but things haven't always been this way, and businesses haven't always been quick to embrace them.

One IMCA expert recalled 15 years ago when he was trying to convince the CEO of an underwriting company that he needed to get involved with social media. The marketers were ultimately successful, but it took several “educational but terrifying demonstration sessions” to get executives on board.

If you look at today's world, more and more digitally conscious businesses are flocking online. However, one wrong move can cause viral havoc for brands and their public relations and marketing teams.

Top insurance social media marketing tips from IMCA experts

Insurance Business asked the experts at IMCA how they drive social media marketing and keep their branding and messaging on point.

Emily Hathcoat, Risk Placement Services (RPS) Vice President of Marketing and former IMCA Board Chair

“Encourage your employees to be active and amplify your brand and message, while also educating them about the pitfalls and rules of the road of such public engagement.”

For me, the first place to start is to identify your goals. Why your company, and why your employees, are on social media? This will guide you on which social media channels are appropriate to achieve your goals, and determine the type of content and frequency of posting. Helpful. Not all social media is the same and each has a different personality, which will also influence your brand's tone of voice within that channel.

We are focused on using social media to amplify our thought leadership content, showcase us as an employer of choice, and allow our producers to present their expertise and develop their own personal brands under our brand umbrella. We provide content that you can build on.

The great thing about social media is that everything is measurable and you get instant results. Use the results to change when and where you post. We monitor what types of posts our viewers and colleagues share or engage with and feed that further into our channels. Our most successful campaigns were born out of business need, but the creative was based on previous social media metrics rather than internal assumptions.

Social media offers insurance marketers a unique opportunity to be heard. Pay attention to what your target audience likes, shares, and posts. These are all tips for developing unique content that is relevant to your audience.

A final thing to remember is that when employees express themselves on social media as part of the company, as individuals separate from their employment, they are acting as spokespeople for the company. You have a responsibility to your employees. Action. Encourage employees to be active and amplify your brand and message, while also educating them about the pitfalls and rules of the road of such public engagement.

Jessica Marshall, Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing, CRC Group, IMCA Director and Treasurer

“Social media is a great tool, especially when you can use it to share values ​​and bond with your target audience.”

Social media is a great tool, especially when you can use it to share values ​​and bond with your target audience. We recommend keeping your message, look, and sound as consistent as possible so you can easily see if your content is appropriate for your channel.

A 2018 study by OnShare on the impact of passive vs. active advertising exposure demonstrated that even if you don't remember the specific ad you saw, brand awareness still improves. Therefore, maintaining a consistent message and style is an essential part of a successful campaign.

Charlene Goodwin, Vice President of Marketing and IMCA Director, Admiral Insurance Group

“Through social media, we have a unique opportunity to share with the world what our culture is like and what we value most as an organization: our people.”

Social media, by its very nature, aims to bring people together regardless of their geographic location. Through social media, we have a unique opportunity to share with the world what our culture is like and what we value most as an organization: our people.

We've had the most success when we focus on people: our employees, partners and communities. We aim to help our employees and partners understand more about the people they work with on a personal level by sharing interesting facts, celebrations, philanthropy and more. It not only starts conversations, but also helps build the foundation of relationships that are so important to our business.

About IMCA

All three professional marketers have years of insurance marketing experience and are also members of IMCA. The North American Marketing Industry Association was founded in 1923 and is comprised of individuals with expertise in marketing, public relations, corporate communications, and emerging digital communications practices. In addition to connecting professionals and advancing the insurance marketing profession, the organization also has guidelines aimed at maintaining brand standards within the industry.

Other top tips from IMCA's expert marketers

Share your top insurance social media and marketing tips in the comments section below.