Why should we be social on social media?

Having a social media strategy is a proven approach that supports numerous business objectives such as growth, engagement, brand loyalty, SEO, and more. And with 25.35 million users in Canada, it makes sense that people’s buying decisions can be strongly influenced through social media.

Are you, as a broker, taking advantage of its full marketing potential? Whether through purely organic content, or dabbling in paid advertising, social media offers numerous inherent benefits, including:

• Increased brand awareness
• Advanced corporate social responsibility and presence in your community
• The opportunity to educate consumers
• The ability to show your brand personality and culture
• Surprise and delight your audience
• A way to develop and test your content
• The opportunity to listen to what matters to your audience and understand their needs

Plus, it’s one of the most budget-friendly marketing tactics out there… organic content is free!

You may already be paying to advertise one or more platforms, and hope this is enough to attract the business you want. But are you supporting these efforts by posting original content, responding to feedback, and sharing the stories of others? Social media is a conversation and an opportunity to build relationships. It offers a way to understand what is meaningful and matters to consumers. You can learn about your business landscape and environment, consumer concerns and what can make you stand out among the competition.

No matter where your brokerage sits on the social media spectrum, your strategy should start with some basic planning. It’s important to identify your business challenge(s) and then determine what you want your social media strategy to look like in response. It can’t just be to grow your business – this limits your opportunity. Consider where you want to grow your business, what types of customers you want to attract, and what specifically you want to sell. And then develop your strategy to show consumers why they should choose your business.

Once your research is done, you’ll have a stronger understanding of what you should say in a way that creates value for consumers. Take this, along with messaging that is based on your business objectives, and begin the conversation.

• Start with creating content. No matter what your message is, or its goal, focus on creating content that is uniquely you. Content that is memorable and shareable. Whether it’s an article, infographic, video or tool, find ways to engage, showcase your effort, and move users beyond just reading the post. This is the opportunity to show off your brand innovation and unique proposition.
• Inform your audience. Use your expertise to teach about the value of insurance, while squashing the myths, and offer support during the buying and claims processes. When you position your brokerage as insurance experts, this creates a competitive advantage. And if you receive questions or feedback, conduct one-off strategic communications (through the chat function) to address specific issues, requests and situations.
• Show the love. If you see something on social media that you like, and that fits with your brand, let everyone know. If someone shares or supports your message through a ‘like’, thank them. Take this a step further by sharing others content. Curation is a key component to any successful social media campaign. Without sharing information or joining in on the conversation, your efforts are one-sided. Find articles, websites, videos that offer information in line with your brand, and share it on your channels. By sharing others’ content, they may share yours. Plus filling your social media pipeline with curated content means you do not have to create as many organic pieces of your own.
• Support what you value. Your brand is comprised of values, and its personality demonstrates issues and causes you believe in. So why not share this on your channels? Support others by advocating for what they stand for. Look within your community for industry partners, organizations, charities and local businesses that you can champion on social media.
• And repeat. Social media can become a bottomless pit, and you may hope that everything you post is read by all of your followers. To give more life to your content, repeat what you’ve shared by creating new messages that say the same as the original. By repeating your important messages, your channel will have a steady stream of content delivered to your audience.
• Listen. A crucial part of your social journey must be monitoring the reactions, activities and comments on your channels. If any negative feedback is shared, be sure to respond rather than ignore it. Social listening tools can help with this process.

When developing your social media marketing strategy, prioritize the efforts and tactics that will best meet your goals. By doing the work to plan based on your objectives, and by following these strategic steps, you will see the positive results that social media can offer your business.