Turn Your Posts into Pipeline: Using Social Media for Selling
Quick Look: In a world that is more virtual than ever before, social media can be a powerful tool for brokers – if you know where to start. With the right approach, and a bit of support, brokers can use social media and digital marketing strategies to generate new leads and turn their posts into pipeline.
The social media landscape can be overwhelming, especially for busy brokers who want to focus on revenue generation and growing their book of business. But there’s a good chance you already have a LinkedIn profile or a Facebook page. Maybe you’ve even tried your hand at social media marketing but didn’t see the immediate ROI you expected. To be successful, social media can’t be an isolated effort. It needs to be part of your overall selling strategy.
Social media is excellent for building brand awareness, amplifying marketing initiatives, further positioning yourself as a trusted adviser, and expanding your online footprint in search engines. Social media can also help you reach new prospects, educate and interact with current clients, and engage with other key constituencies, such as your local community, other brokers, targeted verticals, and potential new partners.
Whether you’re new to social or just want to brush up on your skills, here are 10 simple tactics to kick your social media into high gear.
Have a strategy: Don’t simply post for the sake of posting. Make sure you set goals, a clear view of who you are talking to, a plan for content, messaging, and frequency, which platforms you will use, and how you plan to track, measure, and adjust your efforts.
Don’t neglect your pages: Your social media profiles shouldn’t be collecting dust on the Internet shelf. A retweet here and there, a LinkedIn post with no commentary, and a random Facebook update won’t cut it. Dipping a toe in the water of any promotional strategy has never been successful and it’s no different with social media. It requires commitment. Make sure your profile is updated with your title, expertise, current photo, and accurate contact information.
Find your voice: Your social media presence is often the first way prospective clients learn about you. If you’re too formal, too casual, or too canned, it will show. Strategically developing your authentic brand voice and tone is vital to connecting with your audience.
Post the right content and messaging: Focus on sharing engaging and meaningful content that resonates with your target audience. This could include resources like blogs, case studies, eBooks, videos, best practices, industry news and free tips. Trending and seasonal topics such as Open Enrollment, regulatory and compliance changes, or post-pandemic Back-to-Office guidance are great ways for brokers to stay relevant during specific time periods and keep up with trends to attract and engage followers.
Put the “social” in social media: Social media is about engaging. Your interactions shouldn’t be one-sided or passive. Make sure to follow, like, repost, comment and to respond to questions or comments – and always remember the 80/20 rule – 80% of your content should not be about YOU.
Use the right channels: Research the channels and platforms most frequented by your target audiences. LinkedIn is a must for business, Facebook is great for locality or specialized groups, Twitter is ideal for short takes and immediacy, YouTube is excellent for sharing videos, and Instagram for photos.
Leverage your partnerships: Partnerships and trade organizations are powerful resources for brokers to utilize for content and tools. For example, the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) has a social media resource library available to their broker members. Your PEO partner likely also has a resource center of content you can share with your followers.
Invest in advertising and paid search: Advertising can be an ideal way for brokers to share resources, grow your brand and focus on lead generation. Each social media platform offers its own paid ad solution to help you market to your target audience and hone in on specific demographics, including location, industry, title, and job level.
Avoid the hard sell: Think about what you like to see on your social feeds. You wouldn’t follow someone who floods their pages with pushy sales messages and your audience likely feels the same. While your underlying goal should be driving revenue, don’t sell too hard – instead, focus on the soft sell and share useful content that resonates with your followers.
Follow industry thought-leaders: Knowledge is power, and one key way to keep up with the ever-changing brokerage market is to follow, watch, and learn from some of the best, both within your community and other industries.
What to post, when to post, and how to post it can seem daunting — but social selling doesn’t have to be. With the right approach, targets and goals, brokers can find their social media home and gain a unique edge over their competition.
While social selling is a powerful tool, it’s just one piece of the marketing puzzle. For more marketing ideas to help grow your book of business, watch our on-demand webinar “Shaped by 2020: Creating Predictable Pipeline with Organic Growth” here.
