Capturing the right tone on social media can be difficult for wholesale insurance brokers in particular. Most social media experts advise companies to try for an approachable, humanizing tone that’s likable and authentic. However, insurance is a conservative business—and many wholesale brokerages are not comfortable with getting too personal or relaxed on social media. Here are a few tips for nailing a tone that’s authentic, approachable, and even fun—while keeping professionalism front and center.
Find examples of other companies that are doing it right. Every company’s idea of “authentic” and “professional” is different—so as you take the time to develop your own company’s natural voice, it can be helpful to find examples of other tones that capture what you are looking for. Monitor other insurance brokerages and companies within more conservative sectors—including medicine, finance, and law—that cater to a business-to-business audience (other companies) rather than a consumer audience. See how they speak to each other and which voices strike you as particularly effective.
Stay away from the political or controversial speech. This one should be obvious—but especially when you live and work in an area where political views are fairly homogenous, it can sometimes be more challenging than you’d think to know which speech will offend opposing viewpoints. To prevent mishaps, stay away from commenting on any news or events that relate to political candidates or issues, religious topics of any kind, or social issues.
Deploy humor carefully. Humor can be surprisingly difficult to get right, and no two senses of humor are the same. If you haven’t already had a lot of practice writing humorously in a way that appeals to your target audience, it’s generally good practice to be sure several people read any posts or tweets that take a funny angle.
Spotlight your staff—and have some fun with it. One way you can make your company more approachable is to highlight your team members in a way that’s both personal and professional. Start with their areas of expertise and credentials—but be sure to include a few details such as hobbies or unexpected talents, travel experience, favorite music or television shows, or pets and family. These can be light and fun—you don’t have to include anything too personal—but pick one or two details that give your readers something to identify with beyond the professional.
Mix up the professional and outside interests. It’s a great idea to show your audience that you understand their needs by sharing news and information related to the insurance sectors you specialize in. However, you can also humanize your company by sharing a few non-work-related items once in a while. Stay away from controversial topics—but it’s okay to occasionally share the positive news that affects your region or articles on fun and interesting topics that are not related to insurance every so often.
Show your team in less formal situations. You don’t have to be buttoned up all the time; not every social media platform is LinkedIn. It’s okay to show your team members in business casual attire at the company picnic sometimes. Look for opportunities to show your employees relaxed and having fun—while in a corporate context.
Striking the balance between approachable and professional isn’t easy—but it’s possible. You can adopt a tone that appeals to more conservative industries while making your company approachable and even fun to follow. Do it right, and you’ll definitely stand out in the crowd.
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