As a wholesale insurance broker, nothing is more important to your business than your relationships. The connections you forge with insurance brokers and agents, as well as markets, can help you build your business like nothing else. However, especially when you’re just starting out, it can be difficult to establish those contacts.
Social media can be a powerful tool in positioning yourself as an expert in your field—and demonstrating to agents that you are a very effective partner in solving their biggest coverage challenges. Here are a few things to think about when planning your social media strategy.
Use LinkedIn to best effect. LinkedIn is more business-oriented than other platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and it’s well suited to people whose target market is professional rather than commercial—such as wholesale insurance brokers.
There are a number of ways to connect with insurance agents on LinkedIn, but perhaps the most effective is to demonstrate your expertise—and show yourself as a good source of key information, before they begin to work with you. You can do that by writing and promoting articles on LinkedIn, joining groups that are geared toward the agents you want to work with, and searching for and connecting with local agents in your area.
Produce informational content. Social media is how you attract visitors to your website—but you’ll need something to keep them there once they get there. Develop informational content that demonstrates your value—the specialized expertise you hold in various areas of insurance—and shows agents clearly what you bring to your partnership with them. Once you have content that establishes your expertise, you can promote it on your social media platforms as well as repurpose it into blog posts and webinars.
Know what adds value. The point of having a presence on social media isn’t to promote yourself. It’s to bring value to other people. Think about what the agents and brokers you work with want from you—most likely expertise in their areas of insurance specialization. Bring your audience information of value—post links to articles relevant to their part of the industry; write your own articles; start discussions and answer questions that are relevant to them—and you can establish strong connections and position yourself as a thought leader.
Social media can be a valuable promotional tool, but you won’t be as effective if you approach the “promotional” part head-on. It’s all about making connections, joining interesting conversations, and providing content of value to your audience—and if you do it consistently and well, the business should flow from that.
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