An Insurance Journal poll on agents’ use of social media conducted in January and February showed that 62 percent of respondents’ agencies had some involvement in social media. Granted, there were only 13 voters in the poll, so it obviously wasn’t a scientific study. Eight of the 13 indicated their agency is using some form of social media, two voted that their agency used all forms of social media and three responded that their agency did not use any social media.
While only 13 actually voted in the poll, many more commented on the results.
“Fairly recently, our agency began to embrace social media as a viable tool. We have coordinated FB [Facebook], Twitter, LinkedIn, and a Youtube channel,” one agent commented. “While this endeavor is sure to be a challenging and continual one, we are convinced that it is worth while. As most of us agree, ‘word of mouth’ has always been, and remains king among marketing tools. Generating it is the key. It is my opinion that social media is just the latest expression of WOM.”
Another opined that: “Social Media is justified in the insurance business if an agency is looking for search engine optimization or if an agency has a specific niche that can be exploited with targeted messages adding value.
“For a General Purpose/All Lines retail agency I’m still not feeling the love of Social Media, unless that agency is truely [sic] plugged into the local community with sponsorships and involvements in projects that have nothing to do with insurance and everything to do with the community.”
Still another wrote: “Social media has a lot of potential. The trick is to not think of it as “social media”. It is quite simpl[y] another networking channel. Most any producer has his/her own techniques (I am assuming!) to find prospects, establish and build a connection with those prospects, and then to close the sale and maintain that relationship. Social media is simply another medium in which producers — if he/she can grasp the appropriate nuances and parallels of traditional networking, and how to do the same in the chosen platform — can realize some great results (sometimes with less time and effort) in prospecting. It is by no means a panacea or a wonder solution that will double sales (for example), but when used effectively it can greatly increase your influence.”
View the poll results and read agents’ commentary on social media at www.insurancejournal.com.
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