USING SOCIAL MEDIA: PROPER PLANNING AND EXECUTION MAKES IT WORK
by Curtis Pearsall
You’ve probably heard the numbers: the overwhelming majority of Americans use some form of social technology. Some suggest that if you’re not, well, what are you waiting for? As Nike says, “Just do it!” Unfortunately, some folks do just that, and then turn around a year later and wonder why the results have not been what they had hoped for — or find themselves in legal messes.
David Meerman Scott, in The New Rules of Marketing and PR, points out, “Social media provides the way people share ideas, contents, thoughts and relationships online. Social media differ from so-called ‘mainstream media’ in that anyone can create, comment on and add to social media content. Social media can take the form of text, audio, video, images and communities.” In many respects, social media is redefining how businesses can market themselves.
What Are Your Social Media Goals?
If you’re like me as I start my new business, there’s no doubt you want to use social media as a significant part of your marketing strategy (your competitors are probably already doing it). For me, the power of this approach — with its ability to reach out to agencies throughout the nation — sounded ideal. However, I won’t deny I was a little intimidated…knowing enough to be dangerous about Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Which do I sign up with? Should I join two? What the heck is a blog?
Because I needed to learn a lot, I bought the Scott book. (If you’re looking for information on using social media for marketing, you can’t go wrong with this book — very well done!) My first piece of advice is to do your homework and research. Write down what you hope to gain from using social media and what you’re trying to accomplish.
Sure, you want to write more business, but how? After all, when you decided to go into the agency business, did you just open the doors and shout “We’re Open”? No, you did some planning and research to determine what you wanted to be and to whom you wanted to appeal. I’ve also reached out to a marketing firm specializing in helping businesses use social media. Their expertise should keep me from making costly mistakes. Remember: don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.
Although many people might disagree, I’d recommend taking a cautious, conservative approach. Jumping into the “deep end” might sound exciting, but probably not be as effective as you hope. Without the proper thought and planning, you could run into some legal issues that could cause a headache or two.
Give It Away
Experts on the business use of social media focus heavily on the marketing possibilities, often citing these seven objectives:
- Public Relations
- Customer Service
- Loyalty Branding
- Collaboration
- Networking
- Thought Leadership
- Customer Acquisition
Personally, I see some potential issues with at least one of these. More about this shortly.
Your strategizing should include a review of how you’re using the Web. Your site should not be static, looking the same way today that it did six months ago.. Although your site should demonstrate your agency’s personality, as David Scott states, “to be effective, you need to anticipate the needs of the masses and provide content to meet them even before they ask.” Because you must appeal to different constituencies, tailor content for each of them. Sounds like education is key here, doesn’t it? In fact, I urge that you make education none of your goals. Social media provides a great means of educating readers and engaging them in conversation. If you can entertain them as well, you’re onto something.
The old approach is to “sell your knowledge.” The new “rules” strongly advocate giving it away. Delivering compelling content, and providing ideas and advice on a wide variety of subjects and topics, will brand your organization as a thought leader and trusted resource in the industry. This will drive clients and prospects to some type of action: buying, subscribing, applying, etc.
Let a Guide Be Your Guide
Be sure to construct and proof this educational information carefully for content, accuracy, professionalism, and legality. Do you want your staff writing articles without a proper sign-off? No! Without some “rules of engagement” in this area, you could get you into trouble. Content should focus heavily on issues your customers want to hear about. Inappropriate or defamatory comments involving specific people or organizations could be extremely damaging to your agency’s reputation. Also, make sure to avoid incorrect advice or statements on how coverage applies. After all, you are what you publish.
Sometimes this “education” takes the form of correspondence from your employees to their friends or business associates. This has the potential to reflect significantly on your agency. To ensure you have the proper procedures/controls in place, develop a social media guide, if you don’t already have one. This guide should include any media your staff may use (e-mail, face-to-face, online forums, chat rooms, blogs, etc.) and should have input from Human Resources, Marketing and other departments.
Advise your employees about what they can and cannot do — whether it is on your agency’s site or the employee’s personal site. Make sure that they can’t and don’t reveal secrets or speak ill of the competition, and realize that they can’t post private consumer information on the social web. Be sure to get this message across to all employees and monitor it closely.
What Your Customers Must Know
- You also need to develop a guide advising your customers on the role of social media in the agency. Communicate this information frequently to customers and post it on your Web site. Also, notify prospects and potential customers upfront in your dialogue about the DOs and DON’Ts of using social media to communicate with the agency. Deal with customers in the way that they want you to.
- Don’t allow customers to make any policy change requests or provide key information via social media. This information is often highly sensitive and extremely private. Allowing them to divulge Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, information on home valuables, etc., will create more headaches than you can imagine. Make sure to adhere to data breach and privacy laws.
- Let customers know that they cannot bind, modify, or delete coverage by social media and must speak with an authorized agency representative to do so. If a customer does use this media, despite your advice, be sure to document this activity in the agency management system. Using social media for customer service might have a place in some businesses, but not in the insurance industry at this time. Exercise extreme caution. As with e-mail, correspondence via social media exists forever.
It’s a Good Thing
Now that you have a manual and a strategy, you’re ready to use social media as a tool for marketing yourself as a thought leader. The content should be accurate, truthful, professional and positive. Brand your agency in the proper light. Whether you send material to the public in paper form or through social media, be aware of and comply with your state Insurance Department’s position on advertising. I also strongly recommend that you avoid stressing your expertise in a particular subject. While I understand that you’re trying to position yourself as a professional,, stating you are an expert can raise the standard to which others will hold you.
There’s no doubt that you have information others would find beneficial. Although you might be tempted to talk about your agency, many experts recommend that your social media content should first describe the issues and problems your customers and potential customers face, and then provide details on how to solve those problems.. Use content to demonstrate your expertise; with the primary focus on your buyers’ problems and how you can help solve them. Ask yourself what type of content will influence clients to buy from you. This information might be a news release on a specific subject, a blog, a video, audio, etc. Be authentic and transparent, and try to avoid having your material sound like propaganda. I can’t overemphasize the need to have this information proofed carefully for accuracy.
If you’re going to post articles on the Web, make sure the material is from reputable sources. Whether your audience views you as a provider of information or of content, can determine any potential liability.
Blogging
A blog is a Web site developed and maintained by a person or organization passionate about a subject. A significant number of companies use blogs, rather than standard Web sites, because they’re seemingly easier to create and are more widely read.
Although blogging provides is a great way to reach your target audience, start slow. If you have something to say and are good at saying it, strongly consider blogging.. Monitor others’ blogs and participate from time to time before you launch your own. Some agencies might want a presence on a social site to encourage more interaction with customers. Although participation in interactive forums can reap rewards for you, be sure to exercise caution.
Blogs are becoming an important part of business. Advise your employees not to blog about information disclosed to them. Also, although you might think that lying makes good content, don’t!. If someone to make a negative comment about your agency on the blog, a quick response will impress other visitors to the blog. If you’re going to blog, choose a finite number of people should handle the role. Once again, comments on the blog need to be accurate and proofread. For example, if you accidentally type in “now” instead of “not” in this sentence — “Homeowners policies do now cover Flood claims.” — you probably will have a BIG headache.
There’s no doubt that some prospects will want to do business with you because of your education and expertise. Make sure that you have a procedure to identify the point at which to move the interaction between the prospect and the agency in house and become part of the normal agency process.
Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn
Which one(s) of these works for you? Identify your audience and how they use these media. Make sure that using them meets your organizational goal of making valuable information available.
As some celebrities have learned to their cost, some of their “mistakes” have quickly found their way onto various social media sites. This media has the ability to send news, videos, etc. in the blink of an eye. Although you want to be in the spotlight, this is probably an area to avoid. When you participate in social media, people find out who you are. Take the proper precautions, and this will be a good thing.
Excerpted from the 2010 PIA National Agency Marketing Gude.
Curtis Pearsall, CPCU, AIAF, ARM, CPIA, is president of Pearsall Associates, Inc., a risk management consulting firm that specializes in helping agents protect themselves. He can be contacted at [email protected] or (315) 768-1534.