Homeowners insurance is an old-school profession, used to relying heavily on face-to-face communication, handshakes, flyers, and referrals to generate insurance leads. And while these are still great business strategies for the independent insurance agent, many of your customers have moved online, so it benefits you to follow them. Most likely you’re already on Facebook, but may be confused about the best ways to turn your fans into lifelong, repeat customers. We’re here to help with five of the simplest strategies for generating revenue with Facebook.
1. Tell a Story
A story is worth a thousand words … wait, that’s not it. Whatever the case, generating revenue with Facebook is easier if your prospects can relate to you like another human being as opposed to a faceless profile. Ditto for your products, which make a much bigger impact when embedded in a tale. Ask for testimonials or stories from current or past Florida homeowners insurance clients that feature your services in their best light, such as when they saved someone money, protected a family, or helped a customer to fix their beloved home.
2. Offer Exclusive Benefits
To turn fans into insurance leads, you have to make them feel unique, appreciated and cared for. If they feel like cogs in your machine, they won’t engage with you and become customers. Instead, prove you care for them with fan-only benefits, such as free insurance consultations to show them what you can offer.
3. Ensure You’ve Got the RIGHT Fans
You won’t convert many fans into insurance leads if they aren’t interested in your services. Ensure they are by pursuing the right demographics with lookalike audiences, which you can draw from your own fans or from closely related fields, such as real estate, taxes and accounting, and financial planning. Keywords are also a great way to segment your audience. Read how homeowners insurance agents can use keywords on Google+ in their small business marketing plan.
4. Move Fans Down the Funnel
You may not convert a fan into a customer right from Facebook, and that’s okay. A great intermediate step is to use Facebook to help people opt in to your mailing list. Once on your email list, you can continue to pitch your services to them in a friendly, approachable way right from their inbox. People trust their email, so this is a crucial step for you to take. Interested in paid Facebook advertising, but not sure how to start? Read more here.
5. Provide Fantastic Content
Let’s be clear here: “fantastic” content doesn’t just look good and read well. It is actually useful. You want your fans thinking, for instance, “Wow, she sure knows a lot about Florida homeowners insurance. Maybe I should go through Southern Oak Insurance.” Useful, actionable, reliable content hooks your fans, makes your name stick in their mind, and will turn them into customers when the timing is right. And don’t underestimate the power of presenting it in the right format. Right now native video (uploaded through Facebook rather than linked from outside the platform) is huge, so take advantage of that. There are myriad ways for independent insurance agents to use video to help tell their story.
Sure, small business marketing with Facebook requires dedication and time, but mostly it just requires know-how. Incorporate these tips into your daily social media routine and soon enough you’ll have the client roster of your dreams. Read more social media tips for insurance agents here.
