What Messaging Platforms Should Agents Focus On Now that Facebook is Losing Ground?
What Messaging Platforms Should Agents Focus On Now that Facebook is Losing Ground?
Survey data from the Pew Research Center in mid-2018 showed that 42 percent of Facebook users have significantly reduced their time spent on the platform. Later in the year, Pew found that 26 percent of users had deleted the Facebook app from their phone. Several surveys have indicated that once loyal users had begun to lose trust in the social media giant, and less engagement translates to less effective advertising for insurance agents invested in the platform.
If you’ve been relying heavily on Facebook advertising, it’s time to diversify your ad spend and explore new platforms for reaching prospects.
Google AdWords
Google AdWords is the definitive cost-per-click (CPC) advertising giant that allows agencies to target prospects based on their Google search terms. While AdWords can be expensive if you’re competing for the same keywords as that agency down the street, there are some clever ways to keep costs low and still get in front of your target market. For instance, setting up your competitor’s business name as a targeted keyword lets you show up on your competition’s SERP page when potential policyholders are researching your rivals.
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for getting your agency in front of eyes and sharing your key marketing messages. In addition to the opportunity to connect via LinkedIn Groups and share your savvy via LinkedIn Publisher, you can promote your agency to targeted professionals using LinkedIn Ads.
The platform allows you three options for advertising to your audience: Sponsored Content, Text Ads, and Sponsored InMail, which sends ads directly to a user’s mailbox. Since fewer professionals take advantage of LinkedIn as part of their advertising spend, you can gain a lot of traction with very little investment. One HupSpot study found that LInkedIn generates three times the conversions that Facebook does.
Pinterest may seem like an odd choice for an insurance agent, but this hybrid social media search engine can be an effective choice for connecting with consumers. You can build up your presence by creating Boards related to your coverage areas. Think: Home Renovations for homeowners policies and Decorating Rental Units for renters insurance. Find a correlation between the policies you sell and the Pins that are popular, and you’re sure to gain visibility.
Once you’ve got a feel for the platform, turn your attention to Pinterest Ads Manager to begin targeting a specific audience. Develop useful, attractive Pins to promote, and voila! You’ve just gained access to the world’s fastest growing search and social platform.
SMS
Don’t restrict your messaging to you social and search. Forward thinking insurance agencies are turning their attention to SMS and text marketing to reach prospects on the one platform that they’re always accessing: their cell phones. SMS marketing is a fast-growing and effective tool for marketing, and agents can use it to nurture existing policyholders, a task that is just as important as reaching new ones.
Experiment with innovative SMS messaging that helps your clients and builds loyalty. For example, you might use SMS to alert clients to impending weather events or to notify them of new policy options.
Want more information on alternatives to Facebook Advertising? Get in touch with the insurance marketing specialists at AgenciesOnline. We can help you build your advertising strategy and explore new tactics like SMS marketing.
