.jpg)
It goes without saying that social media has well and truly taken the world by storm and many businesses now rely on multiple platforms to engage customers and drive growth.
For insurance brokers, however, the situation is slightly different. According to a leading business expert, there’s only one social media platform which is worth embracing in a professional capacity.
“When it comes to social media, there is really only one aspect that works and that’s LinkedIn,” says Clifton Warren, principal of Corporate Eye Consulting. “It’s very common for insurance brokers to ask me what sort of social media they should have but the only thing that is effective is LinkedIn – in fact, I had one client who was spending $30,000 on social media every year and getting nothing in return for it.”
According to Warren, who specialises in offering growth solutions for financial services organisations, LinkedIn is an ideal platform for obtaining referrals, which are absolutely essential to the long-term success of any brokerage.
“If I’m able to connect with my clients on LinkedIn, I get access to their network and can find three or four names who may be great clients for me,” Warren tells Insurance Business. “Then I can sit down with my client and mention those names to them and hopefully they’ll give me some background information or even an introduction.”
However, in order to get the most out of LinkedIn, Warren says insurance brokers should be sure to tailor their profiles to the clients they’re hoping to attract.
“Brokers should have their profile updated so it goes beyond stating that they’re an insurance broker,” says Warren. “It should be client-centric. For example, it should say they work with manufacturers on this issue or we solve problems for clients in this industry.”
Warren says that, typically, brokers make the mistake of focusing on themselves and their business rather than explaining exactly how they can help a potential client.
“Quite often we talk about ourselves – we’re the best, we’re the greatest, we’ve been around since 19-whatever – but we should talk about the client and make it client-focussed and client-centred,” he said.
