Put Social Media in Drive for Your Car Insurance Needs
As a consumer and/or small business owner, what method has worked best for you when it comes to shopping for car insurance?
In many cases, individuals still like the traditional method of dealing with an insurer through the phone and personal visits. Others, however, are finding that online is the way to go when it comes to shopping for their car insurance quotes.
For those individuals who decide that online is the way to travel for auto insurance, social media can be a great tool by which to choose. In order to meet the needs of consumers, more auto insurers are putting social media higher up on their list of importance, promoting their products and services via social networks.
According to the 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 94 percent of all companies with a marketing department utilized social media as a portion of their marketing platform, while 60 percent of marketers are putting time towards the equivalent of an entire work day to social media marketing development and maintenance. Lastly, 58 percent of companies that have used social media marketing for more than three years noted an uptick in their sales during that period.
So, are some social media sites for consumers to peruse should they choose to go online for auto car insurance quotes?
Among the sites would be:
* Facebook fan pages – More and more auto insurers are devoting time to Facebook, knowing that the social media giant can help drive traffic their way. You want to look for a company whose page is updated regularly, engages consumers, and provides relevant links not only to their website but also to auto insurance articles, press releases, studies, etc. In the event the page is not updated regularly or does not seem to want to encourage consumers, it may give you an inclination that the company is not too concerned with both customer service and being relevant in today’s Internet age;
* Twitter pages – Much like Facebook, Twitter can be a great tool for auto insurers to post relevant links and comments on what they have to offer. While still trailing Facebook in terms of users, Twitter has planted itself as a solid social media venue, one that more companies are engaging in. When checking a company’s Twitter page, look to see who they follow and who follows back. You can get a sense of their online traffic, along with if they are relevant in their industry or are just buying followers to appear so;
* Pinterest pages – The darling of the social media world over the last year, look to see which auto insurers have taken to this site. Given its focus on imagery, auto insurers can be well served by posting photos of their agents on the site. If you have a face to go with a name, you may be more inclined to pursue a quote and talk insurance with someone. The insurer who is using the site also shows that they are adapting to the newer SM venues, a factor that does make them seem more relevant;
* Google+ pages – While this site has not gained the traction that Facebook and Twitter have, it does have its devoted followers. Much like the two previously mentioned sites, Google+ can offer auto insurers the ability to promote their brand via press releases, product marketing and more. It also allows insurers to customize their promotional content by forming various groupings of followers that they can then market differently to. Seeing companies on this site also means that they are reaching out to consumers through other venues besides the big two.
When looking at these or any other social media sites for auto insurance information, check to see how often the insurer uses the respective site, how relevant their posts are to their business, if they responding to a sizable number of consumer complaints, and if they engage consumers on a regular basis.
As more people look online to get auto insurance quotes and perhaps purchase the product, checking a company’s social media efforts can go a long way in whether or not you drive off with their product.
About the author: Dave Thomas covers a variety of social media topics for various websites.
Image Credit: 1.
Posted in Social Networking. Tags: facebook insurance, Google+ insurance, insurance social media, pinterest insurance, twitter insurance
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