“Being Approachable” on Social Media: What That Means

There’s a lot of advice out there on what tone insurance professionals should adopt in social media. We’re told to be approachable, accessible, honest, and friendly. In insurance, this can be crucial to giving your company a fun, engaging personality that pulls prospects in and generates interest. But what do those things mean in practice—and how do you pull off an approachable tone? Here are a few tips on what “being approachable” really means.

It means speaking your prospect’s language. The best way to be approachable to your prospects is to talk to them in their language. If you’re a retail agent selling directly to consumers, that will probably mean staying away from any and all industry jargon. If your market is B2B, it means using the terms your prospects use—not necessarily the language your office would use for the same terms. Keep your language simple and relaxed to keep your readers on the page.

It means interacting in a fun, friendly way. Don’t just put your ideas out there. Be part of the conversation. Respond to comments on your posts, jump into conversations on Twitter, and speak to your prospects to generate interest. Show your prospects that you’re reachable on social media, and you’ll make yourself more easily approachable.

It means being focused on customer service. It’s becoming more and more common for unhappy customers to voice their complaints with companies on social media—and that’s as true for the insurance industry as it is for any other. If you get negative feedback from someone—either privately or out loud on a social media platform—don’t let it wait. Respond immediately. This shows everyone watching that you care about your customers, you’re focused on their needs, and you care about resolving their issue.

It means showing your human side. Not every single post needs to be super professional. It’s okay—actually, it’s effective—to occasionally post, tweet, or talk about personal subjects that your customers and prospects may also relate to. Do you do standup on the weekends? Have a favorite sports team? Have a dog that worships you or a little nephew that you dote on? It’s fine to mention those things briefly every so often. It makes you likeable.

It means not everything needs to be about work. In addition to that, it’s a good strategy to occasionally post articles and content related to your services and products in particular. Every so often, post an article about some news item or subject outside the insurance industry—especially something likely to appeal to your target demographic.

Being approachable on social media means showing who you are—beyond the insurance agent. It means participating in conversations and being responsive. And it means speaking your prospect’s language—using language to connect rather than to put up barriers. With these skills, you should be able to make your online presence much more approachable—and translate that into new leads.

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