Connections recognizes the importance of keeping current with new trends to grow your business. See below for excerpts from Connections articles that pertain to leveraging social media effectively and selling to millennials.
Log in to the Connections website using your Applied Client Network website credentials to access this month’s content, as well as plenty of archived material to suit your professional needs. Bookmark Connections for ease — new insights arrive weekly!
Millennials now comprise the largest generation in the U.S. labor force. These 20- and 30-somethings are not so young anymore, and they’re on the market for insurance. But their buying and engagement patterns are unique to them, due in large part to their plugged-in lifestyles. This generation of laborers grew up with technology at their fingertips, and if you want their business, you’ll need to cater to their buying preferences.
What are these millennial preferences? Here are five areas to brush up on:
- Social Media. If you haven’t hopped on board the social train, you’re behind. Social media isn’t going anywhere, so use it to your advantage — or risk visibility and credibility. Dress your content in relevant, search-friendly keywords in order to increase exposure. Social media is more than worth your marketing time.
- Ease. Millennials expect an omnichannel delivery model. They want instant access to information via multiple digital channels, like self-service portals and mobile applications. It’s all about convenience. According to research from Celent, when consumers were asked why they chose a particular provider when looking for financial services, 52 percent indicated that their selection was based on convenience or ease of service. You can start small: Offer free Wi-Fi in your agency/brokerage.
To see all five areas, log in to Connections.
Chances are, you hear about “social media” frequently — perhaps more frequently than you’d like.
But if you bat the topic away, like many still do, the time to stop plugging your ears is now.
The truth is: Social media isn’t going anywhere but up. It’s where your customers live online; it’s where they’ll see your brand if you’re diligent enough to put it there. For many, Facebook is the most frequently consulted content stream. Rather than lament or push back against this change, it’s wise to accept that it’s here to stay (it is) and work to ride the waves of change.
Luckily, that’s not too time- or resource-consuming if you follow the four steps outlined below to begin a new, or build upon a current, social media strategy.
1. Establish credibility by sharing high-quality content.
In short, content market. There is no better vehicle for content marketing than social media. Establish yourself as a valuable, credible source of information by sharing relevant articles and reports on your social media channels to gain followers. Demonstrate that you care about not only your customers, but your industry as a whole. Of course, creating content is the best plan of action, but start with simply sharing and you will see spikes in interest.
2. Set up social media tools.
Make things less time-consuming by utilizing tools such as Hootsuite, which supports social network integration for all channels. That makes your job a breeze, and thus promotes more consistent posting. Be sure to also add “share” buttons to all posts you put up online, in order to increase ease of cross-channel promotion.
To see all four steps, log in to Connections.