Nowadays, online presence is as important as face to face interaction. You feel most comfortable on the phone or direct interaction with a client. Your tone and facial and body expression invoke trust. Having an online presence that conveys the same trust can be quite challenging. You want to deliver the same message without making your customers feel like they are talking to a programmed robot. Your customer wants to feel that they made the right decision.
How can you make your social media advertising honest and sell? That’s where copywriting comes in! Here are 7 copywriting tips for your social media marketing efforts:
1) Who’s your audience?
Knowing your audience is a fundamental and very basic part of copywriting and marketing that a lot of people seem to skip when they start writing that advertisement. Sure, you can start using generic keywords or phrases, but a like a billboard that will be seen by million of people, your ad will only be seen like that, a passing sign. The impact would be lost, and even moreso, it won’t hit your intended market. You want to address as many concerns as possible but be specific enough so that your audience can relate to your piece. When you write that copy, focus on one specific audience (or buyer persona, if you will) their wants or needs and how you can best address those. You don’t want to sell a property insurance for someone who is looking for car insurance, do you?
2) Am I clear enough?
Before you hit that publish button, read your article. Read each sentence aloud if you have to. Does it make sense? The words and tone that you use throughout your copy serve as your “facial expression.” Would you use complex terms like tectonic plates clashing against each other to explain to a child what an earthquake is? You probably wouldn’t. Go with the same line of thinking when you deliver your copy. Use the KISS method.
3) KISS Method (Keep It Short and Simple!)
You’ve seen the ads on billboards and seen the ads on TV. What do they have in common? They are short and on point! Remember the last time when someone pitched something to you and it took awhile? How did it make you feel? Bored? Wished you were someone else? Irritated? Keep these in mind when you write your social media updates and ads. Address the pain point and then offer on what you can do help ease the pain. This keeps your audience focused on the central message for your insurance agent copywriting.
4) Call to Action: Why and How
One of the things that learn in sales is that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make the horse drink. Fortunately, people are not horses! A call to action helps lead people into taking the next step rather than just reading your ad.
Let’s define first what a call to action is. In advertising materials, a call to action is a piece of content intended to induce a viewer, reader, or listener to perform a specific act, typically taking the form of an instruction or directive (e.g. buy now or click here ). You want people to buy your services, in this case, buy insurance from your company. The word ‘if’ gives an out for people not to do anything. Be direct and tell people what you want them to do. An additional note to make this more effective is to give the reason WHY they should do what you are telling them. This solidifies the decision in your buyer’s mind.
For example, see what reads more convincing:
“If you’d like to know more about how my insurance company can serve your business…”
VS
“Security, affordability, and peace of mind are what I offer. Let’s talk on how I can personalize these services for you by entering your information in the form below.”
See the difference?
5) Highlight the feature and then the benefit!
You’re in the market to buy a new phone. A company comes out with a new line that has 18 megapixels for the camera, infinity screen, 33 hours of battery time and comes in 5 fantastic colors! But do people buy based on these concepts? One would think so, but in reality, people buy based on the benefits.
The above description shows the features of a product or service. They are facts or specifications of the product. In the insurance world, they could refer to the price of the insurance itself or the type of coverage that the insurance covers. They add the credibility to your service. A benefit is a reason why they should buy the product or service. How does it benefit their lives? Does it simplify their life? Does it give them peace of mind? Does it save them money in the long run? Benefits are targeting “what’s in it?” for them.
For your insurance marketing to work, a perfect blend of these two must be in place.
6) Testimonials are powerful but need to be relatable!
Getting kudos for the excellent work or service that you provide is something that you want to showcase. In the insurance market, this gives you the credibility factor.
But have you noticed that many overly positive testimonials sound phony? Not that positive reviews are NOT genuine, but no one is perfect right?
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As good example of a testimonial is one that overcomes objections.
Like this one for example: “Gary had some crazy ideas but because of his expertise in the insurance agency, we managed to cover all the important aspects of my business. On top of that, it might not be the cheapest option but the most sensible one!”
7). The focus is on the Customer! NOT on you!
Customers do like seeing that your company has won awards for so and so. It is an acknowledgment from peers in the industry. But if that is the only thing that you focus on, most customers would eventually be turned off.
The most important fact is to highlight what you CAN offer to your clients. What makes you, as an insurance agent doing marketing, vital to your customer’s lives? The plaques and awards are nice on the shelves but not much of help on your advertisement.
By following these simple tricks, you should be on your way to achieving the insurance agent marketing that makes an impact and in turn, produces results for you!
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