Transcript
Let’s talk about Twitter. Why? Because it’s the place to be for insurance and financial services marketing. Unlike most trendy nightspots, Twitter is not particularly choosy about who they let in. While anyone can enter, what you get out of your admittance depends entirely on you. Welcome back to Agent Branding System. Hi Agents, I’m Jon Anderson, Founder of Agent Branding System. If social media channels were nightclubs, then Twitter would be the trendy spot where anyone who was anyone would choose to go inside. The venue would be packed with people, while outside there will be a constant flow, or queue, of people waiting to be let in. Navigating through and using Twitter might take some getting used to. There is a restriction on the number of words users can say at any one time, but that very rule is one of the main selling points to Twitter, and a feature to credit the social media channel’s success to. That being said, Twitter is the unconventional social media channel that people either love or hate. Which side are you on? Whether it’s the 140 character restriction, the constant stream of buzz, or the reputation as a celebrity’s playground, Twitter seems to be a grey area for several professional industries. The first step towards overcoming any Twitter apprehension is to create an account – something which is both free and relatively simple. You enter your name, email, and create a password; then you’re asked to choose a username ( otherwise known as an “at name.”) Unless you’re setting up an account for your agency, it is best to use your full name if it’s available. Otherwise, use some variation of your name, but ensure that it remains easily identifiable. Make sure to add a photo of yourself or one of your personal business images. These tend to work best, but you can use your company logo if that will more suitably serve your brand building efforts. Finally, add some information to the portfolio section such as a brief description of your services, your website URL, etc., and now you’re ready to go ready to join in the party and the fun. Twitter will prompt you to follow some other users by showing you a few suggestions. Look through the suggestions and carefully select relevant users who are worth following and worth your time. That’s a strategy you should adopt as you increase your professional presence and visibility on this platform. One of the most powerful features of Twitter is the hashtag. Imagine you just walk through the doors of the swanky vibrant Twitter club and looking around you see the place is crammed with awesome people all engaged in separate conversations. Lots of different conversations are happening simultaneously between numerous groups and different individuals. In order for you to get involved, you could walk around the venue carefully listening to each conversation until you find one of interest to join. Alternatively, you could simply look at the large luminous hashtag sign hovering above each group. The tag tells you what a group is talking about. If you look around and you don’t see a conversation worth joining, then you can simply create your own conversation by starting your hashtag, thus starting an entirely new conversation. Hashtags play a vital role in brand development on Twitter. It’s like a URL with the hashtag. With them, you can identify things like group activities, news related to your industry, and more. That’s important because it allows you to find and reach out to the people who will be most receptive to your business offering. Twitter club is a popular hotspot. It’s the place where everyone wants to be seen. Most of the people here aim to stand out from the crowd and attract the most attention and so should you. However, how do you get your message across and engage people with only 140 characters to play with? You get creative, that’s how. What’s good about Twitter is that everyone from Fortune 500 companies to sole traders on the market have the same amount of space for their marketing messages. A solo agent can have as much impact with his or her marketing message as a 5,000 employee strong organization. Again, the power of Twitter is that there’s a multitude of ways a financial or insurance services agent could use Twitter to market their wares or their services. Here are just some suggestions: Follow local and national news outlets so that you’d be viewed as an authority, and share great information that you need your community to know. News is usually spread on Twitter first before it’s mainstream media. Retweet comments of prospects. Of course, sharing content is one of the best ways to get attention on Twitter. Also, network with other insurance and financial services experts. Networking opens doors to opportunities that might have otherwise been out of reach. Twitter is a great networking platform, and as we’ve already discussed, finding the right groups of people to network with is fairly straightforward. Keep up on the latest industry trends. Financial services and insurance are dynamic industries that need constant monitoring. Use Twitter as a reliable resource for monitoring important trends in your industry. You’ll also find millions of people eager to learn about insurance and financial services. They all need it Use the great content of influencers, as well as, hashtags to build your platform and reach a group of people that could be nurtured and turned into more than just followers. Can I ask you something now? How has utilizing Twitter helped your business grow? Tell me your thoughts in the comments section below. Thank you for taking the time to watch our video today. Please subscribe and continue watching our series for more exciting business and marketing discussions related to our industry. Ready to take your marketing and branding efforts to the next level? Contact us today toll-free at (888) 776- 7761 or email me at jon@agentbrandingsystem.com. Subscribe to my channel today by clicking the title – the little red box in the lower section, and you’ll always be up to date. You can also have these videos sent right to your inbox when we make a new one. Simply click the link in the description box to become an Agent Branding System Insider. Also, if you’re watching on YouTube, please make sure to subscribe, but also make certain to hit the notifications button. Once again, you’ll be able to see those videos pop through your notification section the moment they’re published. Thanks so much and have a great day!
