Instagram is probably one social media platform that doesn’t necessarily scream insurance. It’s obvious that Instagram is hyper-visual, it’s mostly organic and nearly every human adult uses it, making it super ideal for any newb brand to propel forward.
Hear us out.
- There are over 500 million users worldwide, so technically you have an endless supply of people you can reach out to with a single post. Your customers are probably using Instagram right now.
- Instagram has live video and Instagram story. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, imagine what a video (motion picture) worth? It’s time to make insurance fun and creative.
So how exactly do you build a successful Instagram account? We came up with a step-by-step guide covering everything from account basics to what to post on Instagram.
1. Create a killer bio
If you’re not already on Instagram, it should be a walk in the park, right? But this task should not be underestimated. Your profile page on your Instagram is like your outfit at the Anugerah Industri Muzik. If it ain’t good, you’ll be shunned.
Your Profile Picture: If you are an insurance agency, use a company logo. It’s smart to use your logo so people won’t be confused with the account they land on. But if you are an individual agent, be sure to use a clear picture of your face. Don’t be shy. The key is to go with something high-quality and representative.
A brief, to the point bio description: Nicely simplify who you are and what you do to inform folks in a flash. Instagramers have no time to lose, so keep it short and precise.
Your website/ iBanding agent profile: If you have a website include it in your bio. If you don’t, we recommend you to create an agent profile in the iBanding agent directory and include your personal agent profile URL in the bio.
Instagram story is one other place on Instagram where you can display your website or iBanding agent link by creating a hyperlink for people to learn more about your insurance services.
Instagram story usually lasts for a maximum of 24-hours so be sure to create something that gives value to your audience plus a call to action.
Decide on either a regular or a business account: This is entirely up to you. Here at iBanding, we recommend you brand yourself as a business. Use Instagram as an opportunity to educate your audience about insurance in Malaysia. If anything it only legitimizes your brand as an insurance agent on the Instagram marketing circuit.
2. Find your insurance audience
The whole point of setting up shop on Instagram is to cultivate a community of audience members that are united in their common love for your brand or your content.
In this case, insurance. But we all know that insurance can get pretty dry and it can be tough to get even your mother to listen to you.
In order to properly devise a content plan that screams to your core business strategy, you must first identify who you truly want to reach out to with your beautiful visuals.
Is it Entrepreneurs? Investment bloggers? Sports fans? Foodie fanatic? Car enthusiasts? Health and fitness fans? There’s always an audience in all these categories who could be your targeted audience.
3. Establish a voice or tone
In short, this is your brand personality. Are you spunky? Are you cool? Are you funny? Are you authoritative or are you sweet as pie?
You don’t necessarily have to stick to only one of these qualities. Pick one or two that suits you best and figuring out your tone of voice will establish your brand in the eyes of your audiences. Not only a well-crafted brand voice shows your positive attributes, it is needed to grow consumer loyalty.
See an example of our tone and voice.
4. Plan your content
This is the fun part. Assets! Pretty images! Videos! Boomerangs! But what exactly do you post? That’s the real question. Building a strong content plan is both strategic and creative. So you have to be brave and be willing to take chances when coming up with a post.
We recommend you to come up with 3 to 4 visuals that will make up your Instagram account’s aesthetics. Eventually, it will help you keep things tight as you go along telling your brand story.
If you are at a loss, brainstorm ideas, assess what your competitors are doing. Being an insurance agent is also sort of like being an entrepreneur. Look at successful accounts and scan the type of posts that helped them establish their brand and services.
Sometimes it’s not always just about insurance. As an insurance agent, your goal is not just to sell, sell and sell. Occasionally, you need to reflect on the services you’ve given in order to continue improving your services too.
So post a picture or a video that will allow you to engage with your audiences or customers by asking them how did they like your services by commenting in your posts or ask them to fill out a review or feedback in your iBanding agent profile.
5. Consistency is key
Consistency is important in the game of Instagram. When you have built expectation from the audience, you need to maintain it.
- Your aesthetic: This goes for individual image and overall grid. Ensure your filters are consistent. Be sure that the overall flow ensemble of your images looks good and most of all don’t post something random.
- Post frequency: Each and every account, be it individual or business, has its own unique properties. There is simply no one-size-fits-all handbook for it. Then again there is always a guideline that you can apply whether you are a big or small business. So how often to post?
- Post more during work off-hours instead of during the day: That means lunch time between 11 am to 1 pm, or between 12 pm to 2 pm. Other times during the day would be from 5 pm to 7 pm. Think about it. When do you find yourself scrolling through your own Instagram feed? It’s usually when you’re free and not actually doing work. Don’t be afraid to test out to find that sweet spot throughout the day.
Or you can use your own Instagram insight like above to find it.
- Weekends can be a bullseye or a miss: Again depending on your audience. A B2C company is more likely to see results on the weekends than a B2B company given that they only operate on weekdays.
- Save important posts for weekdays. If you think about it, weekends are meant for winding down with the family or even be a get-your-shit-together day especially Sundays.
It’s likely that Instagram users don’t check-in into their Instagram during weekends because there is no need to be on their mobile phone with their bosses, colleagues or even their clients.
6. Monitor your Instagram activity and adjust accordingly
Your job doesn’t stop just because you have completed setting up your Instagram account. You will need to monitor your account and regularly review insights of all your posts. Don’t leave your account inactive and hope that it will work on it’s own to be successful. You have to nurture it.
Get to know who is interacting with your account, keep a look out for what your audience responds to, what strategies resulting in follower gain, what sort of traction you get. Always analyze your data so you are more educated of your future choices. Don’t overlook it.
The art of mastering the science of Instagram is no easy feat. It takes time, patience and consistency. More often than not, to be successful takes more trial and error until you finally see results.
Looking to learn more about how to be successful as an insurance agent? Read this.
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