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If you want to successfully build awareness of your insurance agency on social media, you have to share great content. But what?

Once you know which social media platform your customers are using, it’s time to start building an audience. And one of the keys to building an audience is sharing content.

But that begs the questions—what kind of content should you be sharing? What sharing strategy will make your time-investment worthwhile?

Let’s be clear. The insurance market is tough when it comes to social media because, for the average Joe or Jane, insurance is perceived as boring. Most people don’t really want to think about it unless they have to. 

That reality makes social a challenging space for agents, but it also presents an opportunity. 

With so many agents spinning their wheels on a “strategy” that doesn’t work—infrequent and inconsistent posting with little to no interaction—you could be the standout. 

So how do you do it? How do you pick and share content that will delight your customers and build new followers?

It all starts with knowing your audience.

Defining Your Ideal Customer

Before jumping into social media for the first time or rededicating time to the channel, consider your favorite customers—you probably have one or two that pop to mind.

Who are they? Dive into the nitty gritty details here to define your target audience, including their:

• Age
• Location
• Income
• Education
• Career
• Marital status
• Hobbies/interests

In the end, you want to have a clear picture in your head of your ideal customer. This is who you should be thinking about everytime you post something on social media. He or she will be your guide and your toughest critic.

Now, it’s time to start asking yourself some questions.

1. What Does My Ideal Customer Really Care About?

Once you have a clear picture of your ideal customer in your head, answering this question becomes much easier.

Think about the worries and frustrations that keep them up at night. And keep those in mind as you’re reading through the latest industry news or reviewing tips for homeowners. 

2. Does It Tie Into My Industry?

You’re an insurance agent, so it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to share recipes for cupcakes from your agency’s social media account.

Anything you share should be relevant to your ideal customer, but it should also be relevant to your industry. There’s lots of content out there. Your job is not to share everything under the sun. Stay focused and pick content that ties into your industry.

To be clear, the relationship can, at times, be loose. If all you’re sharing is “insurance this” and “insurance that,” you run the risk of boring your customers. Most people don’t think much about insurance directly. They’re thinking about the things that insurance is meant to protect—their home, their family, their possessions, their life—which brings us to our next question?

3. Will My Followers Thank Me?

According to the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs, Ann Handley, anytime you create or share content, you should be asking yourself, “Will my audience thank me for this post?” 

This simple question is an effective filter for irrelevant or boring content. And if you’re honest with yourself, it’s a tough hurdle to jump. 

Most of what agencies share is not thank-you-worthy. They share it anyways because they either haven’t thought enough about their target audience or they’re just trying to get the “social media thing” over with for the day. 

Don’t waste your time. You’re better off not doing social media at all, then doing it carelessly. 

Think about these three questions every time you’re searching out content to share on your social media account. But don’t stop there. You should measure your results too. 

Use the analytics that are available for your chosen platform, and figure out what content created the most and least engagement. 

Do your findings surprise you? Use the information you gather to draw and even clearer picture of your ideal customer, and keep improving. If you’re thoughtful and determined, you’ll find your way ahead of the pack.