It's getting harder for local insurance agents to grow an online following even as it becomes more important to do so. The power of Facebook’s organic reach (the number of people who see your average Facebook post) has been steadily dwindling for the past several years. Adweek reports that the average organic post reaches just 2.6% of a given user’s audience. Because of this, it’s more important than ever for insurance agents to use the best tools at their disposal. While paid advertising may not feel as rewarding as free publicity, its returns are much more tangible and trackable. Google Ads (See Getting Started With Google Ads.) is one paid advertising option; another affordable option is Facebook advertising. Here’s a brief overview.

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WHY PAY FOR FACEBOOK ADVERTISING?

For locally-focused businesses like insurance agents, Facebook advertising offers a powerful combination of affordability and market-capturing opportunity due to its unparalleled ability to target and reach desired audiences. eMarketer reports that marketers rate Facebook ads more highly that any other social media platform for its “sophisticated advertising platform.” For example, Facebook gives agents the ability to select an audience by location, demographics, interests, behavior, and connections. You can even have Facebook target “lookalike” audiences, or people who are most similar to your current customers. But the “interests” and “behavior” categories are where Facebook targeting shines. Not only can you target ads to people who are looking for, say, home insurance, you can even select people based on their likelihood to have healthcare dependents. 

 

If your objective is to get more Likes, Shares, and Comments on your post, then Facebook’s “Boost Post” is an advertising alternative that might work for you. When you click Boost Post, Facebook runs the engagement campaign for you. The choice between Boost Post and a Facebook ad campaign is yours. Both options are affordable with rates as low as $5 or as high as your campaign’s needs dictate. Either way, it pays to pay.

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TRACKING WHAT RESONATES

Facebook’s Ad Manager makes it incredibly easy for agents to track boosted post and ad campaign performance. You can see which demographics respond to which messages. This enables you to adjust your ad spend accordingly and focus on the most effective content and messages.

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AN AGENT’S FACEBOOK ADVERTISING SUCCESS STORY

Rookie agent Grant Rosandick recently conducted a “Date Night” contest using Facebook’s Boost Post option. The only entry requirement to win two free movie tickets and a $25 Olive Garden gift card was to post a comment about which movie you’d take a date to see. Once boosted, Grant’s Date Night post garnered 133 comments, 71 Likes, 17 Shares, 35 new page Likes, and reached over 4,500 people in the Treasure Valley. Not bad for $20. 

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If you’re ready to give Facebook advertising a try, contact Ashley Pope in the Sales department at extension 4396 or apope@idfbins.com.

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MARKETING TOOLS

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