While taking advantage of social media marketing is a year-round process, there’s no better time to be social than the holiday season!

 

And, just in time for the holidays, Farm Bureau Insurance agents now have access to two new tools – Google My Business and 4uSocial – to help them keep the social spirit of the season throughout the year.

 

While Google My Business is primarily a directory-like listing, it does allow agents to create social media-like posts about their business that can help improve their search result rankings. 4uSocial is a content and scheduling tool for Facebook and Twitter available through FBFS.

 

Here are some additional details about both tools and how to make the most of them.

 

GOOGLE MY BUSINESS – A FREE, MUST-HAVE MARKETING TOOL

New agents often ask, “What’s one of the best marketing things I can do to promote my business?” Frequently, this is followed up with, “That’s also easy. And inexpensive.”

 

Fortunately, there is something easy and affordable – free, actually – that all agents can do to successfully promote their business: Take advantage of a Google My Business listing.

 

Google My Business (GMB) is a tool created by Google to help your business show up on the first page of Google search results when someone searches specifically for you.

 

The Home Office’s Marketing Department has created GMB listings for most Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance agents and invited the agents to manage their own listings. If you’re not sure you have a listing (you would have received a Google confirmation postcard in the mail with a verification PIN), please contact Mike Myers at extension 4276 or mmyers@idfbins.com.

 

To see if you have a listing, search Google for:

 

• [YOUR NAME] Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance [YOUR LOCATION – CITY AND ADDRESS]

 

Having a GMB listing is just a first step. Here’s a brief, high-level view of what else you can do to take advantage of this must-have marketing tool.

 

ADD UPDATES AND NEWS

A GMB listing created for you by the Home Office includes your contact information, hours of operation, a brief bio (pulled from your agent page on the company’s public website), your photo, the Farm Bureau logo, and a few business category keywords (like “auto insurance agency”). You can edit and add to this information with the “Edit Your Business Information” link on your listing if needed, and you can add updates and news with your listing’s “Add Update” feature. The Add Update button functions much like social media posts and is a great way to promote (both before and after) any events you participate in. These posts will help keep your profile fresh. According to Google, updates / posts with photos (see below), videos, or GIFs generate more engagement.

 

BE SEEN WITH PHOTOS

You can add additional photos to your listing. Show off your office, employees and coworkers. Include photos of events, promotions, and advertising. But make sure the photos look professional and appealing. According to Google, GMB listings with photos receive more requests for directions and more clicks through to their websites. (If the Home Office created your GMB listing, it will link to your agent page on the corporate website.) Appealing photos can encourage people to visit your physical location which could help drive sales.

 

ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO LEAVE GOOGLE REVIEWS

The vast majority of your prospects are accustomed to reading and relying on online reviews before making almost any purchase, especially purchases that are complex and relatively expensive like insurance. Make sure prospects know what to expect from you. Ask your customers to review you by having them click the “Write a review” button on your GMB listing. The best time to do this is immediately after providing great service.

 

REPLY TO REVIEWS

According to Google, businesses that respond to reviews are considered 1.7 times more trustworthy than those that don’t. Reply to positive and negative comments with a professional and honest response, and ask to move sensitive conversations to private messages.

 

Your GMB listing is a great way for people to find, learn about, and like you. Take advantage of this free marketing tool today. To learn more about GMB listings, visit: https://support.google.com/business#topic=4596754

 

4USOCIAL: AN FBL TOOL FOR STREAMLINING SOCIAL MARKETING

4uSocial offers pre-approved life and P&C posts, graphics and videos. It also includes access to a large variety of national and local third-party content based on your interests. Plus, each content piece is organized based on ‘streams’ and offers 2-3 ready-to-use post options.

 

SEE 4USOCIAL DETAILS AND VIDEO IN THE PHOTO GALLERY ABOVE

More 4uSocial information including a slideshow (converted to JPGs) and a video are included in the photo gallery above.

 

4USOCIAL FAQS

The following 4uSocial FAQs were prepared by FBFS.

 

• What is the price of the tool?

  • There is a one-time $150 enrollment fee which provides a one-time call with a specialized Marketing Coach who will help with activation, provide a tool overview and check your social channels for compliance. After that, the tool is $25/month.

• What content is available on the new tool?

  • 4uSocial gives you access to Learning Center articles, videos, multi-channel campaign posts and more; you will also have access to thousands personalized local and national third-party content.

• Will my staff have access to the tool?

  • 4uSocial offers each workspace owner the option to add delegates.

• How much time will it take to fully onboard to the new tool?

  • As part of the onboarding process, each agent will get assistance from a Marketing Coach to walk through the activation process.

• Is there training available to learn how to use this new tool?

  • A Marketing Coach will schedule a call to walk you through the tool, including posting, searching content, creating content, accessing analytics and more. We also have a robust 4uSocial Guide on the Marketing Toolkit that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to do various actions.

 

Give yourself the gift of increased social awareness this holiday season! Take advantage of your Google My Business listing and 4uSocial’s social tools. For more information about either tool, please contact Mike at mmyers@idfbins.com or extension 4276.

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MARKETING TOOLS