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If you present this as a topic of discussion on your Twitter feed, it's time to re-think your efforts.
Last year, Pear Analytics issued a report saying 40% of tweets are Pointless Babble. However, when used correctly, Twitter can be a valuable resource for insurance agents to monitor industry chatter, build a knowledge base and even generate organic leads with minimal but sustained effort.
Because it is such a minimalist social network, accurate statistics about Twitter usage are hard to come by, so playing the numbers game is tough. The best support from a usage perspective comes from the trusted folks at Nielsen who state:
“Twitter.com was the fastest-growing Web brand in May 2009, increasing 1,448 percent year over- year, from 1.2 million unique visitors in May 2008 to 18.2 million in 2009…The average time per person on Twitter increased 175 percent year-over-year, from 6 minutes and 19 seconds in May 2008 to 17 minutes and 21 seconds in May 2009.”
These numbers paint a prosperous picture of growth. But when contrasted against the 40% babble factor, Twitter can simultaneously be viewed as an endless stream of knowledge and networking opportunities or a colossal time-suck dedicated to people sharing what they had for breakfast.
To help decide whether Twitter is right for your insurance business, it’s best to ask yourself a few questions?
- Am I joining Twitter because I understand how it can benefit my business and brand?
- Do I have clear objectives for what I want to achieve using Twitter ?
- Do I know and trust anyone with expertise who can help me get started?
- Do I understand best practices for communicating via Twitter?
- Are there people in my community using Twitter?
If the answer to all five questions is YES, congratulations, you’re ready to start conquering the world 140 characters at a time. If you’re still cloudy, take some time to reflect and get to your happy place. It might never be the right time, and that’s OK.
Use it or ignore it, Twitter is a major part of the communications landscape for the indefinite future. But it is NOT the end-all, be-all insurance marketing solution. It needs nurturing and support from a more robust marketing plan that includes search engine optimization, community building and effective web strategy that generates leads while positioning your business as a trusted resource for insurance-related knowledge.
When used correctly, Twitter can reach potential clients in a personal and resourceful way that positions you as a local “thought-leader” in the realm of insurance. When used incorrectly, people will know you had toast for breakfast.
