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Source: contentequalsmoney.com

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IntroductionAccording to Hubspot, 92% of marketers in 2014 claimed that social media marketing was important for their business, with 80% indicating their efforts increased traffic to their websites. And according to Social Media Examiner, 97% of marketers are currently participating in social media—but 85% of participants aren’t sure what social media tools are the best to use.

There is a significant potential for Melcher & Prescott to increase sales, improve customer relations, and address customer service needs by using the following social media outlets:

Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram

The benefits of utilizing these social media outlets include:

Client Conversion Humanizing Melcher & Prescott Strengthening Customer Relationships SEO Optimization Substantial ROI

Top Ten Benefits of Social Media Marketing

Increased Brand Recognition Increased Inbound Traffic

Decreased Marketing Costs Improved Agency Loyalty

Opportunities to Convert New Clients

Better SEO Rankings

Higher Customer Conversion Rates

Improved Customer Experiences

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Brand Authority Customer Insights

Converting New Clients Without social media, marketing campaigns only involve customers who are already familiar with Melcher & Prescott or those searching for keywords the agency already ranks for. Every article, photograph video, or comment shared evokes a reaction from the audience that has the potential to be shared. If you post articles that are interesting enough to be shared, others are forced to see the Melcher & Prescott brand. Even if click-through rates on posts are low, the total number of opportunities available through social media is tremendously significant. Facebook boosted posts can reach audiences upwards of 20,000 people, which can lead to unexpected leads and sales.

Social media incorporates word-of-mouth marketing by making it easier for customer to tell their friends about positive experiences with Melcher & Prescott. Professional communication with customers will convey to their friends that Melcher & Prescott is convenient and trustworthy. After all, building consumer trust is at the heart of Melcher & Prescott’s core values.

Becoming a Person Not Just an AgencySocial media allows Melcher & Prescott to display a persona that is more like a person and less like an agency. As expected, many interactions involving customers relates to insurance policies and regulations. However, Melcher & Prescott needs to communicate using a language other than the language of insurance. Although social media will allow Melcher & Prescott to continue demonstrating its superior customer service level, it will also enrich personal relationships with customers that have not been achieved yet. We

Source: crowdspring.com

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need to strive to connect with customers on a personal level by including common interests that will make the page warmer and more relatable.

“Social Listening” to Strengthen Customer RelationshipsSocial media will help identify customer’s requests and interests, which will result in communication that is tailored to their needs. By measuring which posts receive the most attention from followers we will be able to distinguish among the most important topics. Future marketing campaigns can directly target the topics and concerns frequently expressed by the following bases on social media sites.

Customers will be able to voice complaints on social media outlets resulting in opportunities to strengthen customer relationships. Addressing the issue is an opportunity to show the customer how superior our customer service is, while also humanizing the Melcher & Prescott brand. In some cases, we can even turn a negative experience into a positive one. Many customers will appreciate Melcher & Prescott’s feedback, which improves brand loyalty.

Search vs. SocialRecent trends show that content generated via social media websites appears as results of a Google search as frequently, if not more often, than standard website based content with SEO tips and techniques in mind. The SEO approach should be abandoned and substituted with a web presence optimization (WPO). The combination of social, search, and email will balance marketing strategies and optimize the Melcher & Prescott brand.

Potential Losses?Truthfully, Melcher & Prescott has nothing to lose by getting involved in social media. The time required to set up accounts and establish a social

Graph displaying the flow of traffic for various publishers based on keywords and social media websites.

Source: searchenginewatch.com

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media presence is minimal. Additionally, only about six hours a week is required to post high-quality, relevant posts on a consistent basis. Competing independent insurance agencies are currently maintaining social media profiles on a regular basis which means they could be attracting potential clients and even reaching current clients. The cost of failing to establish a strong social media presence is more costly on a day-by-day basis than any costs related to start-up and maintenance.

Conclusion Melcher & Prescott is perfectly capable of developing a social media presence that will strengthen its brand, increase sales, and improve customer relations. There is very little to lose by designing and executing a successful social media campaign, but the ROI is significant. Melcher & Prescott can focus on building relationships through frequent marketing and regular communication with current and potential customers. As the audience of social media outlets grow, the number of converted leads and associated sales will increase accordingly.