Write These 5 Things into Your Insurance Agency’s Social Media Policy

If you’re like 64.4 percent of independent insurance agents, your agency probably has social media pages. But does it have a policy to guide how employees communicate online?

You may not think your insurance agency is big enough to need a written social media policy, but the truth is that any business can benefit from one. Consider the ripple effect a single online mistake can have. Whether it’s a company putting its foot in its mouth online or letting a bad review linger, these missteps can turn potential clients away in an instant. Some mistakes can even lead to legal trouble.

A written social media policy helps mitigate these risks by setting parameters for appropriate online behavior and engagement. Your policy may help you and your team avoid tricky incidents that hurt your social presence and maybe even your bottom line.
This guide is by no means exhaustive, but if your agency’s social media policy covers the following topics, you’re off to a good start.

1. Brand Messaging & Engagement

This is your opportunity to specify which topics and subjects are off the table for the agency’s social media websites, so spell it out. For example, you might tell employees not to publish content about politics or religion, as those subjects can be inflammatory.

It’s also smart to bar employees from publicly offering negative opinions about competitors on your pages because it can be considered libel.

By the same token, feel free to outline the topics your agency can post freely about. Insurance industry news should be mostly fair game, but consider including guidelines on how to present agency culture.

You might also want to outline how employees can comment on blogs or social networks to boost brand awareness. For more tips on how to use social media marketing to your full advantage, read “Why Insurance Agents Need Social Media Marketing to Boost Referrals.”

Lastly, remind employees to be respectful and to use their best judgment on social media. That goes everyone – not just those who have access to your business’s social pages.

For inspiration on what not to do, check out Entrepreneur’s 2016 roundup of biggest social media fails.

2. Access

Specify who’s allowed to post on behalf of the business. This reduces the chance for off-brand messaging and gaffes.

And if non-designated employees mention your agency in their social profiles, you may want to request that they specify their tweets or posts are their own and not associated with your business.

3. Customer Complaints

Though employees may want to step in when they see a customer complaint on your agency’s Facebook page, make sure they understand that only those designated to post on behalf of the business are authorized to intervene.

For those in charge of responding, whether it’s your PR point person, social media manager, or a trusted customer service representative, outline how complaints should be handled online. For example, you might require that they:

• Remain calm.
• Acknowledge the person’s frustration.
• Apologize when appropriate.
• Offer a reasonable solution.

Remember, this is an opportunity to show your fans that your agency excels at customer service, so even a negative comment can be an opportunity for a positive outcome.

For more pointers on how to respond to negative feedback, check out “How to Handle Negative Reviews and Keep the Online Bullies at Bay.”

4. Privacy

Though sharing client photos and names may seem like a surefire way to humanize your agency and get some testimonials into your social marketing, be careful. Publishing client names or photos without consent is technically an invasion of privacy. The client can even sue your agency over the violation.

So make sure your social media policy requires written consent before using anyone’s name or image in a social post.

5. Compliance

In the online world of shares and memes, it can be easy to forget that copyrights exist. But they do, and whoever is helping out with your agency’s social media presence should be aware of basic copyright law.

Essentially, when you tweet or post in a commercial capacity (i.e., as a business), ensure the images or work you share either belong to you, are licensed to you, or belong to the public domain.

That goes for photos and videos, but it also goes for other creative work, such as music, artwork, written work, and more.

Wrap-up

For some of the missteps listed here – copyright infringement, invasion of privacy, and libel – your agency’s general liability insurance can cover your legal expenses if you’re sued. But you know it’s best to avoid lawsuits from the outset, and that’s what a solid social media policy should strive to do.

Creating a social media policy may seem like a lot of legwork, but the outcome is worth it. Share your policy with your employees as part of their onboarding so everyone understands your expectations. Then you can reap the benefits of a consistent, compliant, and (hopefully) engaging online presence.