Hello, it’s me again.
My name is Jeff White and I’m the Social Media Manager here at HawkSoft. If you want a full introduction, head over to my previous blog.
In that blog, I shared a few easy ways to level up your agency’s social media, with examples of posts from real agencies. I received some good feedback from that post, so I’m doing a follow-up to share a some things you should be doing in every post:
- Cater to each platform
- Make content easy to read
- Ask yourself, “Why am I posting this?”
Disclaimer: This is my opinion through what I’ve observed on social media. I’ve been doing this for nearly 10 years and like to think I’m good with staying up to date on trends.
1. Cater to each platform
Don’t post the exact same content to every platform. People go to different platforms to see different content.
Content type
Each platform has a specific type of content that performs better than others. Here’s a content guide that I follow:
X (formerly known as Twitter): Thought-provoking/simple questions that spark engagement.
LinkedIn: Work updates, people-focused content, and photos/selfies at work events.
Here’s an example of the same content posted on different platforms. I asked a simple question on X to spark engagement, and on LinkedIn I made sure to tag the person quoted (and the author of the piece) since LinkedIn is heavily focused on people-centered content.
Post on X (formerly Twitter)
Post on LinkedIn
Voice & tone
Just like the type of content you post, your voice on each platform should be different too.
Would you speak to different audiences the same way? I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t tell my grandma the same things I tell my close college friends. If I did, I’d change the tone a little bit. See what I did there?
I suggest using your brand/marketing guide, core values, etc. to create a voice/tone that fits your company. I use HawkSoft’s Core Values to create this for our business:
- Sense of Community
- Deliver an Exceptional Experience
- For the Good of All
- Do the Right Thing
- Work to Live, Don't Live to Work
- Continuous Innovation
- Pursue Growth and Learning
- Attitude of Gratitude
I apply number 1-5 on all platforms, but for the last three I focus on a specific core value that’s a good fit for each platform.
- Facebook: Attitude of Gratitude
- Instagram: Attitude of Gratitude
- X: Continuous Innovation
- LinkedIn: Pursue Growth and Learning
I envision the HawkSoft brand as a person. How would that person communicate on each of these platforms?
2. Make the content easy to read
See how it sounds
“But Jeff, I’m not a writer. How do I do this?”
I have one trick that I’ve been doing for 15 years: Read your posts out loud.
Sure, you may feel silly, but it’s a fantastic way to hear if something sounds clunky. If it sounds clunky, it most likely reads clunky. I’ve probably read hundreds, if not thousands, of posts out loud to my dog (poor pup).
Length & paragraph breaks
Next, absolutely no big blocks of text. I hate to break it to you, but no one is going to Facebook or Instagram to read your dissertation. If you want prospects or customers to read your content, white space and paragraph breaks are your friend.
I will say that LinkedIn is a different monster with this. The amount of long text posts is much higher on LinkedIn, and they get a lot of traction. However, these posts usually come from individuals, not brands. If you ever buy a cup of coffee and it sparks a thought on how it helps you sell insurance, I urge you to post on LinkedIn immediately. Make it AT LEAST 6 paragraphs long as well (sarcasm alert).
More suggestions for readability
- Everyone loves emojis, they never hurt (sprinkle a few in your posts).
- It’s okay to use punctuation in a post. It shows emotion.
- Try to avoid long or run-on sentences. Give your reader a break in the post.
Here’s an example of a well-crafted post by an insurance agency:
What I like about this post:
Smiling face: Photos with people will always beat out a text-heavy photo. It gives personality to your brand.
Customers are more inclined to interact with your content if they have a connection to it. If Kim helped someone on their policy, I bet that person is more likely to like or comment on this photo because Kim gave them great service.
Paragraph breaks: Gives space, not blocky, easy for the reader.
Simple language: The use of a few fun phrases like “bringing her A-Game” and “our dynamic agent” is simple yet gives this post personality. It’s not generic.
3. Ask yourself, “Why am I posting this?”
Every post should have a purpose. It should point back to your marketing strategy. Audiences are smarter than you think.
Your audience can spot non-genuine content with ease. Posting just to check a box will not drastically increase your audience or generate leads. That is my opinion and my gut feeling. I have yet to hear of a generic, text-heavy graphic post that immediately generated 10 leads for an agent. If I’m wrong, feel free to let me know.
HawkSoft likes to highlight agencies who are celebrating a milestone anniversary with us every month. We spotlight one agency and thank the other agencies who’ve been with HawkSoft for 5, 10, 15, and 20-plus years. Here's an example:
This post supports two of our core values: Sense of Community and Attitude of Gratitude.
To create community, people need to develop connections with others. This campaign does this by showcasing that there are a lot of amazing agencies around the country.
As for attitude of gratitude, if you’ve ever attended a HawkSoft User Group (HUG) event like the Regional Meetings happening this fall (Look Amelia, I plugged them! #marketing) and listened to Paul Hawkins speak, I bet he ends his speech with “thank you.” No matter what he’s talking about, he always makes sure to thank the audience. It’s this genuine gratitude that HawkSoft is founded on, and I weave this into our social media strategy frequently.
Final thoughts
To me, social media is about the long game and the brand awareness. It is one spoke in the wheel of your agency’s brand.
I consider it success if your audience keeps building, your engagement rates increase, and your posts are reaching more people year over year.
Sure, I’d like to get HawkSoft 15 leads from every Instagram reel, but social media wasn't created for that. If I was trying to do that, it’d come off as too salesy and non-genuine. That’s not what HawkSoft is about (see core values above).
I’ll leave you with one last thing. As I said in my previous blog, have fun. Social media was originally created to stay connected with those around you and see what’s happening. Don’t lose sight of the fun just for the clicks or the sales.
Until next time.
Get more tips on social media strategySee Jeff's post on 4 simple things every agency should be doing on social media.
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