You’ll make the strongest connections with current and potential clients when you meet with them in-person. But there’s a lot of value to networking online, too. That’s why at Farm Bureau, we encourage agents to create a profile on LinkedIn, one of the most common social platforms for building connections and credibility for professionals like insurance agents.
If you’re looking to connect or network with others on LinkedIn, this guide can help you get started.
What Are the Benefits of Creating a LinkedIn Profile as an Insurance Agent?
LinkedIn is a powerful tool that can help you connect with other people in your industry, as well as in your community. Through your LinkedIn connections, you can meet potential new clients and continue to grow your Farm Bureau business.
Your LinkedIn profile allows you to showcase your work experience, volunteer activities, credentials and references. Taking the time to list any certifications, volunteer involvement or special skills helps establish your credibility, stand out and attract the right audience.
Using LinkedIn to Grow Your Business
If you’re ready to take your LinkedIn presence to the next level, here are a few tips to make the most of the platform.
Use Industry Key Words
Because LinkedIn functions similarly to a search engine but for professionals, having a keyword-rich profile can improve your visibility – much like SEO for search engines. When someone searches for terms related to insurance, a well-optimized profile is more likely to appear in search results.
As a best practice, include relevant industry keywords naturally throughout your profile, including your headline, summary, experience sections and skills. Avoid overusing keywords or “keyword stuffing.” Instead, focus on incorporating terms that accurately reflect your experience and services. This can help potential clients and professional connections find you more easily and may increase your visibility compared to competitors in your area.
Consider keywords in these categories:
- General: Insurance agent
- Products: Auto insurance, life insurance, homeowners insurance
- Location: Your city or state
Post Frequently
To stay visible in your followers’ feeds, you should post on LinkedIn at least three times per week or 10 to 12 times per month, focusing on quality over quantity. When you’re posting, remember LinkedIn is primarily a professional networking platform. Content that educates, informs or provides value to your connections tends to perform well but there is some space to combine your personal experiences with professional insights to help build authentic connections with your readers.
Engage with Others
Comment, like and share your followers’ content. Make sure you engage with posts and people who are relevant to your industry. You’ll likely be able to grow your connections because your comments and likes can be viewed on posts that like-minded individuals see too.
Join LinkedIn Groups
There are vast communities on LinkedIn that focus on different industries or interests. For example, the general interest group called Insurance Professionals has over 200,000 members. In this group, you can gain insurance industry insights or find resources from insurance and annuity professionals including underwriters, risk managers, producers and claims personnel.
There are also special interest groups, such as the Insurance & Claims Industry Professionals, which is a community designed to connect people who share experience in insurance and claims handling to deepen their skills, perform their jobs at a higher level and advance in their careers.
Use LinkedIn Messaging
If you’re hosting an event or want to stay connected with those in your network or groups, send them messages through LinkedIn Messaging. This way, you can connect one-on-one and set an appointment with a potential client or even personally invite a connection to an event you may be hosting.
Follow Industry News Sources and Leaders
Being connected to your industry demonstrates that you care about what is happening in the field. It can also help you stay updated on trends, spot business development opportunities and build your credibility.
Write Recommendations and Give Endorsements
Not only does endorsing or recommending a connection show that you recognize their skills, but you’ll also likely receive an endorsement or recommendation in return.
Only 1st-degree connections can provide an endorsement on a person’s profile. If a connection endorses or writes a recommendation for you, reach out to them to grab lunch or coffee, or to connect over video or phone, to continue networking and building the relationship.
Gaining Quality Connections on LinkedIn
On LinkedIn, look for people known as high-level networkers (HLN). These people are typically decision makers, executives, media or thought leaders in your industry.
You can find them by searching for the niche you’re interested in and sorting for posts instead of people. Then, you can read comments on top posts to see people who are thoughtful and engaged. It may help to search within groups, rather than in LinkedIn generally, to find people who are more open to connecting.
If you want to connect with an HLN but don’t know them personally or professionally, don’t let that deter you from reaching out to them. Send them an invite to connect and share with them why you want to connect. Let this person know how you can help them, not how they can help you.
Outside of HLNs, pay attention to your target market connections, or the consumers who may be interested in your product or service. This type of user is interested in chatting and learning by asking questions. They will seek you out in hopes of finding answers to their inquiries. Joining different groups is key to finding these people.
Don’t forget to cultivate your in-person connections on LinkedIn, too. Seek out members of your local chamber of commerce, business owners, leaders of the nonprofit you volunteer at and even your child’s sports coach. Growing your network is a great way to grow your business.
Build Your Future With Farm Bureau
As a Farm Bureau insurance agent, you get support from many different support teams, including our marketing team so you can grow your social media presence and build your business. Ready to take the next step? Learn more about becoming a Farm Bureau agent.
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