Twitter is one of the most widely used social media platforms in the world, with an advertising audience of 353 million users on the platform. For professionals in the insurance and financial services industry, Twitter presents an opportunity to network and use the social network as a place for finding prospective clients. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind if you want to be successful at using Twitter for finding prospective customers.

Make a good first impression

Your Twitter profile is the first thing that potential clients will see online, so make sure to put your best foot forward when setting up your profile. Like a business card, you will want your Twitter profile to include all of the relevant information that clients need to know. For example, this could be a link to your business website, your contact information, professional certifications, and more.

Another best practice is to have a professional headshot, as this shows you are a real person and helps make a personal connection right away. Think of the profile as a statement of your personal brand and use it to convey yourself as an expert in the industry. If you want to connect with clients in your community, including a location on your profile will help prospective clients know that you are local to their area.

Post timely and relevant content on a consistent basis

Establishing yourself on Twitter does not happen overnight. Once you have set up a profile, be sure to actively engage on the platform. This means posting your own original content, as well as retweeting other content you find insightful. As an insurance or financial professional, your goal is to convey your knowledge of topics like life insurance, financial literacy, retirement planning, and similar topics that are top-of-mind for your customers.

Weigh in on timely topics happening in world events, and make sure to post on a regular basis. Consistent posting on Twitter will help your voice be heard and will help you build potential followers that are looking to gain your insights.

Always use hashtags

Once you have a great profile set up and you have been consistent posting to the platform, you are ready to start prospecting. Using the search feature in Twitter will allow you to find other people that are active on the social network.

One important component of Twitter is the hashtag feature. Hashtags are used when writing posts and this feature allows you to search content that is tagged with a specific word or phrase. For example, if you have a local conference happening in your city, attendees would post on Twitter and tag all of their posts with a specific hashtag (#) from the event. Searching hashtags from events is one strategy to find prospects in your target demographic.

Using hashtags also helps you determine what prospective clients are interested in.  Many times you can search based on your geographic region and find people willing to meet up for coffee and networking.

Conclusion

Publishing content on Twitter can help establish your personal brand and any insights you have to share about topics related to insurance and financial services. This establishes you as a trusted advisor. Engaging in timely discussions is one way to attract attention for people who are searching for advice on a new or important topic in your area of expertise. When other Twitter users find your profile, it will be filled out with a headshot and all of your relevant professional details.

Using Twitter for prospecting is a free option for insurance and financial professionals, making it a great place to connect with potential customers. Any time you are using social media for selling, be sure to provide value first and make sure there is a mutual interest before reaching out to a client. Clients can sometimes be turned off by direct selling tactics, so it may be best to take a softer approach and lead by providing valuable content. Prospecting on Twitter can be difficult to navigate at first, but following these best practices will help you make the most of this resource.

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