Granted, health insurance companies may never quite attain BFF status with their customers, but many in the industry are having success engaging their followers.
Based on a comprehensive study we conducted – and our own experiences in the field – we’ve compiled the following social media best practices.
Things to do:
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Be timely. This works even if your content isn’t related directly to health and wellness. Cigna earned a lot of good will with a post to victims of California’s wildfires. Others benefitted from simply wishing their followers a happy Mother’s Day.
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Start the week off strong. Monday is the day that garners the most social media engagement from followers – as much as 40% higher than other days. Apparently, social media posts are a welcome distraction from catching up on emails.
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Use infographics. Posts with a compelling graphic and concise lead-in message can create serious engagement. In fact, an infographic on omega-3 fatty acids and heart health was easily the best received post of our study.
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Be responsive with design. By sticking with squares on Facebook and rectangles on Twitter, for example, the consumer can scroll through your feed without breaking stride. A more pleasant viewing experience draws followers back.
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Think young. Kids really do say the darnedest things. An Anthem video of kids describing how to treat illnesses not only made followers laugh, it encouraged sharing/retweeting, which builds the brand.
And some things you shouldn’t do:
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Don’t beat a dead horse. Health insurance providers experience diminishing returns if they posted too much at events. Three or four live tweets will do.
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Don’t sleep in on weekends. Weekend posts were quite effective, especially on Facebook. Unfortunately, companies often take the weekend off.
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Don’t scare your followers. It’s difficult to warm up to a post about increased cancer risk. While health tips are welcome, cautionary tales can frighten users away.
Looking for additional insights on social media engagement? Contact us today.