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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
Don’t sleep in on weekends. Weekend posts were quite effective, especially on Facebook. Unfortunately, companies often take the weekend off.
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.
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