Insurance and Social Media: The Biggest Risk Is Carry On As Normal

1. From Policy-Driven to People-Centric

Historically, insurance brands relied on traditional advertising and corporate messaging. Today, social media is about how a brand is useful to me, the consumer. Yet many insurance brands ‘We’ all over their social feeds - focusing on their achievements, products, services rather than their audience's needs and how they can help.

Social media requires niche or novel content that aligns with what the audience cares about but connects in with brand attributes and product areas.
Social media is about me. Me the user. And what entertains, matters or compels me. Brands on social are built on authenticity, compelling characters, a clear POV and a candid tone with the overly polished and company focused content being distrusted or irrlevant. 

No one is nailing it in the insurance sector currently. There has been some good content created e.g. Scottish Widows highlighting the Gender Pension Gap & Zurich expat insurance explainer. However, most major insures aren’t even on TikTok (Only behind Meta & Youtube in terms of users with 1.58 billion users). There is space for someone to own this space and industry on social media.

2. Customers Expect More

The insurance industry suffers from a trust deficit—social media presents an opportunity to fix that.

Key ways insurers can build trust on social:

• Transparency in:
  • The claims handling and customer service or the process.
  • How insurance works
  • What types of cover are available
  • The benefits of different cover levels
  • How risk is calculated
• Engaging content that educates, rather than sells (e.g. risk management tips, myth-busting posts, What to consider with insurance)
  • Key life moments for different policies
  • Levels of cover you could need
  • What common insurance terms mean
• Real customer testimonials and stories.
• Crisis communication—timely, authoritative responses during cyberattacks, natural disasters, and market shifts.

3. Using Organic Social to Feed Paid

Organic social isn't just about reach—it’s a testing ground for paid success.

• Build an engaged organic audience to retarget in paid campaigns.
• Test creative concepts organically before scaling them in paid.
• Be experimental on platforms like TikTok and Threads to discover what resonates.

Proven Results:

• For one insurance client, organic-tested content we elevated to paid drove a 199% increase in site visits.

For another client, elevating organic content to paid reduced their CPL by 67%.

4. Turning ‘Low Interest’ into High Engagement

Insurance is a low-frequency purchase—people often don't think about it until they need it. Yet, emotional connections matter, even in B2B:

• Emotion drives B2B decisions: In 70% of B2B cases, emotion is as or more important than rational factors.
• Be Top of Mind: People research less than you think—awareness wins consideration.
• Own Category Entry Points: Build fame around key decision triggers.

Focus on the two heuristics people use to choose brands:

1. Do I recall this company and what it offers?
2. Do I know others who use them?

Social is a great platform to get attention and get known for these things.

5. Organic & Paid Are Always On Activities

Insurance companies still often work in campaign cycles which are outdated. Paid and organic social must run always-on for your core brand and products:

• Start small, test widely: Experiment with creative and messaging to find what works.
• Scale success: Elevate winning organic concepts to paid.
• Optimise continuously: Use always-on paid to lower CPL and retarget high-intent users.

Proven Results:

• For an insurance client running, always-on, rather than seasonally reduced CPL by 73% over 6 months.
• Always-on allows for true seasonality insights and holistic organic-paid reporting.

6. Compliance/Legal Are Your Friends

Compliance teams ensure promotions remain within FCA, GDPR, and advertising standards—but they should be partners, not blockers:

• Involve them early: Bring compliance and legal teams on the creative journey.
• Collaborate on solutions: Work together to problem-solve rather than avoid scrutiny.
• Establish guardrails: Create clear processes for what requires consultation.

Conclusion: Social Isn’t Optional—It’s Business-Critical

Ten years ago companies talked about the urgent need for digital transformation of their businesses to survive. The thought of a major business not being digitally driven in 2025 is unthinkable. That revolution is happening now again with social. Companies can be entirely made through a great social media presence.

At the moment no one in the industry is nailing a social first approach which means there is a chance to lead the field and drive real brand value for the business.

In 2025 and beyond, social media will separate the insurance brands that thrive from those that disappear into obscurity. 

Embracing always-on strategies, building trust through authentic engagement, and turning organic insights into paid success, insurers can win the social first race.