Brokers have been urged not to treat social media as simply a ‘numbers game’ and to concentrate on the quality of engagement rather than the quantity of followers or connections.

Speaking at the inaugural Financial Services Expo (FSE) in the AMI-IMLA seminar theatre, Andrew Montlake, communications director at Coreco ,also underlined the importance of transparency and honesty for brokers looking to engage with new and existing clients across a variety of social media platforms. He highlighted Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and blogging as some of the major social networking tools to be utilised.

Montlake also cited social media as being the new normal with its usage spanning both gender and ages. “We have seen a fundamental shift in how we communicate,” he said. “Social media is changing business; ‘Generation C’ want more content and to connect quicker. Clients are better informed than ever and as such they don’t want to think they are being sold to.”

He also outlined the importance of listening, planning and being informative, adding: “Building a community is key across all aspects of social media and when embraced in the right manner really can help you get closer to your customers.”