Summer is a popular time for symposiums, conventions and other business-related travel. It’s likely that a busy insurance agent such as yourself will be spending some time on the road! But a business trip is no time to neglect your social media. In fact, it may be one of the most important times for you to post updates.

Why do you travel for work? Most likely it’s to meet other insurance professionals face-to-face, and to learn about innovation in your industry. Either way, these trips are important to your agency. If they’re important to your agency, then they’re important to your followers, too! Letting them know what you’re up to and how you’re engaged in your industry helps to show your dedication and expertise — always a plus when it comes to cultivating customer loyalty. Furthermore, travel posts provide an exciting change to your everyday content, making them more likely to gain the type of engagement you’re looking for.

What to Share… And Why

According to Forbes, there are three things to ask yourself when considering which business travel moments to capture and share on social media:

1.) Do you want to capture this moment? Before you even leave on your trip, be sure to take a look at your schedule and identify some parts of your experience that you think will be worth posting about. Make sure you give yourself a good balance of professional and fun — attending a talk and getting morning coffee with your colleagues can both be worthwhile moments for your followers to see.

2.) Are you and/or your colleagues in the picture? Anyone can take a picture of a place or a plate of food. It’s important to show that your business had a presence there. As much as possible, keep your images relatable by having them include people that your followers will recognize.

3.) How does this tie in with my business? Be sure to describe what you’re doing in this picture, and convey what part this image plays in your success on this trip. A simple description is enough, such as, “Here we are taking a quick break from a busy day of building on our industry knowledge. Power lunch!” This quick blurb tells what you’re currently doing, where it fits into your trip, and that your mind is still on your business.

Why is doing all of this important? Like many things social media-related, sharing business travel moments is increasing in popularity due to Millennial influence— they are nearly twice as likely to share business trip moments as Gen-X users, and over three times as likely as Baby Boomers. As more Millennials enter the workforce, social media is going to become a more prominent part of the business travel experience. By incorporating it into your business trip plans now, you and your agency can get ahead of the game.

It’s smart to include business travel in your social media marketing strategy. After all, if you don’t post about an event on social media… can you be sure it ever really happened?

–By Mallory DuPuy