Like A Good Neighbor, Social Media Is There

By Lindsay Anderson

State Farm Insurance’s social media team visited Marketing Instructor Heidi Rottier’s Social Media Marketing class this week.

Students learned that State Farm started their social media journey around 2007 to build on their reputation. Presently, State Farm has around 1.5 million Facebook followers, 30,000 Twitter followers, and various other social media accounts. Students also learned that State Farm is either tweeted or mentioned on Twitter up to 2,500 times a day and up to 10-15,000 times a week.

The State Farm team also discussed top priorities for businesses on social media, including being creative, getting the point across, engagement, brand consistency, and customer service.

“One of our main social strategies at State Farm is to help people live confidently everyday through the various life stages they are going through,” State Farm Public Affairs Manager Blake Zitko said. “Social media is critical. It is a major tool of a larger marketing toolbox.”

“Social listening is also an important strategy,” Zitko continued. “What are people saying about us? How can we interact? How can we resolve customer complaints with compassion or direct that customer to someone who can help?”

The team also explained how they encourage people to consistently share their content by reaching out to additional people beyond their formal social media process. Currently, State Farm’s social media efforts reach out to around 190,000 State Farm associates, 80,000 employees, 16-18,000 agents as well as brand ambassadors, friends and families of customers and/or employees.

The class also had some fun at guessing the most popular social media phrases related to State Farm. “Like a good neighbor” was first, followed by “khakis” — related to the “Jake at State Farm” campaign — and “Discount Doublecheck.”

Students asked a variety of questions and received advice from the team.

“The need to personify resonated most with me,” said social media marketing minor Sydney Yeazel ’15 of Naperville, Illinois. “State Farm has done a great job of personifying its brand.”

“I really loved how candid the team was,” said social media marketing major Erin Pollock ’15 of Carlinville, Illinois. “They talked about the fact that you’re going to screw up – that will happen – but what matters is how you move on and move forward.”