Declaration of Independents

René Carpenter

Corporate Communications Manager
Kapnick Insurance Group
Adrian, Michigan

Her official title is “corporate communications manager,” but she answers to “marketing/social media geek.” René Carpenter, 46, supports Kapnick Insurance producers by expertly managing what the producers themselves have little time to do—engaging customers and prospects in the social media communities where so many live. Here, she discusses how she’s earned her geek stripes.

Social media strategy for the beginner?

I keep a detailed editorial calendar that shows the firm’s products and services in all lines of business. I schedule social media activity to address each area in an “unsales” way. We hardly ever tweet or share anything about a product or service. It’s always information related to a particular field, such as sharing our original videos on health and wellness topics.

What registers high on the geekometer?

Using Twitter lists. They’re a feature I use to find out what social media platforms our prospects use. I can read all the Tweets from everyone on our customized lists. I “like” and “share” their posts, and they in turn “like” and “share” ours. For clients, I use the lists to constantly monitor their news—whether they win awards or open a new location. The lists allow me to quickly see what’s going on, and then comment or congratulate. It makes an impression with clients and prospects. And this search in Twitter is private, so you can “stalk” without anyone knowing.

More on René

Not all agencies are social media-ready like Kapnick Insurance—an agency that boasts a production studio complete with green screen and 135 employees, among them a dedicated corporate communications manager/social media geek and a full-time videographer .

But René Carpenter, Kapnick’s self-proclaimed geek, advises that agencies of any size can be effective in social media by starting out with a few basic steps:

• Educate your team. Carpenter and other communications staff recently went through a rigorous online social media boot camp that allows her to take Kapnick’s programs to the next level. “I was online with marketing and communications people from global firms, learning with and from them,” Carpenter says.
• Focus. Decide what social media vehicles to use, based on your firm’s priorities and resources. Determine what’s right for your company. For Kapnick, Facebook is a great site for posting fun events and generating community interaction. But to engage prospects and clients, the firm currently relies on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube channels.
• Be original and encourage sharing. Create original blog content. Search engines detect content that has appeared elsewhere. Kapnick’s bloggers are subject-matter experts who create posts on health coaching, workplace wellness, cyber liability and business insurance. To increase the chances of others communicating your content, be sure to include a “share” button on every blog post.