Jamie Page, Head of Protection Distribution at The Exeter, explores why advisers are missing a crucial opportunity to strengthen their visibility. As social media increasingly shapes how protection products are researched and understood, the industry faces a growing gap between changing behaviour and adviser presence.
Conversations about insurance products are increasingly shaped long before a client speaks to an adviser. Consumers are researching financial products, comparing options, and forming early impressions online, often through the content and conversations they encounter on social media.
However, recent data from the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries Protection Viewpoint research highlights how underused social media remains:
– 85% of advisers have no social media presence
– Over half (51%) don’t use social media to discuss protection insurance products, including life, income protection and critical illness cover
– Only 11% consistently produce protection-related content.
This leaves a large gap between how consumers are researching products and how advisers are communicating their value. The disparity does not reflect a lack of knowledge or competency among advisers, but an industry still adapting to modern consumer behaviour.
Addressing the visibility gap
The commercial implications of adviser absence from social media are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Consumer insight data from The Exeter in 2025 revealed that one in five consumers sees social media as a core channel that would make them want to find out more about an insurance product.
As consumer behaviour shifts, visibility across digital platforms is no longer optional; it now acts as a key credibility marker, reinforcing both professional expertise and the range of services an adviser offers.
The AMI report highlighted that 55% of consumers are willing to be referred to another adviser if their current one does not offer protection insurance products, demonstrating just how quickly opportunities can be lost.
This isn’t about simply being online; many advisers already have websites and social media channels. The issue is the absence of an active, consistent social media presence that showcases expertise.
Without this, visibility drops, consumer confidence declines, referrals weaken, and competitors with stronger digital presences can capture business that would otherwise stay within the adviser’s network.
Reframing social media
The reasons advisers underuse social media are varied, but largely understandable. For many, time is the biggest barrier: maintaining a consistent presence requires planning, posting, and engagement, which can be difficult alongside day-to-day client work. Others are cautious about compliance, unsure what content is appropriate to share with consumers or concerned about the potential costs of running a dedicated campaign.
These challenges also highlight an opportunity: by re-evaluating how the industry approaches social media, advisers can move beyond outdated perceptions of viral marketing or flashy trends.
Today, social media is a powerful tool for education, demonstrating expertise, and building long-term relationships with clients, while also improving consumer understanding of protection insurance products and their role in supporting financial resilience.
Closing the protection gap: a shared responsibility
Raising the visibility of protection insurance remains essential if we want consumers to better understand its role in financial resilience. Advisers can make a real difference by showing up consistently in the channels people use every day. When protection is explained in relatable, real‑life terms, outside of formal advice settings, it becomes less daunting and easier for consumers to engage with.
Consistent adviser visibility helps reposition this as a core part of financial planning, rather than an optional extra. Familiarity builds confidence, and confidence helps overcome the barriers that often stop people from exploring protection in the first place.
But this can’t sit with advisers alone. Insurers have just as big a role to play when it comes to raising visibility, not only by promoting their protection propositions but working with Intermediaries to understand the social media landscape.
