Social media marketers should watch for insurance rate hikes on Twitter users
Published February 23, 2010
An insurance comparison website seems to be indicating that users of Twitter and Facebook could see their insurance premiums rise over the next few years, according to the Huffington Post.
The Post writes that "Confused.com argues that social media services like Foursquare and Buzz can increase the risk of theft by alerting burglars to times when people are out of their homes, thus leading to home insurance hikes."
"Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their information gathering, even using Google Earth and Streetview to plan their burglaries with military precision. Insurance providers are starting to take this into account when they are assessing claims and we may in future see insurers declining claims if they believe the customer was negligent," wrote Darren Black, head of home insurance at Confused.com, cited in the Huffington Post.
Whether the rate hikes are a mere flash in the pan or not, they could cause serious adverse publicity for marketers hoping to bring social media networks into their integrated marketing campaigns in the near future.