The insurance agency of today faces competition not only from firms down the street or in the next town or county but also from on-line aggregators and new players in the market. Keeping your marketing strategies up to date and sharp is key in helping you dominate your space and organically grow your business. Following are some simple marketing tips to consider:
• Get your website up to snuff. Make sure your agency website is responsive – that means the design, layout and functionality should be adapted to work across all devices – laptop, tablets and mobile. If your site is not properly accessible and difficult to navigate on all devices you’re losing out on potential clients, particularly Millennials who want immediate, on-demand information. One in five Millennials access the Internet solely from mobile devices!
• Optimize your website. Have a professional conduct an SEO (search engine optimization) audit on your website to ensure your agency is ranking well in search. You want people and businesses finding your firm when looking for specific insurance coverages.
• Make your site useful with on-line, easy-to-complete forms or applications so that visitors can receive quotes or premium indications, and can fill out a claims form in the event of an accident or loss 24/7.
• Create social media profiles. Yes, that means get on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. so people can find your agency when they are looking for information. You can use Twitter or Facebook, for example, to let people know what to do in the event of an emergency like a hurricane or other natural disaster. You can also use social media to promote your volunteer and charitable events in the community. Use LinkedIn to write articles on specific topics business clients would find valuable, such as on emerging cyber threats (ransomware, phishing), the impact of opioids in the workplace, and liability risks when employees play Pokémon Go. Establish yourself as a thought leader.
• Blog! To keep your name in front of existing customers and prospects on an ongoing basis, set up a blog on your website to demonstrate your expertise. This will also enable you to keep the site fresh with new content and help with search ranking in Google, Yahoo and Bing.
• Leverage technology (automation software, lead management software, CRMs, agency management) for sales and marketing and managing customer relationships. Insurance agencies that use technology for these purposes sell up to 43% more policies per producer than agencies that rely less heavily on technology, according to a study conducted by Insurance Technologies Corporation (ITC). It’s important to build and nurture relationships with existing and new clients over time. Technology gives you the tools to do so easily.
• Include an e-signature in your email with your name, address, phone number, website URL, and social media links so clients can easily access what they need to connect with you. Ensure that every employee has an e-signature included in his or her email.
• Update your business cards to include valuable emergency contact information such as the numbers for the police department, fire department and poison control.
• Get more involved in the community. Agencies for years have been a focal point of the community, involved with the local Chamber of Commerce and sponsoring softball leagues and other sporting events, for example. Step up your game by holding agency seminars to bring together business leaders to discuss important issues to the community. Advertise the event in the local newspaper. Hold the seminar in a meeting room at a local hotel on a Saturday or weekday evening and make refreshments and snacks available. Make a video of the event and post it on YouTube with a link on your website for others to have access to the information provided.
• Try new networking events. Get outside your comfort zone and attend networking events that you may have not previously considered. Check out Meetup.com where neighbors get together and look at local event sites like Eventbrite to see what is going on in your area and what may make sense for you to attend.
• Consider advertising on-line, including on Facebook or in search (Google) if you have a specific audience for a non-competitive search term.
There are many more ideas to keep your agency front and center and help you gain more clients while retaining your existing customers. These are just a few to help get the marketing juices flowing.
