Most industries have been heavily impacted by the Information Age, and the insurance industry is certainly no different. Insurance deals heavily with information and relationships, which are two things the Internet is well-suited for.So, when it comes to marketing your insurance agency, today’s world calls for more than just going door-to-door or using old-media approaches.
Those may still have their place, but if you want to find people who are looking for insurance, those people are going to be looking online.
Planning
As with any endeavor, it is best to have a plan before you begin spending your marketing time and money. Just as different people have different insurance needs, different agencies will benefit from different marketing strategies.
The key is to understand your target customer and what they are looking for. Literally looking for, in the form of search engine queries. You also need to determine what social networks they tend to use; business owners and professionals, for instance, are more likely than others to be on LinkedIn. If you are uncertain, online surveys make it easier to ask your customers directly.
Branding
Insurance is a rather intangible product, which makes having a clear and identifiable brand all the more important. Your brand includes not only the look of your online properties and marketing materials, but also the personality or voice used. Both need to be consistent and recognizable, or else you will get lost in the crowd of insurance options.
Content
People often have questions about insurance, and these days they are just as likely to ask “Siri” as they are to ask an agent. This presents a big opportunity for your agency, because you have the ability to offer the answers to these questions online.
Blogging is the most obvious way to get content on your site that prospects may be searching for. Besides helping with search rankings, it establishes that you understand their needs and are an expert on the subject.
You can also set up Google Alerts to know when people ask such questions online, such as on Q&A sites, and provide the answers for them there.
Networking
Social media is rapidly becoming the primary channel for customer referrals and recommendations. Online networks represent the loudest “voice” that most people have, which is why they go there to broadcast when they have an exceptionally good—or bad—customer experience. They also use it as social search engine to get recommendations from friends when looking for a good insurance agent.
Part of being successful here is to make sure your existing customers are impressed with your service. But you also want to have a presence on the right networks—an active, helpful presence.
You can also use social networking or email to manage your customer referral program. The online world makes it much easier for people to refer their friends, and for you to track those referrals. Consider asking your customers to endorse you on LinkedIn, for instance, or leave a recommendation on your Facebook page.
Advertising
Though a good SEO strategy can get you to the top of search rankings in the long term, you can also pay to place there for certain search terms. The key is to target the ads correctly, and make sure you can convert them into customers once they are on your site.
Analyzing
The final step in marketing your insurance agency online is to track performance. The online world makes it easier to keep track of and analyze the response to your efforts, so you can refine your approach and focus on what is most cost-effective.
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