All agree that it is harder than ever to get new business or Insurance Agency marketing. Consumers are bombarded daily with marketing messages. Consumers arrive home to find their mailbox full and the majority of it is thrown away. Your customers spend more time on Facebook then they do watching T.V. Newspapers are closing at an unprecedented rate.
How can you reach customers and, more importantly, prospects? Here are three ways to market your insurance agency successfully.
Tip #1 – Go Online to Win More Business
You can whine all you want about the internet, but it is not true that you will catch more fish if you go to where they are swimming.
Today’s consumers don’t believe the internet is optional. People are connected to the internet 24/7 thanks to their Blackberries, iPads and iPhones. People use the internet to connect with their friends. Online users can post reviews about products and services. They use the internet to compare prices. They use the internet to find directions. You can name any normal daily activity and there is an app!
Online marketing to win more business has its problems. The internet is very crowded. Insurance Agency marketing is particularly difficult because the competition is fiercer than any other business.
To win online, you will need a solid marketing plan. A Yellow Pages ad might have been the first step in a solid marketing plan. The internet could be compared to the Yellow Pages, but on steroids. You can leverage the power of social media with an online marketing plan. Local search can help you show up. But, last but not least, the internet can be used to create local buzz which is still the most powerful form advertising.
Tip #2: Position Yourself as a Professional Adviser
The Woody Allen quote, “There are worse things than death in life,” may be familiar to you. You may have ever spent an evening talking with an insurance agent.
This is how most people view salespeople in general and agents selling insurance. People are tired of being sold to. They don’t need someone to sell them; they want an advisor who will help guide and support them.
A professional website is one of the best ways to position yourself today. When it comes to branding and image, professional positioning is crucial. Today’s consumers are highly savvy and will judge your website based on its appearance.
Tip #3: Use Your Website to Act as a Hub for All Your Business
Many Insurance Agencies have learned that a website is not the only way to build your business. Most agencies don’t know how their websites should be built, optimized, and used. Websites that are not optimized for search can be difficult to find. Insurance Agencies don’t know how to use most websites, so they don’t get them used.
Prospects want to visit your website to learn more about you and to see what you have to offer. If they can’t find your site, if the site isn’t user-friendly, and 3) you don’t send them there with other advertising, then you might as well have no site.
Your professional website is a “hub.” Each spoke represents different advertising methods (direct mail, radio and television). All of your advertising should drive prospects to your website. Then, turn your site into an actual salesperson, who will convert prospects into customers.
These are three tips to boost the power of Insurance Agency Marketing. Go online, position yourself as a trusted advisor, and use your website for powerful marketing. These tips will help you beat your competitors and increase sales.