Sources of new agency leads should be varied. Some sources are traditional like word of mouth and canvassing. Others include old-fashioned flyers or telesales. Many new sources of lead can be found by taking advantage of the internet’s new offerings. One way to generate leads is to use an insurance agency website. However, there are other options such as webinars for agents and SEO for driving traffic to your site. Agents can also make use of insurance agency social media marketing which is a new avenue. Any agency can access these tools if they are willing to put in the effort to use them. These strategies are important because lead generation and web marketing for insurance agencies will only continue to increase in importance.
Webinars are often used in conjunction with eMarketing. One common strategy is to send an email blast inviting prospects to attend an educational webinar. The email will include a link that directs them to a personalized registration page. This page is sometimes called a custom landing page. The prospect will then be able to access the webinar by entering their contact information. There are many steps involved in running a webinar. A webinar requires several key elements. The first is to get to know your audience. Agents must tailor their messages to the people listening. This applies to the length and content of your webinar. A web seminar that lasts more than an hour must contain compelling content. This will make it interesting for attendees. Shorter is generally better.
Direct sales, which is trying to sell insurance products directly to attendees, will often cause alienation. An insurance webinar series that focuses on education will be more popular and attract a larger audience. Make sure you have the right tools and knowledge to manage the webinar. Effective webinars require experience, and problems can occur even if you have the right tools. Consider outsourcing to an insurance agency marketing firm if your broker-based agency does not have the software, hardware and expertise necessary to host a webinar series.
Although lead generation via a website of an insurance agency isn’t a new concept, it’s not uncommon for agencies to do a great job. Many websites aren’t up-to-date in years. A majority of agency websites have problems such as poor coding, browser compatibility, and outdated content. Internet Explorer is losing browser market share every month. Website coding must be compatible with Firefox, Chrome and Opera. This crucial support is essential to ensure that potential clients can view your website correctly. The update of your website’s code can only be one part of the puzzle. Remember that your website is your new storefront window. It is likely to be the first thing prospects see when they search for information about you business. Websites for insurance agencies should clearly communicate broker and agent messages to prospects. They also need to be professional and attractive. Websites that perform well are clear, uncluttered and free from overt virtual agents and flashy components are the best. It is important to integrate branding with insurance websites. This means logos, colors and images should be consistent across all marketing materials, including brochures, business cards and promotional items.
All websites should incorporate SEO (search engine optimization). On-page optimization, meta tags and keyword descriptions are all important components of good SEO. Only a few SEO professionals from insurance agencies are able to fully understand the importance of on-page SEO. It doesn’t matter if your website is coded internally or externally, the important thing is that it is on-page optimized. On-page SEO is only half the SEO story. Off-page optimization, however, is just as important, if perhaps more so. Any content not on your website or coded into it is considered off-page optimization. External blogs, directory submissions, backlinks, and other elements can increase traffic and visibility and establish your online presence. SEO’s main goal is to increase quality traffic to your site and to help prospects find you agency. Remember that 90% of searches end at page 1. If your company is listed on page 1, people will find you. They’ll search for your competitors if you don’t appear on page one.
Social media marketing is becoming an increasingly important lead generation strategy. Social media sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are among the most popular on the internet. Posts to these sites rank at the top of search results. It is important that you get involved with social media marketing. This is more than a good idea or something to think about for the future. Your business must have a strong presence on social media. It is easy to get started – you only need to create a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn page. It is important to invest both time and money in growing your social media presence. It is not enough to create a LinkedIn account. You must also connect with other professionals in your industry and engage in discussion. It may seem like a lot of work, and it can take time. Social media marketing must be given the same priority in your agency as other aspects of a comprehensive marketing plan – it should be nurtured, monitored and tracked, and then quantified. A direct ROI can be established for social media marketing programs in insurance agencies. A simple report should be prepared by agents detailing the hours spent, prospects gained, and closed business from each social media marketing program.
Social media marketing is more than just generating new leads and business. This also shows that the brokers and agencies are aware of the market changes, which in turn indicates that they are open to learning new trends and adapting to them. SEO is also affected by social media marketing. Agents should not be shocked to see correctly generated tweets listed on the first page for a long tail SERP (Search Engine Response Page). While social media marketing is not an easy task, it takes effort, time and expertise. However, the results are worth the effort. A partnership with a high-quality insurance agency marketing provider is possible to help your agency establish a comprehensive social marketing program.