For a long time, independent insurance agents have been able to rely on traditional marketing tactics to grow their agency. But the industry is changing.
Younger prospects need convincing to seek out an agent over the more heavily advertised direct insurance solutions. If you want to attract new prospects and reach a broader audience, digital marketing for insurance agents and brokers isn’t an option — it’s a necessity.
As a digital agency for insurance, our marketing tools and expertise can help you build stronger, longer lasting relationships with clients and prospects alike. An easy-to-use website, email newsletter, social media presence, and meaningful content will keep your prospects and customers engaged and loyal.
We know that embracing digital marketing is no small feat. At the end of the day, you’re an insurance expert, not a marketing expert. Your skills are centered around understanding your clients’ needs — not in running a Facebook page.
Whether you’ve tried to go digital before without success, or have been waiting for the push to get started, this beginner’s guide will provide the information you need to launch your digital marketing strategy for your insurance agency.
Getting Started with Digital Marketing
The three most powerful marketing tools agents need to focus on for their digital marketing strategy are:
- Website
- Social media
Keep reading to understand why insurance agents and brokers need to invest in these aspects of digital marketing, how you can get started, and how to create a winning insurance digital marketing strategy.
Insurance Agent Websites
There’s no question about it: a website with marketing tools is a must-have. It’s like a digital business card, helping provide proof of value to new prospects and helping clients remain engaged.
In fact, researchers have found that 70-80% of modern consumers research a company online before visiting them or making a purchase. If a potential client can’t find you online, you’re missing out on business.
If your website isn’t driving traffic or reaching your audience, use this checklist to start your troubleshooting:
- Clear Branding
Your website needs to show what sets your firm apart from all the others. Clear branding starts with a logo that promotes your unique identity in the insurance industry. It’s the imagery you choose, your language, how you showcase your team. - An About Page
Make sure it’s easy for a visitor to find information about your background and the history of your firm. Use this to sell yourself, convince a visitor you’re the agency or brokerage for them, and show off what sets you apart. - Contact Information
Make sure all the information is up to date and offers your preferred contact methods, including email, phone number, and address. You’ll also need to verify your local listings are optimized with the correct info as well.
We can help you automatically scan and claim your local business listings. From popular maps and apps to directories and review sites, we help keep your information updated and visible. - Valuable Content
Blogs, whitepapers, webinars, and videos are all content pieces that showcase your expertise and the value you can offer. Agency Revolution offers a premium insurance website content library via our Elevate™ services. This is the perfect resource for the content your prospects and customers crave. Elevate™ members can access a library of timely, insightful, and professionally produced videos, infographics, articles, and more. Extra perks include custom content like branded newsletters, postcards, brochures, and business cards. - Mobile Friendly Design
Fifty-seven percent of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site. Don’t let your site falter at a critical moment because it’s poorly designed. Aside from the benefit of creating a better user experience, a mobile-friendly design helps your SEO.
As of July 2019, Google’s mobile-first indexing is enabled by default for all new websites and is used for ranking on existing sites. This means Google predominantly uses the mobile version of your insurance website content for indexing and ranking.
Agency Revolution’s Attract™ can help you build the foundation for your insurance agency marketing with a professionally designed website. With mobile-friendly designs and built-in SEO marketing and lead-generating tools, our insurance websites drive traffic and attract leads. We help you create a polished, professional online presence that builds your brand.
Insurance Agent Email Tools
Regular emails should be a top priority for any digital marketing strategy. Email marketing has some of the highest ROI of any marketing medium, even with the availability of more high-tech tools. You can send newsletters, one-off announcements, campaign sequences, and more.
Successful email campaigns are personal, consistent, and provide value. Try these tips to send emails that convert:
- Use segmented lists. When you upload your contact list, set up different groups based on specific criteria. You can go even further and segment it by interest or demographic. Taking the time to send personal emails is very valuable. Most prospects say personally relevant content from their agents increases their intent to engage.
- Send a regular email newsletter. Monthly is a good start, but you can move up to weekly if you have enough content. This is to keep your clients and prospects up to date on the latest news about both your agency and the industry.
- Use automated campaigns. Remembering to send emails for every birthday or every referral request can get difficult. Automated email keeps your marketing running in the background when you’re too busy working with clients.
If you’re ready to reap the benefits of one of the most powerful marketing tools available, we have the solution. Agency Revolution’s Fuse™ makes sure you consistently send the right message at the right time—automatically. From email campaigns designed to manage your online reputation to campaigns that drive referrals, we have you covered.
Our Fuse™ marketing solution can help you automate, engage, and grow like never before. You’ll save your staff time, benefit from easy account rounding, and increase the overall efficiency of your marketing and operations.
Insurance Agent Social Media Tools
If you’re doubting whether your agency really needs to be on social media, how about this: Ninety percent of marketers say their social marketing efforts have increased exposure for their business.
Like most insurance marketers, Zeshan Jeewnjee, head of Marketing at One Day Event Insurance understands the importance of digital marketing for insurance agents — especially social media. He uses social media to bring a fresh and contemporary appeal to insurance products and services and to build new relationships. Get more social media marketing tips from the field from Jeewanjee and other insurance marketers who are putting social media to work for their agencies and brokerages.
- Complete your online profiles. Just like your website, your profiles need to be personal, convincing, and professional. Fill out all the available fields, verify your contact info, and be sure to use a high-quality image for your profile and cover images.
- Post consistently. Begin by posting at least once per week, but it’s great to build up to two to three times a week. Once you get the hang of it, you may even want to post daily if you have a large audience or great content to share. Safety checklists, ebooks, and informative content are all important but don’t forget to share fun updates about the people on your team and involvement with your community.
- Build your audience. Don’t get too hung up on the number of followers, because the quality of the content is more important than your follower count. Make sure you’re reaching your relevant audience and invite all your contacts from your work and personal networks.
- Stay engaged. If people are commenting, liking, or sending messages to your page, don’t let them just sit there. Respond to comments, start conversations, ask questions, and overall, remember it’s all about being social!
If your insurance marketing tool box already includes some of the digital tools above, or you are ready to expand your marketing efforts, Agency Revolution also offers à la carte professional marketing services. From graphic design and copywriting to SEO and traffic analysis, we have the tools you need to take your marketing to the next level.
Looking for a way to maximize your marketing with intelligent automation? Fuse™ can help. Click here to learn how.