Marketing Ideas for Insurance Agents

Topics: Agent Tips

Summary: Digital marketing can help insurance agents grow their book of business in a variety of ways. In this article, we discuss six insurance marketing ideas agents can use to connect with prospects and nurture them through the sales funnel.

Between social media, online news sources and email, there’s an enormous opportunity for agents to connect with small business clients online. The biggest benefit of marketing in the digital space? It doesn’t take a huge investment to get started; sometimes, it doesn’t require anything more than your time.

If you’re thinking about diving into digital marketing, these six tips can help you grow your book of business:

Connect with Prospects with these Insurance Marketing Ideas



Digital Marketing Tip for Insurance Agents #1: Get social.

Social media continues to grow exponentially, with no signs of slowing down. Not only is social media a major source of news and information, it’s also a cost-effective way to interact with current and future clients. Here to stay, social media enables users to communicate beyond local and social boundaries. These digital communities offer agents endless opportunities to share both agency-authored and user-generated content, from blog posts and videos to photos and surveys.

What social platforms are right for your insurance agency? Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular options.

Facebook: Facebook remains the go-to platform for many social media marketers. The reason? In a word, use. According to the Pew Research Center, roughly three-quarters of Facebook users visit the site daily. Also making Facebook a powerful marketing tool are its broad demographics, which span from teens to seniors. Additionally, recent statistics show that Facebook users spend an average of 40 minutes on the site every day. More time engaged means more opportunities to connect with your audience.

LinkedIn: Whether it’s highlighting their careers, networking with colleagues or prospecting for opportunities, business professionals immediately look to LinkedIn. When someone visits the site, that person is already in a business-focused mindset, which means your agency’s content will likely resonate with those visiting your page.

The social network of choice for over 200 million business professionals, LinkedIn can help you grow your book of business by:
  • Expanding your agency’s brand awareness.
  • Generating a steady stream of leads.
  • Converting those leads.
A recent study found that traffic from LinkedIn generated the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate at 2.74 percent, almost three times higher than both Twitter and Facebook.

Twitter: As of Q1 2019, the platform boasted more than 330 million monthly active users, per Statista. And those who use the platform, use it often, as Twitter users send out 500 million tweets daily. Whether you’re a longtime Twitter user or just getting started, here are three musts for marketing on this platform:

1. Be a conversation starter – and finisher. After reading tweets from your industry counterparts, start publishing your own. You can share insurance news, valuable tips and even ask your followers questions. Just remember that, when responding to a tweet, less is more. The maximum character count is 280.

2. Become fluent in the language. To communicate with your audience, be sure to familiarize yourself with the symbols and vernacular:
  • @Username: The “@” symbol indicates a Twitter user’s handle. Including the “@” in a tweet will direct your tweet to that specific user.
  • Home/Feed: Your home page is where all of the tweets from the users you follow will appear.
  • # (Hashtag): Using a “#” and a keyword is a way to categorize or search tweets on a specific topic.
  • Retweet (RT): A tweet that is reposted or shared by someone.
  • Followers: These people are following your account. When someone follows you, your tweets will appear on their home page.
  • Mention: A tweet containing another user’s Twitter name using the “@” symbol.

3. Be a follower. Search for insurance industry leaders, colleagues, organizations and clients who are active on Twitter and follow them. Monitor your home page so you can read others’ tweets. It’s a great way to get topic ideas for your own tweets.


Digital Marketing Tip for Insurance Agents #2: Embrace the inbound approach.


Encompassing a number of catalysts – from search engine optimization and web design to social media and content marketing – inbound marketing enables you to attract, engage and delight potential and current clients. Here’s what an inbound marketing campaign could look like for your agency:
  • You offer a webinar on cyber liability and the rising costs of a data breach.
  • Your clients and prospects sign up for the free webinar.
  • You educate and inform your clients and prospects about the issue and offer a solution.
  • Interested attendees sign up to learn more about the solution, your agency and products; those who aren’t interested are invited to connect with you on social media for more tips to help safeguard their small business against other risks.
Providing a holistic marketing experience for anyone interacting with your business, inbound marketing is all about utilizing multiple avenues to connect with and then build long-term relationships with your clients.


Digital Marketing Tip for Insurance Agents #3: Send emails.


Communicating regularly with your clients is paramount to establishing – and maintaining – a healthy relationship with each of them. Even with the evolution of digital marketing, one of the most effective tools continues to be email marketing. To maximize your email marketing efforts, be sure to do the following:
  • Keep it relevant. Current and future clients see you as a resource because you know much more about small business insurance than they do. Leverage that knowledge in your emails to position yourself as a trusted source of information. Whenever possible, keep the content you’re sharing relevant to each client’s needs and his or her industry.
  • Personalize every communication. Tailoring your email to each client will increase the likelihood of your getting a response.
  • Be proactive and engaging. Acknowledging milestones and addressing pain points are two ways to engage your clients in a well-crafted email. Visit LinkedIn and Facebook regularly to learn more about your clients and to stay on top of what’s happening in their industries.


Digital Marketing Tip for Insurance Agents #4: Be a visual storyteller.


Many marketers agree that video content is a major influencer when it comes to successful social media engagement. When incorporating video into your digital marketing mix, be sure the content is brief, easy to digest and well produced. In addition, include a clear call to action at the conclusion of each video post. Video is a powerful medium for piquing interest; once you’ve done so, invite your prospects into your agency – virtually, for starters – by offering them a specific course of action.

As an insurance agency, you have a huge opportunity to influence purchasing decisions, establish your brand and position yourself as a thought leader through video. From client testimonials and answering frequently asked questions to introducing new products or posting highlights from a recent seminar, the possibilities are endless.

Once you’ve nailed down your video content ideas, you are ready to get started. Here are three steps to take to create an effective, engaging video for your insurance agency:
  1. Script and storyboard: Scripting allows for a clean, concise message. Once you write your script, plan out the visuals on a storyboard. Show the photos, video and text you want displayed in the video. Preparation is key to ensuring your message is maximized.
  2. Optimize for YouTube: Since YouTube is the second largest search engine, you will have to compete for views. The best way to compete is to have great, optimized content. To optimize for the web, make sure to include relevant keywords, a clear description and a captivating title.
  3. Promote on social media: To maximize your video’s reach, share it across multiple social media platforms. However, each platform and audience is different, so you will want to customize the video appropriately. For Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, make sure the video is no longer than 30-45 seconds in length. Then, create a link to the longer version to view on YouTube or your website. For LinkedIn, you can get away with a slightly longer video.


Digital Marketing Tip for Insurance Agents #5: Mobilize your marketing.


Easy to implement, mobile marketing is fast and direct, and it’s easy to track. When a marketing message is sent to a prospect’s smartphone, he or she has the opportunity to take immediate action. What’s more, with mobile marketing, your prospects’ activities are very easy to track; either users click on the provided links – or they do not. Having a solid grasp of the click-through-rate of a campaign can provide you with valuable data to use when developing future digital marketing campaigns.


Digital Marketing Tip for Insurance Agents #6: Maximize your performance.


Digital media, when leveraged properly, can open the door to an array of new business opportunities. The following tips will help you get the most out of your digital marketing efforts:
  • Make the investment. Invest the time and effort to grow your presence on every platform you’re utilizing. Daily posts with fresh content will keep current and potential clients engaged – and coming back.
  • Work with what’s working. If you notice that people are responding favorably to a particular blog post, webinar or video, keep sharing more of the same. Monitor comments, likes, shares and clicks to get a good read on what is resonating with your target audience.
  • Take the lead – with lead generation. Be sure to include call-to-actions in your e-blasts, blog posts, videos and webinars. Embed links to your agency’s website and product landing pages to help move prospects closer to a purchase. Offer site visitors relevant content in the form of a downloadable e-book or white paper in exchange for their contact information. Invite site visitors to learn more about your agency and its product offerings by including a digital contact form they can fill out and return to your email inbox.
  • Keep experimenting. Digital media continues to evolve. Keep testing, collecting data and looking for ways to increase your online engagement.

Partner with AmTrust

Since 1998, AmTrust Financial has been putting the needs of small businesses first. Once a small business ourselves, we understand the risks they face. As an appointed agent, you’ll have access to a wealth of resources to support your clients, from our online quoting system to industry-leading loss control and claims support. Connect with us today to learn more.

This material is for informational purposes only and is not legal or business advice. Neither AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates represents or warrants that the information contained herein is appropriate or suitable for any specific business or legal purpose. Readers seeking resolution of specific questions should consult their business and/or legal advisors. Coverages may vary by location. Contact your local RSM for more information.

Copy

Time Zones

13

Countries

34

Brands

12

Agents

9500