If you’re in the independent insurance marketing game, you’re on a budget. As a small business, you’re making every dollar count towards serving your customers and helping your agency grow. You simply can’t afford to invest in something that won’t pay off. So, when it comes to marketing, you’re looking for a way to make your hard-earned dollar count.
Others have come before you. Below are some independent agency-approved tips to get your marketing going on a dime.
6 Tips for Insurance Marketing on a Budget
- Be ready for opportunity: Have your elevator pitch perfected, and ensure your producers do the same. You never know when you’ll encounter a potential customer, so you should always be ready for when you do.
Go beyond the elevator pitch and think about defining your sales process
- Get your name out there: Be a sponsor for local events. Provide space, supplies, or volunteers to local festivals, sports teams, races, and charity events. This kind of local exposure is right in your wheelhouse.
- Drum up free press: Be a source for local papers, radio shows, and other media outlets for their business, finance, or other local news. Or, pitch them a something yourself. The insurance business is a great source for human interest stories.
- Ask for referrals: This can be delicate but has some great rewards. Talk to your long-time, well-known customers and ask them if they know anyone who is looking.
Get more in-depth with your marketing: check out our Digital Marketing on a Budget whitepaper
- Harness the competitive spirit: Host a contest or sweepstakes to get people talking about your agency. You can even combine efforts and take your contest to the airwaves to get more exposure.
- Share your stories: Start a digital newsletter and/or blog to connect with your current customers. The adage that it costs more to gain than to keep customers is true. Don’t forget about those you have and ensure you’re marketing to current customers so they stay, and can easily share their experience with potential leads
Dialing in to Digital
Our last tip speaks to something critical: your agency must have a digital footprint. Fortunately, digital marketing is budget-friendly, with a small investment going a long way. You need to have somewhere to send your customers online. A customer-focused website is essential.
See the essential elements for your agency website
Start out your marketing efforts with a simple, easy to navigate site with tools like a Client Portal to allow customers to get what they need when they need it. Once you have the basics in place, you can start putting these tips into practice, spreading your agency’s name far and wide. And, you’ll still have some change in your pocket.
Get more marketing tips from our blog or get in touch with our sister company, NuGrowth Digital, specializing in integrated digital marketing and sales for an extra marketing jolt.
Sarah Deak has been contributing to the SIS team since 2013, covering topics like agency perpetuation, workflow improvements, data security, and marketing. She has a background in small business, working with organizations to improve their online presence and client engagement. Sarah also writes for the SIS newsletters and website, and counts herself lucky to hear from our many passionate, hard-working clients for our client stories. Her favorite part about working for SIS are the dedicated, service-minded people.