The world of marketing can be a scary, uncertain place, especially with new online marketing capabilities introduced almost daily. To make matters worse, most local insurance agencies don’t have a dedicated marketing team. Although it’s best to have at least one employee focused on marketing, more often than not marketing is one part of a single employee’s many hats. You know marketing is an important part of growing your agency, but you need to grow your agency before you can increase your marketing resources – what are you to do in this catch 22?
The best way to jump-start your marketing is to simplify. Through our experience here at SIS, we’ve found three tools are important in marketing success: your agency’s website, an e-newsletter and your social media presence. If you can get the ball rolling in these three areas, you can make use of the latest cloud-based tools to keep things moving till you’re able to get someone on marketing full-time.
Having a good website is the first piece to any marketing campaign: you need to have a place for potential clients to go for information. If resources allow, the best move is to outsource your website creation to an expert. We at SIS refer our agency partners to Agency Marketing Partners as creating and maintaining a website is full-time work. However, for those who don’t yet have the resources to outsource, Squarespace is a good way to start your website before moving it over to a professional.
Squarespace has a “drag and drop” site creation method, making it easy to learn and use, and has high quality, catchy designs that give your agency that polished, put-together look. With the explosion of mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website is a must, and Squarespace automatically adjusts your site for mobile users. You can reach the 24/7 support team by e-mail and online chat, and since Squarespace is all run online, you can make website edits anywhere at any time, while Squarespace takes care of site hosting and back-ups.
Once you’ve got a place to send people, it’s time to get them there. At one time, e-newsletters were the go-to marketing technique, but these days they’re a supplement to other marketing tactics. Yet, e-news still holds value in being an easy to digest way to keep your clients and potentials clients informed and connected. If your agency’s budget allows, our preferred website-creation company also provides great e-mail marketing management. However, if you’re not in a place to outsource, Constant Contactand Vertical Response are great cloud-based e-newsletters providers. Each provides easy-to-use e-news templates, campaign management and reporting and has ways to link social media to your e-newsletters.
The final piece to getting started in marketing is to ensure your presence on social media. In itself, social media can be a bit daunting, but time has shown its staying power and influence. The greatest benefit for social media is you can connect directly with current and potentials clients and promote agency transparency, creating a sense of trust between you and your clients.
There are a lot of social sites out there, butFacebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn remain the most widely used and the three to hit, with Google+ on the rise. You should put some work in to creating your agency profiles and gaining followers, and after on regularly updating with relevant info. As a good rule of thumb, Facebook is great for photo sharing, Twitter for link sharing, and LinkedIn and Google+ for agency news. A great cloud app for keeping things updated is Hootsuite, a tool that allows you to update multiple social media platforms at one time. The interface is easy to use and understand, and you can even schedule updates to be posted days, weeks, and months in advance.
Once you’ve got things rolling for marketing, maintaining is made so much easier with these cloud-based tools. They can help your agency grow so you can invest in a full-time marketing person or team. You should use your marketing tools along with your agency’s management system, utilizing its abilities to cross sell, renew and retain clients and win back lost accounts. Check out a previous post on how Partner XE helps boost your marketing tactics, and contact us at 800.747.9273 or [email protected] to talk about the ways Partner XE can work for your agency.
Today Agency Marketing Partners (AMP), strategic partner that provides digital marketing solutions for independent insurance agencies, announced the findings of their study of digital marketing strategies used by independent insurance agencies. Results show that although 88% of agencies have a website, many are not properly investing in it for maximum impact. Less than half of the websites are mobile ready and only one in three has a blog.
The major take-away from the survey is that many agencies are leaving a lot of opportunities on the table when it comes to the features and functionality that they are providing on their websites. Too many agencies still see their website as a cost rather than as a necessary investment in their future, given changing consumer shopping and servicing behavior.
This trend of neglecting websites is also seen in the percentage of agencies that say they have someone or a team that takes ownership for the site. Although 88% of the respondents to the survey said their agency has a website, 38% said they did not have a person or team taking ownership for their site.
The following were the key findings of the survey.
88% of the agencies who participated have a website.
Most agencies had their websites made by an online vendor.
On average agencies spend 1-5 % of their yearly budget on marketing.
62% have a person or team that takes ownership of the website.
Less than 50% of the websites are mobile ready.
Over 50% of agencies link to social media sites.
Only 33% of websites have a blog on their website.
Less than half of the websites provide in-depth insurance content.
Strategic Insurance Software (SIS) is pleased to announce the release of its newest e-guide: “Effective Insurance Marketing on a Limited Budget.” Geared toward agencies that want to increase the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns without breaking the bank, the guide focuses on key ways independent insurance agents can generate positive exposure for their agency, gain a stronger digital presence, and leverage the tools already at their disposal.
Marketing can be expensive, however, you don’t need to break the bank in order to effectively market your agency. The fundamental secret to creating a high-impact marketing plan on a limited budget is to optimize what you have and focus on capturing the customers that will provide a return on your investment.
The e-guide will help you with the following aspects of developing a cost-effective marketing for your insurance agency:
Engaging people with social networks – online and off
Getting the most of your social media use
Using “local search” to get more traffic to your website
Maintaining and building an effective website
Mining your agency management system
Executive Vice President of Sales for SIS, Michael Doran, sees the e-guide as another opportunity for SIS to help independent insurance agencies grow their business: “SIS is always listening to independent insurance agencies to learn how to help them solve their problems. Through these interactions and our own experience, we have learned marketing tips that we want to share with independent insurance agencies everywhere to help them grow and maintain a sustainable business.”
Just a few years ago marketing your independent insurance agency meant putting an ad on TV or in the newspaper. Though TV, radio, and print media are still vital ways to market your business, they are not the only outlets available promote your agency, nor are they the most cost efficient. Social media sites (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn) and local search sites (i.e. Yelp, Poynt, and Kudzu) spread the message like never before!
Social Media
With so many social media marketing tools available, have you ever wondered which ones you should use and how you can do so successfully? Here are a few tips on how to use these tools to help you get more out of your social media marketing campaigns.
Talk About More Than Yourself: You will quickly lose your audience’s attention if all you talk about is yourself. While it is appropriate to share your blog posts and landing pages on social media, you should also aim to be helpful to viewers as well. A good rule of thumb is to post relevant and interesting content from other sources, such as business press, trade journals, and industry specialists.
Make it Easy to Follow Your Company: Since social media is all about sharing, make sure you have “Follow Us” links on your website, email signature, and any additional electronic media you send to your clients. Take advantage of the share and follow modules that most email marketing and internet marketing software have to offer.
Review Your Material Monthly: Look at key performance indicators (KPI) each month to see what is working well and what is not. These include (but are not limited to) monitoring leads generated by your social media network, social media mentions, and views, chares, and comments on blog posts. Also, remember to update your information regularly so information does not become stagnant.
Local Search
Did you know that over 2.2 billion unique local searches are performed each month by US individuals? Local search engines optimize results to include the audience your marketing strategy is attempting to reach. Here is a high-level list of some of the more popular options that may work for you.
Yelp: Yelp is a fun and easy way to find, recommend, and talk about what’s great and not so great in a local area. It is an online city guide that helps people find the preferred places to eat, shop, and relax. Business Yelp accounts allow businesses to share information with the Yelp community such as deals, messages, and business trends.
Poynt: An application that individuals download on their mobile devices that enables them to connect with local businesses and events. Poynt allows you to search for businesses and events close to your current location.
Kudzu: Available for mobile devices, Kudzu helps consumers find the best service providers for their home and family. It provides detailed business profiles including address and contact information, reviews, and valuable coupons or special offers.
Foursquare: Foursquare is a free application that helps users make the most of where they are. It enables users to mark locations that they visit, rank them, share them, and rate them. Founded in 2007, Foursquare is used by over 40 million people worldwide and currently houses 1.5 million merchant platforms.
When used wisely, social media can be an excellent way to create positive brand impressions and get in touch with the wide number of people who are interfacing online. . While the older generations are gradually getting used to managing their personal business online and on their phones and other mobile devices, the younger generation is already there—and has been for quite some time. Since your goal is to find customers and keep them for life, it only makes sense to make it as easy as possible for the younger generation to find you.
While some social media pundits say you need to go “all in” and post several times per day, our suggestion is to take it gradually and work in chunks you can manage. Leverage a tool such as HootSuite that allow you to manage all of your social networks from one interface. HootSuite, which offers both free and paid versions, advertises itself as a “dashboard designed for you and your team to listen, engage and measure all from one simple interface.”
In addition to cutting back on time spent posting, using an interface tool is a much simpler way to monitor activity on your social media sites than logging into each and every individual account. This is important because it is critical to monitor the social media sites that you become part of and maintain a consistent presence. Not all posts made to your social media site will be positive ones. How you react can either diffuse a negative situation or ignite it. It is important to always respond in a timely and professional manner that will promote your brand in a positive way.
Aside from providing a solid software platform to help agencies run better, we aim to provide assistance to our agency partners in every way we can. For that reason, we have taken the time to research and write about areas such as this that we feel would be of benefit to independent agents. In cases such as this we are able to draw from the knowledge of the marketing team at NuGrowth Solutions, our parent company, and Agency Marketing Partners, the insurance marketing arm of our business.
If you would like to find out more about our core competence – our Partner XE agency management system – and how it can help you as you strive to streamline workflow and build your books of business, please contact us at 800-747-9273 or [email protected].
As an independent insurance agent, finding a cost-efficient marketing strategy that fits your style, budget, and business needs can be quite a challenging feat. In our previous blog titled “An Introduction to Effective Insurance Marketing on a Limited Budget” we discussed the importance of selecting a marketing strategy that will optimize what you have and focus on capturing the customers that will provide a return on your investment. We provided various website, social media, email, and direct marketing strategies to capture the customers you need on a marketing budget you can afford.
In this blog, the three main facets of marketing that we are going to explore are Networking, Community Events, and Referrals. Each of these marketing approaches will enable you to build a strong presence in both the insurance industry and your community.
Networking
Traditionally, when one thinks of networking, the first thing that comes to mind is the local Rotary ro Chamber of Commerce meeting and “Business After Hours” events. These days, however, networking can be done in any number of ways – from traditional functions to speed networking events, to online communities.
Local Networking Events: Your local Chambers of Commerce and many additional professional organizations host networking events that enable business people to meet. Attend these events and make as many contacts a possible. Many of the individuals that attend these events are salespeople; focus on how you can help everyone that you meet and have fun! Don’t forget to follow-up with a “Nice meeting you…” email or letter. If you really want to gain exposure for your agency, consider a leadership position. While everyone involved in the group will not know every member, you can rest assured that they will all know the President and other members of the leadership committee.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a great resource for building your network online. It provides you with an opportunity to network with not only the people you know, but the people they know as well. Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn is primarily a professional social networking site, and many groups and organizations that meet in traditional settings offer LinkedIn groups as well. Extend your traditional Rotary, Kiwanis or Chamber membership by joining the affiliated LinkedIn group. Become an active participant in group discussions. Post links to blogs you’ve written. Comment on others’ blogs. Don’t comment just for the sake of commenting, however. Be sure you have something valuable to add to the conversation.
Community Events
Volunteer: There are many opportunities for growing your business while volunteering. Not only will you get great PR in the newspaper and meet other local business owners and community members, you will also have the opportunity to educate people about their insurance options. Here are a few suggestions:
Sponsor a police or fire department event.
Host Seminars coving information such as Insurance Basics, Baby Car Seat Safety, or Financial Planning.
Step up when local organizations are looking for speakers for their monthly meetings.
Volunteer to coach or sponsor a youth sports team
Take a leadership position at the local Chamber of Commerce
Set up educational booths at community events.
Get Creative: Unless you do something memorable, very few people will really remember the insurance agent he or she met while attending the county fair. So get creative. One trick is to use smoke detector batteries as hand-outs. Don’t just count on foot traffic either. Promote the event via community boards and Facebook to get the message out in a cost-effective way. Get even more leverage by pulling the promotion back into the office as well. Invite current and potential clients to stop by the office for free batteries. Charge America and your client-base one battery at a time!
Referrals
Referral Marketing Program: Provide a reward to existing policyholders for sending new clients to your agency, such as movie passes or a gift card. Promote your referral program on billing statements and/or via your website page and make mention of the program during each interaction you have with your members.
Referral Marketing Exchange: There are many successful agencies that offer incentives to car salesman, local real estate firms, and mortgage brokers who refer their agency to individuals they conduct business with. Some of these incentives include cash, shared expense in publications, or assistance with the distribution of marketing material. (Please check the laws in your area as this is not legal in all locations.)
Referral Specialist: Designate a referral specialist in your office and assign them to develop and support a referral process. Ensure that you track referred business and provide a greater commission to the individual responsible. Not only will this enable a specific person to take ownership of the program, but it will also spark other employees in the agency to see how they could benefit from referrals as well.
Through the many discussions we have had with clients over the years, we understand how challenging it can be to effectively grow and market an insurance agency. Strong referrals, consistent community involvement, and wise business networking, though time consuming, can be very beneficial to your business. Volunteering for the American Red Cross and attending a city council meeting will not only promote your company brand, but will show current and potential clients that you take pride in those communities you insurer as well.
Aside from providing a solid software platform to help agencies run better, we aim to provide assistance to our agency partners in every way we can. For that reason, we have taken the time to research and write about areas such as this that we feel would be of benefit to independent agents. In cases such as this we are able to draw from the knowledge of the marketing team at NuGrowth Solutions, our parent company, and Agency Marketing Partners, the insurance marketing arm of our business.
If you would like to find out more about our core competence – our Partner XE agency management system – and how it can help you as you strive to streamline workflow and build your books of business, please contact us at 800-747-9273 or [email protected].
Recent surveys found the average insurance agent is just shy of 60 years old. That means two things: there are a lot of experienced agents out there, and there are a good number of agents reaching retirement age. As these agents retire, they’ll take their experience...
When your focus is community-minded, personalized insurance, it can be challenging to translate your skills to sales, marketing, and lead management. It can seem like a herculean task to figure out an insurance CRM and how it can help you identify and gain your ideal customers, growing your book of business.
When everyone in your agency is doing two, three, or more jobs, how can you manage to keep up with sales and marketing, too?
Our Partner Platform agencies can attest that it’s easier than you think. With our integrated management system and insurance CRM, we take the guesswork out of creating and managing customer and lead profiles in a CRM system. When everything is linked in one place, you can leverage the sales and marketing power of an insurance CRM with relative ease.
If you’re still wondering how to improve your insurance agency marketing, the answer is: data.
While that one-word answer is simple, the process of gathering, analyzing, and acting on data isn’t so easy. But if you put in the effort, it’s worth it; that’s why Everest Company found data analytics use in the industry could quadruple in just one year.
With over 70% of consumers looking for insurance quotes online, the data is out there for you to capture. Get your team started with honed marketing by breaking data analytics down into five parts.
As an independent insurance agent, finding a cost-efficient marketing strategy that fits your style, budget, and business needs can be quite a challenging feat. In our previous blog titled 
The world of marketing can be a scary, uncertain place, especially with new online marketing capabilities introduced almost daily. To make matters worse, most local insurance agencies don’t have a dedicated marketing team. Although it’s best to have at least one employee focused on marketing, more often than not marketing is one part of a single employee’s many hats. You know marketing is an important part of growing your agency, but you need to grow your agency before you can increase your marketing resources – what are you to do in this catch 22?