The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digitation across industries, and insurance was no exception. Part of the acceleration included a rise in direct-to-consumer (DTC) purchases. More people started buying goods and services online, cutting out in-person or phone interactions. That rise in DTC increased access to customer data.
That data is the main component to your double-dipping in marketing and customer service tools. The more data you can gain through marketing, the better you can serve customers and prospects.
How to Harness Data
Your customers want their interactions to be more efficient,
yet they still want the personalization they expect from an independent agency.
You want the same: faster processing with a personal touch. With proper data management, you can get both. It takes three steps:
- Gather customer data at every interaction point
- Track and analyze that data
- Put that data to use
- Almost 70% of consumers today search for insurance online before making a purchase
- Over 40% of DXC survey respondents said insurers need to improve their claims processing technology
- More than 70% of insurance customers over 55 want online chats or video to replace in-office claims processing
The Insurance Marketing Tools You Need
Start with a robust insurance website. Your website is your digital storefront and the landing spot for every customer you serve and prospect you want to serve. Make your website count by connecting it with your agency management system to track visitors and their interactions. And, make sure it’s optimized for mobile: 63% of Google’s daily search traffic takes place on a mobile device.
On your agency website, you need a Client Portal. With a Client Portal, you can connect your customers directly to their policy information, including the ability to download and print insurance cards, view claims status, make payments, and do other essential services on their own. The more self-service you provide, the less time you spend on small tasks, freeing more time to focus on complex customer issues. And, you gain data on what your customers are looking for and what they value.
Similar to the Client Portal, you should also have an agency mobile app so your customers can access information on their mobile devices. A mobile app provides the same self-service options as your Client Portal but makes it easier to access on the go. A mobile app is essential for quality claims processing as it allows customers to take photos of accidents or damages the moment they happen.
Marketing automation is another critical insurance marketing and customer service tool. With marketing automation, you gain data on every customer and prospect’s digital interaction. Whether it’s filling out a web form, clicking an email link, or interacting with a social media post, data from that interaction is stored in marketing automation. You can then analyze that data to discover which communication methods and what pieces of content individuals and groups prefer. From there, you can create customer and prospect segments and send out the information they need via the modes they choose – all in one system.
Your final essential insurance marketing and service tool is an insurance CRM. A CRM is the center of data storage and analysis. Within your insurance CRM, you can see each prospect and customer’s digital interactions, along with their in-person and phone interactions, detailing their entire relationships with your agency. With this wealth of data, you can create customer and prospect segments and identify gaps in coverage, referral and cross-sell opportunities, and other valuable information to boost interactions and improve services.
Find Everything You Need in One Management System
If you think getting two for one in a single marketing and service tool is exciting, how about getting all of these valuable tools in one agency management system?
That’s what you can find in the Partner Platform agency management system and insurance CRM. Our cloud-based system combines all the practical management system elements with data-driven digital tools for a personalized digital experience.
Find out more about the advanced agency technology you can leverage to improve service and retain and grow customers. Get in touch at [email protected] or 800.747.7005, Option 6 today.
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.