Big-name insurance companies have no problem getting their name in front of consumers. You already know their tag lines and spokespeople (or animals), and it may feel daunting to compete with these seeming giants. But, the digital revolution shrunk the gap in insurance agency marketing, making it possible for the “little guy” like you to make waves in the industry.

Independent agencies can do what the big names do, running successful marketing and client services campaigns on a small scale. Let’s take a look at some of the ways local independent agency can compete.

1. Have a Strong Online Presence

It may seem impossible to make your name know without a large marketing budget, but it all depends on your scope. Nationally known providers can make an impact on a large scale, but you have your locality on lock. With the help of today’s digital advances, you can make a similar impression on your community. Take steps like:

• Create a professional, engaging website to draw in prospects. Make it mobile-enabled (50% of insurance searches happen on mobile!) and put high volume activities like “request a quote” and “file a claim” front and center to draw in prospects.
• Get on social media, especially Twitter and Facebook. Marketing automation is a game-changer when it comes to social media: leverage it to send and respond to messages and target your best performing content. Over 50% of top companies use marketing automation to retain customers – if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for you.
• Spread the world about your online presence. Include your website and social media handles in all your marketing content and send out e-mail blasts letting your client base know about your updated digital presence.

Find out how to get your agency’s website seen and heard on our blog

2. Offer Great Service

With tech advances, it’s easier than you think to provide swift, comprehensive customer service regardless of your agency’s size. Elements like self-serve client portals allow your customers to meet their needs 24/7. Integrated texting and live chats allow you to answer questions anytime, anywhere. And tools like CRMs and marketing automation can help you identify client or prospect preferences and send targeted content on exactly what they want to hear about and nothing they don’t.

3. Get People Talking Positive

Your online reputation has a lot to do with the feedback you receive from customers. While negative reviews aren’t great, no reviews are worse. Use marketing automation to target positive experiences and follow up with a request for a review, specifically through integrated text since people respond to texts eight times faster than email.

Your social media presence, fueled by marketing automation, can also boost your positive vibes. Social media provides a critical outlet for people to say what they think about your agency. And, the quality service you provide translates to more great reviews, bringing you up in the digital marketing ranks.

Discover more about integrated texting and what it can do for your service and marketing

4. Offer Discounts to Gain and Retain Business

As a small business, you may think you’re not able to offer meaningful discounts due to narrower profit margins. However, think more about the money you’re saving rather than dollars you’re seemingly losing.  Gaining a new customer can cost up to five times more than retaining a current one, so it behooves you to offer discounts as a way to get customers to stay.

Referral programs are an excellent way to offer a discount while saving on the cost to recruit leads. Give a discount to both the referrer and the referred to keep and gain a customer simultaneously. Offer discounts on policy expansions as a low-cost, high reward tactic: you’re not only maintaining business but growing it rather than losing them to a better deal elsewhere. And, you can provide the best quotes possible with a comparative rater and proposal creator to form the best policy at the best price to meet a customer or prospect’s needs.

Get tips on how to gain and retain customers in our blog post on referral marketing

Maximizing Your Marketing Power with Partner Platform

We’re the provider for the “little guy” when it comes to insurance marketing, so we know the tactics and tools you need to compete. Our Partner Platform agency management system suite provides the fully digital experience you need to engage your client base and convert leads.

Our Marketing Automation Manager, Producer Results Manager CRM, and integrated texting are just the tip of the iceberg. Dive deeper into digital marketing and service with our Partner Connect personalized digital experience. Partner Connect offers a custom agency website, client portal, and agency-branded mobile app, all synced with our robust agency management system.

Find out what our clients have to say about their digital marketing experience on our Client Stories page. And get in touch today to bring your independent agency the marketing might it needs: contact us at [email protected] or 800.747.7005, Option 6.