If you’re a savvy insurance agent, you know that the traditional way of doing things is no longer relevant when it comes to attracting new customers. Whether it is life insurance, auto insurance, home insurance, health insurance or travel insurance, people are shopping online before making a final decision. If you aren’t there to greet them, your competitors likely will be.
A Monumental Power Shift
People who shopped for auto insurance in 2015, 71 percent looked online and received multiple quotes before making a final decision. This kind of information illustrates that the power is now in the hands of the consumer when it comes to buying insurance.
Every single day, 2.9 billion searches are made on Google. Obviously, just a tiny percentage of those searches have to do with insurance, but the days of consumers being leery of making purchases online are long gone. Not too long ago, an independent insurance agent could take time to develop a relationship with a customer, and that relationship often lasted for years.
Modern consumers are taking advantage of the technology available to them and using it to find the best deals possible. Sometimes, they never even come face to face with an agent at all; opting to conduct all of their insurance-related business online. For some consumers, searching for insurance online relieves them of any perceived pressure they may feel when dealing with an agent one-on-one, some love the convenience, and some may just be plain lazy.
Throwing Your Hat Into the Ring
Regardless of the reasons for consumers making the shift to finding their insurance online, the fact is that it’s happening and if you don’t keep up you’ll be left behind. If you are one of the stragglers that haven’t been interested in digital marketing for your insurance agency up to this point, it’s time to move into the present and leave the past behind. Web Development may be a lot quite just pictures and text. it is vital to believe the entire user flow and the way this may impact your customer’s experience. Without proper thought you would possibly be sending people on a goose chase!
The beauty of a properly executed digital marketing campaign for your insurance agency is that it allows you to be available 24 hours a day for your prospective customers. It also evens the playing field when it comes to competing with the heavyweights in the insurance industry. Digital marketing is about much more than simply paying astronomical prices for online ads, and with the right strategy, you can be there when people are looking for your services.
In order to find the best digital marketing agency, first, we need to understand “what is digital marketing”, “will digital marketing benefit your business” and answer the question “how do I get more leads for my business?” – which should be the purpose of any marketing.
The dictionary definition of Digital marketing is the marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising, and any other digital medium. So simple to summarize in one sentence, yet it can be a complicated process to get right and to ensure that all of your digital marketing is working together, not as silo activities. This is where the expertise and experience of the best digital marketing agencies can be hugely beneficial.
Traditional advertising, newspapers and paper directories, such as Yellow Pages, are increasingly less effective for businesses. Whilst a few years ago people would go to a computer to search for a product or service, nowadays people are connected to the internet all day, every day and “live online”. Looking for information, a product or service is as quick and simple as searching on a laptop or computer at work or picking up their mobile telephone or tablet. Digital marketing focuses on getting your information, products and services in front of people when they are looking online.
Whether it’s selecting a suitable life insurance policy, switching to a more affordable car insurance provider, or finding adequate coverage throughout the home buying process, the best digital agencies understand their products and services and ensure that their information is prominent to the potential customer at the appropriate time. In the digital marketing world, the various stages of the buying process i.e. research, consideration and purchase are called “micro-moments” and the very best digital marketing agency will present the relevant information, service or product at the targeted time in the buying process.
Where Most Insurance Agencies Fail with Digital Marketing
Trying to keep up with the giants of the insurance industry is one of the big mistakes independent insurance agencies make when it comes to digital marketing, but it isn’t the only one. A successful digital marketing campaign consists of a range of different components that go far beyond just the website, you will mostly likely need a new landing page design to start of with boosting your sales.
In order to attract new customers and build relationships without actually being there in person, elements such as social media, email marketing, online ads, landing pages, video, favorable reviews and ongoing, relevant content need to be part of the process. For many insurance agencies, this is where mass confusion sets in and they try to tackle these tasks without the benefit of a solid plan.
Having a detailed strategy in place is essential because it allows you to keep that one element that won you so many customers in the first place, When making the transition from offline storefront to online presence, most insurance agents don’t know how to maintain that personal feel, and perhaps your most endearing quality is lost.
Ticking Off All Your Digital Marketing Boxes
The key is to find a digital marketing provider that specializes in insurance, so you can be sure every aspect of your digital marketing campaigns are in place and happen in the proper sequence. One resource that lays out the information in a step-by-step format and is exclusive to the insurance industry is a new book by Charles and Linda Musselwhite called “7 Pillars of Digital Marketing for Insurance Agencies.”
“7 Pillars of Digital Marketing for Insurance Agencies” has all the information you need to compete in the complex world of digital marketing for insurance agencies and covers:
- Website
- Content
- Online Ads
- Video
- Social Media
- Reviews & Testimonials
Charles was a series 7 & 66 financial advisor that sold insurance and other investment products and has been in the trenches when it comes to selling insurance.
7 Pillars of Digital Marketing for Insurance Agencies provides much-needed support to independent insurance agents and even has a FREE download after each chapter that pertains to that specific pillar. These “pillars” will help you construct a sound digital marketing plan and consist of your Website, Content, Email, Online Ads, Video, Social Media and Reviews.
