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Why Every Insurance Agency Should Have a Website and How to Get One Marketing Tips
Aug 3, 2021
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11
minute read
Inbound marketing can be a powerful lead-generating tool for insurance agents. It requires skill, patience, and persistence to get it right.
A solid inbound marketing strategy can be the cornerstone of your overall marketing plan. Over time, you can build your reputation as a reliable source of information and gain the trust of your audience. Let's take a look at what inbound marketing is and how you can put it to work in your agency.
Inbound marketing draws customers to your insurance services by being present when they are looking for information. It involves maintaining a strong presence online where your customers spend time. This may include social media channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, or TikTok. Inbound marketing shines a light on the insurance services you offer through content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and branding, as well.
Traditional outbound marketing strategies reach your audience by proactively advertising your services through media such as TV ads, mailers, radio ads, billboards, and newspaper ads. Inbound marketing focuses on providing readers with the information they seek so you can become a trusted source.
Your focus with inbound marketing is attracting leads by answering questions and responding to concerns. With inbound marketing, you have the opportunity to build a relationship with your potential clients that allows them to see you as a trusted source of information. A successful inbound marketing strategy:
Like any type of marketing, inbound marketing isn't free. While you may not pay a bill for advertising the way you do with outbound marketing, a successful inbound marketing strategy requires your time and attention. You may need to build new skills or spend money to hire someone with the expertise needed to implement your plan.
In the past, consumers purchased insurance based on information they receive from their insurance agent. Now, agents should expect that customers who contact them have already conducted some research on their own. Decision-makers turn to social media, conduct internet searches, and talk with friends and family in their local area to understand their options when it's time to choose an agent or purchase specific coverage.
Your inbound marketing campaign can help position you as a local insurance expert. So when prospects in the market for insurance search for information, the free information you provide helps guide them through the decision-making process.
A solid inbound marketing campaign provides relevant and information-rich content that draws in online traffic. While SEO is important, every piece of content you produce that's relatable, easily digestible, and fresh has a better chance of grabbing the attention of your online prospects.
Ready to start generating leads with inbound marketing? Here are seven strategies that your small insurance agency can use to set you apart from the competition.
Your potential clients may not have a solid understanding of insurance, but they know they need coverage. As they research their options, it's crucial that you are there to provide the information they seek.
Your content may seem simple, but articles focused on introducing basic insurance types and how they serve consumers, how much insurance to purchase, and how much it may cost provide value to consumers that aren't well versed in the insurance industry.
Potential clients may find the content you create more easily if it's SEO optimized to rank well in local search results. The goal of creating informative content is to provide potential clients with the answers they seek when they click on your article, website, or social media post.
When you provide the information your customers seek online, you attract business. Sharing your expertise "for free" helps you build your reputation as an insurance expert. There are several ways to share your knowledge and experience with your audience.
One often-overlooked opportunity? Check out Help A Reporter Out (HARO). This site offers a place where journalists can submit queries to get access to subject matter experts willing to be quoted in the media. Organized by subject, HARO offers insurance agents the opportunity to answer specific questions about their industry to help writers generate consumer-facing content. By offering yourself as a source of information to journalists, you can increase your name recognition. Many HARO requests offer outbound links to your social media channels or website, as well.
Some of the most compelling advertising campaigns that big insurance companies execute are built on storytelling. For instance:
While you may not feel as if you can launch a campaign that garners the same amount of attention as a big-name insurance company, you can harness the power of storytelling to get your audience's attention. TikTok may be the ideal platform to talk about your personal experiences as an agent. If you decide to use storytelling to promote your services and gain name recognition, be sure to post your videos across all of your social media platforms.
Insurance isn't the most exciting topic for the average consumer, but your well-designed, intuitive, and informative website can help you engage your prospects. Your website should do more than answer basic questions with an "our services" page and your contact information. It has the power to attract, convert, and close the deal with your visitors.
When building a website, consider adding features that facilitate the following goals:
When choosing various media channels, consider where your target demographic spends time online. Your media channels may include:
By the time a consumer contacts you directly for a quote, they've already conducted internet research to understand what they are buying, the benefits of the product, and how much it may cost. When you submit competitive insurance quotes to comparison websites, you may be able to compete with larger companies based on price.
It may be convenient for consumers to be able to get in contact with your agency directly as they are searching for quotes online.
Inbound marketing allows you to build relationships with potential clients by being accessible online. When you launch an inbound marketing campaign, it's important to give your social media channels attention each day. When you are there to answer questions and interact online with customers, you prove that you deserve their trust. Here are some ways you can nurture your online relationships with current and future clients:
Insurance professionals may hesitate to invest time and energy in building an effective inbound marketing plan. But, even if you don't fully understand online marketing or aren't tech-savvy, there are things you can do to build your reputation as a trusted local source for insurance.
The goal of inbound marketing is to get your audience engaged with your brand and content. Like anything you do to build your insurance business, inbound marketing takes time and effort. As you build your business and wait patiently for your inbound marketing efforts to pay off, get the boost you need by purchasing high-quality real-time leads that match your business from Nectar. Reach out today to learn more.
This article reflects the features of Nectar as of the date of publication. Features are subject to change at any time. This article is meant for informational purposes only, it is not a guarantee that using Nectar will help you achieve specific business or financial results and is not intended to serve as the sole recommendation for any business financial decisions.