Insurance is a competitive business. Between tried-and-true methods and ever-changing new styles of marketing, attracting new clients is as complex as ever. We know you can thrive as an insurance agent with the right strategies. We’ve searched articles and found well over 200 solid ideas on how to approach your insurance marketing plan. Following are the 20 tips we thought were the most important, creative, and or established.
- Be on your client’s person at all times. We found a couple of great suggestions that boil down to being visible every time the client is out and about. Giving out emergency info wallet cards is one suggestion. John F. Carroll suggested in this article to include not only your own information for claims, but also Poison Control, local fire and police departments numbers, etc. Many sources suggested using plastic keychain tags with your information on them. Carroll also emphasized the importance of getting in your clients’ phones. All in all, these make it easier for clients to refer you, and referrals are the most important pieces of any marketing strategy.*
- Give people something. The Insurance Journal put together a list of sales and marketing strategies, and this one supports the previous suggestion perfectly. The article emphasizes the importance of never leaving a client or prospect empty-handed. Make sure the item is useful, though, and will last a long time.*
- Take advantage of a free marketing analysis. This one showed up in Carroll’s article. You can get a free online marketing analysis that is built specifically for insurance agents. Here is the link.
- Be an expert who goes the extra mile. There was a lot of advice on how to better serve your clients. Knowing your own business is an obvious necessity, but knowing your clients’ needs as well as understanding your clients’ businesses will really help you build trust.
- Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know. Along the lines of being an expert, if you don’t know the answer to something, be honest about it. Get back to your customer with the right answer, but don’t give them a wrong answer. Nothing looks sleazier than lying.
- Connect with clients better. There were several suggestions that fall under client connections. A unique one in the Insurance Journal was to survey customers on who they use for other services, like accounting or plumbing. Then call those people and let them know you have clients in common. You can each refer to one another because you’re both whom your customers use. Another great idea was to ask your clients if you can link to their businesses on your website. Another idea is to allow customers to leave their promotional items at your office. Cross-referral is very powerful.
- Bring free treats to key businesses. Carroll offers a couple of examples here. He mentions that contactors make up the early morning business at any hardware store. Handing out free coffee along with your business card at a place like Lowes or Home Depot will put you in front of people who have a lot of insurance needs. He also mentioned regularly bringing doughnuts to apartment managers. (Regularly = monthly.) You have a great chance to explain how renters insurance benefits the apartment management, and then you have someone promoting you to every tenant.
- Public speaking. Another handful of great suggestions falls under the public speaking category. You can host seminars about financial planning (Carroll suggests a catchy title like, “7 Secrets to Stop Uncle Sam From Stealing Your Retirement”), offer free business coaching, and speak at high schools. You can gather people in your office or do a webinar if that’s more appropriate. Educating people is a powerful tool.
- Teach safety classes. You will need to get certified depending on the class, but you can offer safety instruction on boating, car seats, or whatever else fits your target market.
- Hand out smoke detector batteries. What a great idea, Carroll! This is another way to show you care about people’s safety. Everyone needs batteries! He also recommends making an event out of it on social media. This will also help you build that audience.
- Volunteer. This is an oldie but a goodie. You’re doing something good and getting great PR in the process.
- Sponsor a car, boat, or motorcycle event. People who attend these shows and rides need insurance. If you or someone in your office is knowledgeable on the vehicle being showcased, sending him or her to talk to folks is a great rapport-builder.
- Free PR. Carroll says that the site HelpAReporter.com connects reporters to experts for free. When you sign up, you’ll receive emails about opportunities to be an industry expert. Carroll says, “If you want to be interviewed, respond quickly and sell hard on why you’d be the best expert to interview.”
- Buy a closing agency’s phone number. What a great way to capture clients who are left in need of insurance help. Turn on your customer service charm to win over your callers.
- Advertise how green you are. This is two-sided. You can create tips for your customers on reduced energy costs at home or in their vehicle. You can also tout how eco-friendly your office is. *
- Coach youth sports. Another homerun (smirk) idea, Carroll. As a coach, you’re not only connected to your team’s parents, you’re a part of a whole community attached to the league. Be sure to hang a picture of the team in your office.
- Host or attend local networking events. Another idea that’s been around for a while, and everyone suggests doing this. Getting in front of the Chamber of Commerce, professional organizations, and other people is an easy way to make an impact.
- Make sure you have a “Kitchen Sink” sheet. By that, I mean make sure you have one piece of paper that lists everything you do. People may not know how else they can work with their favorite insurance agent (you.)
- Spend time every day reaching out to contacts. Ask your contacts questions to get to know them better, see if they have any needs, follow up on other conversations or claims…you get the idea. Show your people you care, but don’t take up too much of their time. Don’t come across as “salesy,” either. These relationships translate into referrals.
- Be Mobile-friendly. This one was emphasized again and again. By now we hope your website is mobile-friendly, but if it’s not, you REALLY need to convert it. If someone needs your info quickly, nothing is more frustrating than trying to work a desktop site on a phone.
Above all, remember that your customer service should be worthy of a gold medal. It is THE most important aspect of doing business. No one wants to refer or keep business with someone who doesn’t treat him or her right.
*If you need promotional and/or eco-friendly items, we can help you. Vinyl Art is a leading manufacturer of insurance card holders, business card holders, flexible packaging, and office supplies. Not only do we specialize in custom jobs, we also offer materials that are recyclable, Prop 65 compliant, recycled, and more for almost every product we produce. Contact us today to see how we can help you thrive: 800-569-1304; sales@vinylart.wpengine.com.
