Putting Your Best Foot Forward: Marketing Tips for Insurance Agents
Regardless of what type of insurance you offer, the following marketing tips can help you reach new customers and bolster your business.
1) Have a website – This may seem silly, but a number of insurance agents don’t have a presence online. With the current digital landscape, more and more people are using the internet to shop around for everything from their choice of a doctor to making airline reservations for an upcoming vacation, to where they want to go for insurance. By providing a website that not online markets your business but also informs people about the types of services you offer and why they might need them, people will already have a foot in your door, whether they realize it or not.
2) Offer the most affordable rates – This seems silly to even mention, but you should constantly stay on top of the industry to ensure you are offering the most affordable rates you possibly can. Don’t be afraid to shop around and find out what your competitors are offering, or to see about getting better rates for your customers. People are living longer, which means life insurance rates are the lowest they’ve been in years.
3) Offer special deals for referrals – Loyalty is important. People are more inclined to do business with the people they know and trust. By giving your customers incentives such as discounts on rates or a gift certificate to a nice restaurant, they’ll be far more likely to refer their family and friends to you. Make sure to send a handwritten thank you note so express your sincere appreciation.
4) Offer group discounts – If you have the opportunity to sell a family of four car of term life insurance, why not offer a 10% discounted rate? If you don’t, another insurance company just might. Plus, when you sign teenagers up, you have an opportunity to have loyal customers for life.
5) Take advantage of social media – If you’ve got a website, you need to promote it. And one of the best ways to promote it is through the use of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can even sync your accounts together so you only have to post in one place and it shows up everywhere. Don’t know what to tweet? Information is key. Make your tweets and Facebook posts informative.
Statistics about life insurance or sudden death are important. Advertising your lowest rates and offering special discounts exclusively to Twitter followers are also important for reaching customers, and for establishing and maintaining credibility in your industry. Attaching links to informative articles or even links to your own blog on your website are both great ideas, reinforcing the idea that you’re an expert in your field.
6) Make yourself available – As stated before, people go to know they know and trust. But it doesn’t just go along with sales. If people, even existing customers, have questions about the type of coverage they have or their current policy, make yourself available to answer those questions. Don’t be short with them. Be patient and respectful. Give your customer the same type of treatment and respect you’d give a member of your family.