The days of relying solely on referrals or in person networking as an insurance agency lead generation strategy are coming to a close for many agents and agencies. New economies of scale offered by more efficient marketing methods are typically needed to supplement traditional marketing methods such as networking and referral generation. Producers seeking to carry their unique value proposition to targeted prospects, especially in the commercial insurance and group benefits markets, typically need an improved insurance lead generation strategy to increase the suspect and prospect pools in their respective pipelines.
The list of possible marketing and lead generation initiatives is hardly endless, though somewhat exhaustive, and can be daunting for many small to medium sized agencies and brokers. Defining the type of agency we should describe a small to medium in size is subjective, so in this case we'll use financial parameters from $2 Million to $50 Million in commission revenues as an attempt to frame this group. Granted, though there is a major difference between a $2 Million agency and a $22 Million broker, there are also similarities when it comes to their respective marketing challenges. Once an agency exceeds $50 Million in revenues, they should be able to sufficiently staff up for most of the initiatives noted below. The skills necessary for these types of marketing initiatives are truly varied, and include all of the following:
- VP Marketing (Marketing Strategist/Generalist)
- Programmers for Websites (HTML, PHP, etc.)
- SEO Specialist
- Web Analytics Manager
- eMarketing Manager
- Writer/Editor
- Blogger, Vlogger
- Social Media Marketer
- Graphic Artist
- Telemarketer (Appointment Setter)
- Video Specialist
Some of these skills may be combined into one marketing position (writer, editor, blogger for example), while others are disparate and would require specific skill set staffing of that position. Even larger agencies, those with $50 Million and greater in commission revenue, outsource some of these tasks when there is not an ongoing, full time need for that skill set. Video is a good example of this, as are graphic artists and SEO specialists Life Insurance Quote.
Here are 20 insurance agency marketing and insurance lead generation initiatives every agency can leverage. Some of these are modest efforts, others far more comprehensive. How many of these insurance marketing initiatives can your agency check off?
- Insurance Agency Marketing Plan
- Updated Insurance Agency Website
- Website Analytics
- Web Visitor Identification System
- Organic Insurance SEO & PPC Ads
- Insurance Search Engine Marketing
- Insurance Social Media Marketing
- Agency ePublishing
- Agency Blogging & Vlogging
- Insurance Agency eMarketing
- Insurance Web Seminar Marketing
- Contact List Generation & Email List Generation
- Agent Buyer Personas by target market
- Prospect ID or other Prospect Qualification Methodology
- Website Video Creation & Client Testimonials
- eBrochures & Client Case Studies
- Newsletter Creation & Distribution
- News Releases
- Insurance Agency Telemarketing & Lead Handling
- Prominent, effective and measured Call To Actions for your website and all marketing materials
There are other marketing initiatives which can be used including snail mail marketing, traditional seminars, sponsorships, traditional advertisements, etc. Most of these leverage the skill sets discussed earlier and all of these can be considered, though a focus on digital and repeatable is usually advisable. Producers, executives and owners all seek to grow their book of business. Marketing is time and budget driven, and if done correctly, should provide an ROI driven formula to cost justify the investment.
