Let’s face it, if you own an insurance agency, you wear a lot of hats. Managing a team, building and maintaining relationships with carriers, and driving sales already take up most of your day. So when someone like me says, “You need to master digital marketing,” it can feel like just one more thing on your overflowing to-do list.
I get it, I’ve been there.
But, there is some good news here, digital marketing isn’t always about doing more, it’s about the efficiency of what you’re doing.
The goal is to position your agency as the trusted resource for your local community while generating leads and increasing retention and agency revenue. And, you don’t need a Fortune 500 budget to make it happen.
I’ll break this down into into strategies you can implement to take control and give your digital presence a face lift.
Start with Your Foundation
Your website and Google Business Profile are the cornerstones of your digital marketing strategy, especially your local digital strategy. They’re likely the first impression prospective clients get of your agency. Think about that and read it again. 🙂
- Your Website: This is your 24/7 sales rep. It needs to be simple, fast, and designed to guide visitors to take actions like requesting a quote or scheduling a consultation. Don’t overcomplicate it, a clean design, clear navigation, and strong calls-to-action (like “Contact Us Today”) will do the job. Sometimes you can add a second, identical call to action on various pages and get a meaningful boost in conversion.
- Google Business Profile: If you haven’t already, claim and verify your Google Business Profile. This is key for local search rankings. Keep it updated with your office hours, contact information, and client reviews. And, mix in some monthly updates with links to your website.
- Local SEO: Use keywords specific to your location—like “Medicare agent in [City]” or “health insurance in [Neighborhood].” The more local you make it, the better you’ll rank in local searches and build brand familiarity in your community.
Why? Most people start their insurance search online. If they can’t find you, or if they do and your site stinks, you’re losing business before the conversation even starts.
Leverage Video Marketing to Educate and Engage
This shouldn’t sound new to you, video is where everything has been going the last 10 years and it’s not just for big brands. As an agency owner, you can use video to connect with clients and explain complicated topics in a way that builds trust. Here are some tips.
- Educational Videos: Create short videos that answer common questions like “What’s the difference between Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplements?” or “How do I enroll in Medicare?” or “what do I do when I turn 65 and I’m still working?”. Make these short videos, post them on your website and share them on social media. Very simple and you don’t need fancy equipment.
- Client Testimonials: Ask happy clients to share their experiences on camera. Nothing builds trust like real people talking about how you helped them. You’ll be surprised how many are willing to do this for you!
- Live Q&A Sessions: Host live sessions on Facebook or YouTube to answer client questions. It’s a great way to show your expertise and engage directly with your audience. The key is being consistent. Pick one day of the week at the same time and start with 30 minutes and let it evolve from there.
Why? Well besides from the stats that indicate it, video content grabs attention and builds credibility faster than any other medium. Plus, it helps your clients see you as more than just an agent and further strengthens your position as their trusted advisor.
Make Social Media Work for You
Social media can feel like a time drain, but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to focus on platforms that matter to your audience and keep it simple.
- Choose the Right Platforms, NOT ALL: For most insurance agencies, Facebook and Instagram are sweet spots as the both help you connect with local clients. LinkedIn can be another one for building professional relationships.
- Post Consistently: Consistency creates familiarity and familiarity builds trust. Use scheduling tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to plan posts ahead of time. I personally use SEMRush, but that is probably more than you actually need. Aim for a mix of educational content, client success stories, and community involvement as core categories of your content.
- Engage with Your Audience: Social media is about having conversations. Respond to comments, answer questions, and join local groups to position yourself as the go-to resource in your community. Also, make sure you aren’t getting stuck in a rabbit hole just to make yourself feel like you’re checking the box of participation. Clearly identify your areas of expertise and stay focused.
Social media helps you stay top-of-mind with prospects and clients, making it easier to plant seeds for building long-term relationships.
Automate
Please do this and do it immediately! 🙂
You don’t need to do everything manually and automation isn’t that difficult. Automation tools can easily handle repetitive tasks so you can focus on running your agency and generating revenue.
- Email Automation: Set up drip campaigns to nurture leads, remind clients about renewals, and cross-sell additional products like hospital indemnity. CRMs will do this, external programs like Active Campaign are great, there are many solutions.
- CRM Integration: Use a CRM to keep track of client interactions, send follow-ups, and personalize communication. If you are using a CRM already, then call them and schedule a demo to learn about what you’re not currently leveraging. Automation is right under your nose!
- Social Media Scheduling: Plan and schedule your social media posts in advance to maintain a consistent presence without the daily hassle. Spend the time ahead creating the content and then bulk upload it and worry about it again this time next year.
Automation helps you stay organized and consistent, freeing up time to focus on growing your agency. In fact, I did a full write up on this that you can check out here.
Tap Into Community Engagement
As an agency owner, you know your community better than anyone and you need to use that to your advantage.
- Host Local Events: Medicare 101 workshops or open houses are great ways to meet potential clients and build trust. If you’re going to do Medicare 101 workshops, just stay consistent with it and keep them visible on your social channels.
- Partner with Local Businesses: Collaborate with doctors’ offices, pharmacies, or senior centers to co-host events or share marketing efforts. This is a fundamental for insurance agencies wanting to leverage community marketing as a strategy to control acquisition costs.
- Showcase Community Involvement: Share it for the world to see! Put your photos and stories from your community events on social media and your website!
People want to work with businesses they trust, so make yourself visible and build trust and revenue at the same time.
Track and Adjust
One of the biggest mistakes agency owners make is setting up digital marketing campaigns and forgetting about them. To get the most out of your efforts, you need to track performance and make adjustments in real time.
- Monitor Key Metrics: Use tools like Google Analytics to track website traffic, conversions, and bounce rates.
- Test and Learn: Experiment with different types of content, CTAs, or ad campaigns to see what resonates most with your audience. Just make sure you are committing to your campaigns long enough to make A/B testing worth it.
- Ask for Feedback: Your clients are your best resource. Ask them how they found you and what they’d like to see from your agency online. This is stupid simple!
Data-driven decisions ensure you’re investing in what works and not wasting time or money on ineffective strategies. If the data tells the story and your instinct is telling you the same, run with it!
Conclusion
By focusing on the basics, like a strong online presence, video content, community marketing, and leveraging automation to streamline your efforts, you can position your agency as the go-to resource in your local markets.
Remember, you don’t have to do all of this at once.
Start small, track your results, and build on your successes. With the right strategy, digital marketing can become one of the most powerful tools in your agency’s growth toolkit.
