Targeting new leads for your insurance agency can be challenging. In just one year, marketing tactics have changed and consumer demands are increasingly digital. Your future customers rely more on Google, online reviews, and intelligent recommendations based on browser history to make purchasing decisions than ever before. This is why it’s important to evaluate and update your acquisition strategies for modern insurance customers. Here are 5 tips to help you get started:
1. Update your Google listings.
Google reports that mobile queries containing the phrase “insurance near me” have grown by over 100% since 2017. To rank well in local search results you need to provide as much relevant information on your Google listing as possible. And to increase your star ratings, you need frequent, positive reviews.
To begin, search for your agency (or agents) via Google. If a listing already exists, claim it and update or confirm crucial information such as your phone number, business hours, website, services, pictures, and address. If your listing does not exist, create one through Google My Business. The more information you can provide for your profile, the easier it is for leads to consider you an option in their search for an insurance agent/agency.
Adding click-to-text features through Google Messaging or Apple Business Chat can also quickly turn leads from your listing into clients. You can automate bots to answer FAQs coming in through text or direct these leads to specific services or webpages for more information.
2. Ask for reviews via text.
The best way to boost your ranking is to increase your reviews on Google. You can achieve this by asking your insurance clients via text to write you a review. Texts have a 98% open rate, compared to just 20% of emails and are preferred by customers. While a client is with you on-site or on a phone call, you can inform them how reviews help you and automate the text to be delivered after key interactions.
73% of customers who are invited to write a review go on to do so. Using customers’ preferred channel (texting) increases the convenience of the process and the likelihood of completion. Collecting reviews this way also opens the door for customers to communicate with you via text for other purposes—asking questions, sending feedback, or even to complete mobile payments, if you enable that feature.
The conversation could happen like this:
Insurance agency: Thank you for stopping by for a consultation, today, Karlee. Will you let us know how things went with a quick Google review? Thank you!
(link to Google reviews – let us know how we’re doing!)
Karlee: I chose this insurance company after a really helpful and informative consultation with David. Thanks for saving me some money!
3. Optimize your landing page with Webchat.
By the time customers make it to your website, they are interested in what you have to offer. The best case scenario is to design your website in a way that informs clients and makes it easy to accomplish tasks like understanding specific coverages, filing a claim, contacting an agent, or changing an existing policy.
62% of insurance clients say that speaking with an agent is the most influential factor in their purchasing decision. Although bots cannot replace every interaction, they may be more influential, personal, and helpful than you think. As soon as clients land on your website, web chatbots can act as personal agents, answering questions and providing relevant information when customers are ready, not just when insurance agents are available during business hours. This small adjustment can serve to help customers in the exact moment of consideration.
Podium customers who implement web chat see higher conversion and customer satisfaction rates because of the convenience and personalization of live chat experiences. Learn more about the results and importance of web chat leads here or see it in action on your site for free.
4. Collaborate with the community.
Your current clients are not the only sources you can turn to for referrals. Getting out in the community and collaborating with other local businesses can raise brand awareness and generate more leads for your insurance agency. There are many companies involved with or related to insurance—realtors, mortgage brokers, car dealerships, bankers, and more.
Making the effort to connect with these local business leaders via social media, phone calls, in-person visits, newsletters, and other community events will help you understand your target audience more in depth and create beneficial relationships within the community. You can learn more about other businesses, improve your network, and increase brand recognition by exchanging promotional literature, sponsoring community events, or teaming up with other local businesses for charity fundraisers. These efforts work to improve client trust, receive referrals, and strengthen your community.
5. Nurture leads with custom content.
Another contributing factor to your ranking in local search results is the number of indexed pages on your website. Companies that utilize blogging have an average of 434% more indexed pages and 78% higher rates of customer trust. Blogging can be a good source of content to share on social media and a way to attract client interest with guest writers and collaborations within your industry.
Consider researching local SEO terms that would benefit your insurance business. Create clusters or multiple blogs around a specific topic and you’ll increase your chances of showing up in the first page search results without paying for expensive Google Ad words.
The videos, blog posts, and articles you create should empower customers with information they’re looking for in the search for insurance—industry trends, guides, tips for first-time buyers, etc. This helps customers become more familiar with your brand without the pressure of a sales pitch.
Each of these tips will help you connect with your insurance clients where they are right now. Using the channels and platforms customers are familiar with will help you build relationships that turn into revenue. Download our eBook about Conversational Commerce to learn additional tips to convert leads and drive sales.
