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Traditionally, agencies have relied on referrals as a methodology for growth. With the advent of direct writers spending more than $6 billion dollars in advertising the modern agent needs to identify a strategy that focuses on service to deliver referrals, marketing Generation X & Yers all while focusing on account rounding and growing the current book. Insurance agents can easily rely on renewable income, however those focused on growth need new strategies to accelerate growth.
Agency Performance Partners has created an infographic to help your agency create a marketing road map that focuses on the right areas of growth.
There are three defined phases your agency needs a marketing strategy for:
- Interest Generation
- Sales Process
- Retention
Interest Generation
In order to get your agency to be found and recognized you first need to identify your target market. Who is it that you are 1) trying to reach and 2) who will be in that target market in 5 years. Every agency needs to consider a mix of traditional marketing, website, social media, individual branding and public relations. Creating this strategy takes a combination of marketing research and should be done by a marketing professional. Great interest generation strategies will include defined campaigns that create a clear message that speaks to your target market.
Interest generation should also target a database your agency already has. This includes your lost business and unsold quotes. Many agents forget this important information. Once you have this data there are many ways to automate communication to nurture these opportunities.
Sales Process
Once you have identified someone who you will be quoting you need to keep marketing to them. I know sounds crazy right? However, 72% of people will get up to 3-4 quotes on auto insurance. While the person is shopping you need to show the opportunity exactly why they should buy from you. When someone is shopping your agency needs to understand its a competition, if your agency can perform the best they can win.
Retention
Once you have a new customer don’t stop marketing to them! Remember you need to keep front and center with them. Agency Performance Partners always recommends having a client onboarding strategy that clearly explains to the new client all the products you have as well as features of doing business with you.
Your team needs to be focused on growing the book of business you currently have through account reviews, account rounding and referral efforts. We find that often these areas are under trained and not monitored in agencies, yet they can drive the highest retention rates and revenue points.
You can also see that the same marketing methods designed to build awareness of prospects can be used to build awareness and keep front and center with your clients.
Often times agency owners struggle to find time to create and maintain a marketing strategy. Agenthrive is coming soon! Agenthrive is a marketing and branding company focused exclusively for the insurance space. Stay tuned for details on the launch!
By guest author and good friend Kelly Donahue-Piro
