As an insurance agent, you wear a lot of hats. You’re an agent, small business owner, boss and so much more. Oftentimes, insurance agents take on the role of marketer, too.
Thanks to the internet, there is no shortage of ways to learn how to begin marketing your business. However, not all these resources take into account what it takes to market an insurance agency. At Melon Local, we specialize in working exclusively with insurance agents. Our approach is informed by our years of experience and guidance from some of the best agents in the business.
When insurance agents come to us, they often have similar questions on their minds. Take a peek at some of the most frequently asked questions we get about insurance agency marketing.
What’s the best insurance agency marketing strategy?
This is a loaded question. We’re not sure we can pick one singular insurance agency marketing strategy that reigns supreme. An effective marketing strategy is a well-rounded strategy. Meaning, it’s best to approach your marketing with a variety of tactics.
Amongst our favorite are paid advertising, local search optimization and directory listing management.
What exactly is SEO?
You’ve probably heard this term more times than you can count, but what is SEO, anyway? SEO stands for search engine optimization, which describes a multitude of marketing tactics that aim to improve a webpage’s search engine ranking.
A search engine ranking describes where a webpage appears on a SERP, or search engine results page. Every time you enter a search query in the bar at the top of your favorite search engines, results pop up. The pages that appear at the top have achieved a high search engine ranking for that query.
So, why does this matter? A high search engine ranking improves the likelihood that a web user will visit your webpage. People don’t often click past the first page of results, so it’s important to make it to the top!
Okay, what about PPC?
PPC stands for pay-per-click advertising. This type of advertising requires the advertiser (like us) to pay a fee every time a web user clicks on their ad.
Sounds expensive, right? Not necessarily. In PPC, you have complete control over your ad spend. You can set your budget and find keywords to bid on that don’t break the bank. When done correctly, PPC is an excellent way to get your ads in front of potential policyholders just as they’re searching for insurance.
What are keywords and why are they important?
Keywords are phrases that are used to describe the subject of a piece of content. For example, if you looked up a webpage on leash training a puppy, the keyword may simply be “puppy leash training”.
Web users (and potential policyholders) also use keywords to find information on the internet. That’s why it’s important to understand how customers are searching for your business. Are they searching by your carrier or city? Are they searching for specific types of insurance? Thinking like the customer will help you pinpoint applicable keywords for your site.
To learn more about keywords, head here.
Are traditional insurance agency marketing tactics, like mailers, outdated?
Not necessarily. As a small business owner, it’s important to be in touch with your community. Doing so will let you know what kinds of traditional marketing efforts may work best in your region.
It’s true that mailers often get thrown away before they’re opened, but maybe your community responds well to personalized notes or door hangers. A lot of agents see positive results from sponsoring local little league teams or getting involved at their kids’ schools. You know what’s best for your market.
Do I really need to hire an insurance marketing agency?
Again, not necessarily. It’s possible to plan and execute your insurance agency marketing strategies on your own. However, many agents choose to outsource to an insurance marketing agency to defer to our expertise and lighten their load. You have enough hats to wear as it is!
Working with an insurance marketing agency has the potential to dramatically increase the amount and quality of leads you receive at your business. Plus, with this increase in leads, you will need the extra time to close deals!
Get in Touch with Melon Local
Does the thought of marketing your agency have you feeling a little overwhelmed? Get in touch with Melon Local to learn how we can help.