Is that the question you’re asking yourself? If you haven’t started to think about your insurance marketing plan just yet, you might want to soon as fall has arrived and 2013 will be coming to an end before you know it.
You’re probably thinking that your plan might include a new Website, a Blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, SEO, SEM, Mobile, or Email; the list goes on and it can become intimidating. So where do you start? Take your pick. While all of them have their strong points and drawbacks, the important thing is that you take that first step and get started.
The Competition
A great place to start is to step back and take an objective look at what your target market finds when they go online and look for the products and services you provide. Go to your favorite search engine and type in “car insurance”, “business insurance”, or whatever it is that you think a consumer (hint: no industry jargon) would use to search for products or services. Assuming that you’re not showing up #1 in a particular search, who does? Do you find competing agents from across town, or maybe national carriers? Click on a few of the links and take a look at what’s out there. Are the sites you’re finding rich in content, do they look professional and provide convenient methods of contact? This might just be the wake-up call you needed. This is what you’re prospects have to pass up in order to continue their search to find your agency.
Your Agency’s Online Presence
Next, go ahead and try to find your agency with your favorite search engine. The easiest way to do this might be to just search on your agency name. Once you’ve found something (your website, Facebook page, or whatever), what do you think a prospect’s first impression is of your agency? Do they find a professional image of your agency with fresh content that answers their questions? Does it give them the confidence to pick up the phone and call? Can they find your hours of operation, location, or a phone number? More than ever before, this is the first impression most of your prospects will have of your agency. I know that it’s hard to be critical of yourself, but do your best to be objective and ask yourself the question: “Would I call this agency?”
Creating your Insurance Marketing Plan
Hopefully this gives you an idea of where your agency sits today and what you’re up against in the online world of insurance marketing. But don’t despair, recognizing where you are and where you want to be is a great first step. Additionally, the fact that you’ve read this far shows that you have an interest, and you know that it is important to your agency’s future. Now don’t wait until Monday, or the beginning of the next month, block out some time and get started on your agency’s digital marketing plan today – your insurance marketing success in 2014 depends on it.
