Most insurance agents are making one crucial mistake when marketing their business. Are you?
“I help customers like you. I’ve been in business for 20 years. I have the knowledge and experience….”
Sound familiar?
This marketing message can be found on thousands of independent agents’ websites, social media profiles, emails communications, even business cards and print materials.
And it’s a dud.
If you want to truly succeed, you need a new message. A new mantra. Repeat after us:
It’s Not About You
This can be a tough concept for some. It’s your business. You’ve built it from the ground up. You got licensed and put in the work, pounded the pavement, worked the long hours, invested the time, money, and other resources.
When your existing clients refer you, it’s because they’re satisfied with the work that you do, the service you provide, and your expertise and knowledge.
Your business IS all about you. So how come your marketing message can’t be?
It’s All About Your Customers
Imagine you’re sitting down to enjoy your favorite TV show after a long day at work. You turn on the screen and a commercial starts. Someone starts shouting about how great their product is. But that product means nothing to you. It’s not something you need, it’s not something you want, and it won’t solve any of your most pressing problems.
So you change the channel. Or look down at your phone. Or hit fast forward.
But imagine if a commercial began to air that did mean something to you. All of a sudden you see a solution to something that has been causing you to lose sleep at night. You see a promise for relief from worry or pain.
Do you change the channel? Fast forward with your remote to get to your show? Or do you lean in and pay attention?
If you want to catch the attention of prospective clients, you need a clear marketing message that’s focused on them.
What’s Your Message?
When you’re marketing your insurance business, you need a clear message - an elevator pitch that focuses on the following:
- What do you offer?
- Who benefits from your service?
- How do you make their life better?
That’s everything that a potential customer needs to know.
A marketing message is not a resume. Don’t muddy up your message with how many years you’ve been in business or how “exemplary” your customer service is.
The best marketing message is clear, succinct, and focuses on how your service can improve the life of your potential customers.
What does your customer really want?
- Protection for the home they love
- More cash for their business
- More time with their family
- Enough money to pay the bills
- More productivity
Most people are seeking to either survive or thrive in this world.
When they’re in survival mode, they may be trying to conserve financial resources, overcome illness, free up more time, or be connected to a tribe.
In thrive mode, people tend to become focused on gaining status (or the appearance of status), accumulating more resources, or the pursuit of meaning and higher purpose.
Which of those sounds like your customers?
How Can You Help?
The “me-first” marketing message that most insurance agents are relying on has the right intent behind it, but the execution is all wrong.
First, you need to grab prospective clients’ attention with a clear message that’s all about them and their wants or needs.
Then, you can begin to position yourself as the expert to solve it.
This is where you come in.
But First, Trust
People need help but they want it from a trusted source. From an authority who understands what they’re going through. Before a prospective client even begins to consider your qualifications, they’re going to want to trust you.
That’s why referrals are so crucial to insurance agents. You’ve started from the position of trust.
The best way to establish trust is through understanding and empathy. When you empathize with someone about their problem, you build a bond of trust.
- “I understand what it’s like to…”
- “Like you, I’m frustrated by…”
- “I care about your…”
Using empathetic statements in your marketing message can help your potential customers see you as someone they can trust. But to fully earn their trust, you need to back up your empathy with authority.
Now is the time to bring up your experience and expertise. But again, not in the way you might think.
The Power of Testimonials
Testimonials are one of the most powerful tools you have in your marketing toolkit.
According to the website conversion pros at CrazyEgg, the right testimonial can create credibility and gain the trust of a prospect by showing visitors that other people have struggled with a problem and that you’ve helped them overcome it.
Some testimonials are better than others.
The best customer testimonials are specific about:
- The problem they faced
- How you helped them solve it
- What their life looks like now (the benefits)
Sound familiar? In short, look for testimonials that echo and affirm your marketing message!
Showcase three to five testimonials on your website and marketing materials and let your satisfied clients do the “selling” for you.
Testimonials aren’t the only way to showcase your authority on your insurance website and in your marketing materials.
You can also provide statistics, data, and awards that back up your claims of being an authority in your space.
And if you really want to get detailed about your years of experience, then put your “About” page to good use. The rest of your website should be all about your customer.
Redefining Your Insurance Marketing Message
People are bombarded with marketing messages. From emails in their inbox to social media ads in their Facebook feeds to traditional advertising in the form of billboards, magazine, TV, and radio ads, marketing is everywhere.
And most people are getting pretty good at tuning out all of the excess noise.
If you want to cut through the noise, you need a better message.
You need to understand who your customer is, what their biggest pain points are, and how you can provide a solution that will solve their problems.
It’s time to update your message to one that’s:
- Clear
- Concise
- Customer-first
And then you have the chance to stand apart from the competition.