Building Brand Awareness as an Independent Agent
In today’s digital age it’s more important than ever to be visible and engaged online. Think about your own behavior and decisions when it comes to seeking local services. Do you pick up the phone book? Keep an eye out for billboards? Remember a TV commercial? It’s more likely that you Googled it, posted in a local Facebook group, or saw an ad online. Traditional marketing is still around, but with significant digital opportunity, your time and money is best invested where your customers are.
Website
If you don’t already have one, a website is key to legitimizing your business online. It’s the first step to establishing your brand as an authoritative, professional entity. You’ll want to describe your services in detail, include relevant pictures of your team or appropriate stock photos, and give your clients an easy way to contact you.
To make sure your website is optimized for search engines (SEO) you’ll want to consider the following:
- Purchase your domain name
- Having your own domain name carries more weight than free subdomains that are common with free websites. It’s better to have “youragencyname.com” than something like “youragencyname.wordpress.com” or the like.
- Have an SSL certificate
- If you host your website through a paid platform like Squarespace, Wordpress, or through a web developer, this is likely already included. You know you have an SSL certificate if your website is https:// rather than just http:// - the “s” sets it apart. If you don’t have the “s” you can look into your hosting platform’s help center to enable the certificate.
- Look into keywords
- Keywords are well known as the cornerstone of SEO, but use them wisely. Rather than stuffing your website with nonsense keyword sentences like “The only independent insurance agency in City/State serving people buying commercial and personal insurance in City/State” keep the focus on answering questions prospective clients need answers to. Seek to organically answer those questions in a way that’s understandable and useful to your client. Also, avoid mistakes like adding “near me” in your website. “agents near me” will be based on the searcher’s location. Instead, add your address on a few different pages in a way that’s natural. You’ll be more likely to show up for the right people.
- Create relevant content
- As mentioned before, answer question’s your customers would be asking. You can find this by generating a report like answerthepublic.com or the “related searches” feature on Google. Type in a general question you’d ask in your industry, scroll down to “related searches” and work to create blog posts addressing and answering those questions. The more people read your valuable content, the higher Google and other search engines will see you as a credible source and bump you up in the rankings.
- Setup Google Analytics
- To track how your website is performing, setup Google Analytics. This will allow you to track how many users are coming to your website, and note if there are certain pages they visit more than others. You’ll learn what parts of your website to improve, enhance, or get rid of from these numbers.
These are some of the basics of SEO to get you started. For further resources and tracking, look into platforms like SEMrush, Moz, or Ahrefs.
Social Media
When building brand awareness on social media, it’s overwhelming to conquer every platform at once. Instead of thinking “how much do I post, what hashtags should I use?” take a step back and think about your brand. There are plenty of marketing tactics to implement, but without a strong brand presence you’ll be thrashing in water instead of purposefully steering your strategic marketing boat.
- Start small and focus on one platform.
- You can use Canva to create graphics with your brand colors, and a scheduling tool like Buffer or Hootsuite if you want to plan your posts in advance. While these tools will let you post to multiple platforms at once, don’t get overwhelmed keeping up with each one when it comes to engagement.
- Find out where your ideal customers are.
- Whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter, identify and spend time engaging with them on a weekly basis. When you like their content and comments showing interest, they’ll keep you top of mind when looking for an insurance agent instead of going to Google.
- Use a healthy mix of personal and professional content.
- Of course, you’ll want to share some insurance tips and services you offer, but it’s also okay to celebrate staff birthdays and anniversaries or take note of an extra sunny day outside. You can even share your personal weekend plans like cheering on your favorite sports team and encourage your followers to share their plans, too. This creates a feeling of similar interests and community, reinforcing that they want to work with someone they know, like, and trust.
Newsletter
Newsletters build on the foundation that you’re approachable, understanding, and an expert in the industry. The most common mistake in approaching newsletters is the misconception you have to write a long, informative statement and describe everything you offer. That’s what your website is for.
- Think of your newsletter as a monthly reminder to your clients that you’re there for them, or keep you top of mind to prospects.
- Split it up into a few different sections like upcoming events, your latest blog post, a spotlight in your community, or insurance trends and changes they should know.
- Most importantly, make sure to include call to actions in your newsletter like “learn more” or “read more” buttons to encourage them to spend more time on your website reading a blog post or registering for an event.
With these tools and strategies, you’ll establish an online presence for your brand and be approachable as an independent insurance agent. Remember, your brand is about connecting with your user and helping them rather than boasting your greatness over and over. If you keep the customer first in your messaging, they’ll feel understood and comfortable coming to you for advice and help.