I am sure you have heard the talk about “new media” but do you know how to use it to build awareness for your agency? You have probably tried and are more comfortable with traditional advertising methods, but there is a wave of “new media” outlets your business cannot afford to ignore. Television, radio and print ads can still work to spread your message and reach your audience but if you really want to reach the masses you need to shift your focus to online or “newer” mediums.
There are many different options to consider when using online marketing to raise awareness and grow your business. Here are just a few you may wish to explore:
Search Engine Optimization – SEO as it is more commonly called, involves optimizing your agency’s website for certain keywords and improving your search engine rankings for those keywords. This requires you to conduct keyword research and choose keywords that your customers are searching for. For example, you may choose to optimize your site or one of your pages for “home health care liability insurance” if you provide services to a number of home health care providers.
Social Media Marketing – Web 2.0 sites such as Facebook and Twitter have grown tremendously over the last few years and they hold a lot of potential in regards to branding your agency. The best part is you can create accounts on these sites for free. Once you create your account you just need to remain as social as possible. Posting, sharing, and interacting with fans and followers is a great way to get your agency’s name out there.
Pay per Click Advertising (PPC) – Using the same keywords you completed research on and determined were the best fit for your agency can be used for targeted advertising on Google or other networks. Using niche keywords such as “home health care liability insurance” that are not as heavily competitive as others like “California insurance” but are highly trafficked will keep cost per click down and conversion rates up, allowing you to get more from your campaign budget. There is no need to abandon the tried and true traditional methods all together but to in order to really increase your agencies awareness, you must move towards the newer media outlets. The options for building awareness for your agency online are limitless and constantly advancing.
About the Author: Mike Heffernan is the CEO of Heffernan Insurance Brokers. He has been in the insurance industry for over 30 years and during that time, his goals have been to create an environment where people can be themselves, enjoy coming to work every day and most importantly, create an environment where the employees of Heffernan Group are given the resources and tools to best serve their clients’ needs. Mike was named “Most Admired CEO” by the San Francisco Business Times in 2011.
