As the new year rolls in, both individuals and businesses start setting goals for themselves for the new year. Insurance marketing is changing, so agencies need to change with it. In this article, we will discuss the importance of speedy communication with clients and the need to reach out to all potential client types.
Pay Attention to Your Online Reviews
This year, make a resolution to keep your eyes on the review sites that you’re mentioned on.
Businesses, including insurance agencies, have always relied at least partially on word of mouth in order to build their businesses. But what some agents still haven’t realized is that a customer today has many more options than customers in the past, and their voices can be heard louder than ever.
Online review sites like Yelp and social media sites like Facebook allow people to say whatever they want to a potential audience of millions. It’s always a mistake to ignore these outlets because you never know what review will catch the eye and be shared with many others.
There’s no doubt that reviews can influence purchasing decisions. Many buyers will pay more or wait longer to make a purchase from a company that has reviews.
Negative online reviews can be particularly damaging. You often can’t take them down or hide them, and even if you could, potential clients might think you were hiding something if they suddenly disappeared. Your best bet is to respond to these reviews. Be calm and patient when you do. Acknowledge the mistake if you know you made one, or at least acknowledge the client’s concern. Spell out what you’ll do to make it right for them. Even if the client isn’t interested in making it right, individuals who see the reviews will note that you took responsibility, stayed calm, and were interested in making an actual fix.
Don’t Cut Out Potential Clients
All kinds of customers need what you offer, so make yourselves available to them.
People from all walks of life need insurance for a variety of reasons. And you want the people who need the services you’re offering to come to you with those needs. Make sure you’re reaching out to them.
You can do this by making diverse hires and listening to their feedback as well as the feedback of clients from all demographics. If you realize that something you’re doing is appealing to only one type of customer, you may need to make adjustments. As an example, think of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). A 2019 study showed that over 98% of homepages had some type of detectable failure that compromised access. Failing to comply with the ADA could potentially get your agency sued, but even if a lawsuit never materializes, people who need the accessibility you failed to provide will skip over your site in favor of a more compliant site. That means you lose business that you could have had.
Is your website ADA-compliant? How about the promotional material that you’re offering? If it isn’t, this is a simple fix you can make to bring in clients who may be feeling ignored by a lot of other agencies. Why not go for it?
The new year, perhaps more than any in recent memory, is likely to bring changes in the way consumers make important purchasing decisions. To find out more about the insurance marketing strategies you should adopt in 2021, contact us.
