Leverage Marketing Automation Technology

BY MICHELLE LONGO, AGENCY REVOLUTION

There’s no getting around it: In today’s world, your insurance agency must use technology as part of its marketing strategy. Of course, things were headed in that direction, but the rise of the pandemic solidified this necessity, decidedly pushing independent agencies to embrace tech whether they planned to or not.

Additionally, the generational makeup of the United States is changing, as the oldest members of Generation Z are now in their mid-twenties, and Millennials, the largest cohort, are entering their forties. Simply put, younger consumers comprise a significant portion of the insurance-buying market, and adapting marketing strategies to reach them is essential.

You likely know that your website is the first step in modern marketing. Nearly three-quarters of insurance shoppers start their research online, so your agency requires an online presence.

Studies show that your site has less than one second to grab a visitor’s attention, so impressive design is vital. You also need interactive features, quality content, and clear calls to action to hold that attention, provide value to the consumer, and direct them on what to do next. Simply put, a basic website is table stakes, and a robust one can drive your agency to the next level.

But you can’t stop there. Implementing an email strategy cannot be overlooked, as it’s one of the most effective methods of communication for agencies. More than two-thirds of emails are viewed on mobile, so your emails must display well and be easy to read on any device. Plus, there is the importance of adopting digital marketing automation strategies, leveraging data from your management system, and more. Keeping up with a changing buyer audience can be a full-time job.

ENGAGE MEANINGFULLY WITH CLIENTS AND PROSPECTS

Your customers and prospects share their contact information with you for one reason – to receive meaningful content. Your marketing must include regular communication with both policyholders and prospective clients, but you must be strategic. If you email too frequently or send unnecessary content, there’s a good chance recipients will unsubscribe or simply stop opening your emails. Email too little, and you risk people forgetting about you. So how do you stay top of mind for your audience without driving them away?

The key is ensuring your communications are relevant, timely, personalized, and maintainable for you. Serve up information at the right time, tailored to what your audience wants to see. Of course, doing this on an individual basis is time-consuming and untenable. This is where systems and automation come in. Utilizing technology to add efficiency to your marketing communications is the key to making what was once a manual process become sustainable.

If you’re ready to connect with clients and prospects in a more purposeful way, keep reading!

UNDERSTAND MARKETING AUTOMATION BASICS

There are plenty of marketing automation tools available today, but selecting the right platform can make a world of difference in your success. First, look for something that is developed explicitly for independent insurance agencies. While a more generic option may work well enough, something developed by and for industry insiders will give you a leg up from the start.

An insurance marketing automation platform should connect with your agency management system to find policy data and offer products and services that clients want to know about. It should include access to relevant content and pre-built campaigns, as well as give you the tools you need to build sequences from the ground up. Using triggers such as renewal dates, you can effortlessly customize and automate messages while you focus your energy where it matters, on your business!

A note of caution: Automation is a terrific way to streamline processes. No matter how reliant our industry and society become on technology, there will never be a substitute for the ever-significant human touch. Not everything can be set-it-and-forget-it, lest your organization be perceived as robotic. That’s why a top-tier marketing automation platform will afford you the flexibility to also send partially automated or manual emails as well.

INCORPORATE BUSINESS TEXTING INTO YOUR COMMUNICATION PLAN

Texting is increasingly becoming a critical tool for businesses to reach consumers. Texts have an extremely high open rate, and Millennials have repeatedly said they prefer texting over email and phone communications. Nearly all people in this age group have a smartphone, and they use it as their primary source of information. The majority of Millennials feel that phone calls are too timeconsuming, and many experience apprehension or anxiety over the idea of making and receiving calls. Regardless of how other generations feel about this avoidance of spoken communication, the fact remains that if you want to reach this powerful generation, texting is where it’s at.

Incorporating texting into your communication plan, both as an outbound messaging tool and as a way for folks to get quick solutions, increases convenience for your clients and prospects. More folks will choose your agency when communicating is easy and consumers can do it on their terms.

The great news for agencies is that text automation is available, much in the same way email automation is. While there are some nuances that separate email from text, many of the principles are the same. You’ll still want to get permission from clients and prospects to send texts, keep your messaging clever and concise, and offer value in every message. By selecting a marketing platform that offers both email and text automation, you can get even more value from one application.

PRIORITIZE AND AUTOMATE CUSTOMER RETENTION

The average cost to acquire a new insurance client is seven to nine times higher than it is to retain an existing one. Many agencies fail to recognize this, focusing much of their marketing efforts on gaining new clients. So if you’re not talking to your current clients, you can bet your bottom dollar that someone else is.

As a result, avoiding client churn should be a key priority for any agency. Communication is an effective way to increase retention, leverage cross-selling opportunities, and gain referrals. For example, setting up email or text campaigns to trigger at renewal affords an excellent opportunity to initiate a policy review that can uncover exposed risks. Sending messages to wish a client a happy birthday or holiday shows you care about them as a person and not just a client. Implementing a Net Promoter Score, or NPS, campaign can help an agency understand customer satisfaction through survey feedback. Any of these strategies and many others are available through marketing automation platforms and can be set to run automatically to reduce employee strain.

THE FUTURE IS NOW

The world around us continues to change rapidly. Just like in any other industry, insurance agency leaders have a mandate to innovate or get left behind. Young insurance consumers are telling us what they need, so agencies must respond by implementing the tools and strategies that can most effectively get the job done. Deciding to automate marketing efforts might be an easy decision, but selecting the right platform might not seem so.

Agency Revolution, the leader in insurance website solutions and marketing automation, has the website and marketing automation platforms independent insurance agencies need to be successful. The full suite of sales and client service tools on the Forge website platform can help you look amazing, get found, sell more, and service better. It’s loaded with features, and the impressive design is sure to grab and hold visitors’ attention for a modern website experience.

Fuse allows agencies to use the data in their management system to deliver personalized, omnichannel communications for all stages of the customer journey. Through email marketing and business texting, agencies can streamline operations while increasing client and prospect engagement. It’s full of pre-built content and campaigns that make it easy to stay in front of clients with the relevant content they crave.

Forge and Fuse can also work together to bring even more value. Through the use of dynamic landing pages and forms, you can direct consumers where you want them to go and collect the information you need. The landing pages are easily shareable, and the simple forms are designed to convert. It’s easier than ever to put these tools to work for your team. And both platforms provide access to metrics and statistics you care about, so tracking performance is easy.

Michelle Longo is marketing manager for Agency Revolution. To learn more about Agency Revolution, Forge, or Fuse, book a consultation today: agencyrevolution.com/get-a-demo/

TEXT MESSAGE MARKETING

Learn more from Agency Revolution, the IA&B vetted vendor that brought you this article. Next month, Agency Revolution will host an exclusive, complimentary webinar for IA&B members on texting.

Best Practices for Text Message Marketing

May 11 | 2-2:45 PM

Register today: https://learn.agencyrevolution.com/iab-230511