Top insurance agents know that whether last month was your best ever or needs improvement, every day, week and month presents new opportunities to create customer success and scale conversions. In part one of this article series, we identified that there are four key stages of the sales funnel. These four stages are awareness, consideration, purchase and retention. Each of the four stages yields opportunities for insurance agents to experience wins. It all depends on the milestone their client or contact has achieved. In part two of our series, we will highlight the various opportunities insurance agents have to increase conversions during the first two stages of the insurance sales process.
During the awareness stage, insurance agents have one simple goal. Capture the attention of prospective customers and keep them coming back. During the awareness stage, agents must deploy strategies that can attract consumers across a variety of digital and traditional channels. Most consumers start their search for auto insurance online. Because of this trend, it is important that you position information about you, your expertise and your insurance services where consumers are searching for answers.
Consistently blogging or publishing resource articles to your website is a great way to stay relevant. This creates a path that connects consumers and the information they seek back to you. Articles and blogs can be picked up by search engines. If they are picked up, it shows that your content is available where prospects are spending their time. Articles that explain the auto insurance process, help consumers avoid pitfalls, offer useful tips and advice or answer common questions are strong content pieces that address consumer needs. Also, each article or blog is an opportunity for you to add a backlink to your website or relevant landing pages. This can carve a path for your contact to connect with you easily.
In addition to content marketing, your social media presence is also key during the awareness stage. In fact, studies show that a growing number of consumer buying decisions are influenced by social media. More and more people are using social media sites to initiate research on a company or service. Use your social media pages to publish your blogs or articles. Also, highlight your services and promote and offer incentives or other programs your insurance team is providing to customers.
Your social media page is a great way for you to create a narrative around who you are as a person, in addition to a medium for promoting your insurance options and coverage. Consider your social media an extension of your public relations efforts. They can strongly impact how you are perceived by your target audiences. Social media is a cost-effective way to connect your professional brand with other more personalized elements, such as your volunteerism or philanthropic commitments or relationship to the local community and related organizations.
Prospects in the consideration phase are more ready to take action. They are likely to have developed specific questions, preferences and needs that require fulfillment. While the awareness phase is mostly about identification and creating familiarity, the consideration phase is about engaging consumers who are ready to go to the next step before they are contacted by a competitor. During this stage, insurance agents should be focused on capturing a prospect’s contact details such as email address and phone number. At a minimum, by capturing a prospect’s email address you can to add them to your email list and deploy strategic drip campaigns.
Because prospects will likely have more intent at this stage, they will be more open to offering their contact information. To connect with prospects and efficiently capture their relevant details, insurance agents need a series of online forms and landing pages. Landing pages should be created that address a singular consumer program or question. When landing pages are simple and relate back to a specific problem, it is easier for a consumer to know that they are getting closer to an answer. Potential customers should be able to use your online tools to move closer toward their goals, without complications or friction. Calls to action should also be simple and direct and provide answers to the question, “What do I do next?” Calls to actions should be consistent and available in multiple areas of your website and landing pages.
Digital tools are incredibly powerful, but your strategy should also include some traditional outreach. In addition to using online strategies, insurance agents should also align their call and email strategies during the consideration stage. Calls can be a platform to begin warm interactions with prospects, building on and reinforcing messaging included in your emails. When your call and email strategies are carefully integrated, your campaigns designed to provide high-intent consumers with solutions that match their needs will be better set up for success.
Depending on the marketing channel or tactic, some strategies deliver results faster than others. Building awareness is a continuous process, and you will always need to deploy tactics that help you engage interested consumers as they prepare to make a purchase. ZipQuote can help connect you with high-intent leads who are actively searching for insurance. When you partner with ZipQuote, you can expect the assistance of a knowledgeable team of professionals who want to see you succeed. Click here to learn more about how ZipQuote can help you grow your business.