If you’re only buying your insurance sales leads, chances are you’re already frustrated at how inefficient and expensive a strategy that can be.
But before you shell out 15 to 60 bucks a lead, there are a lot of strategic tweaks you can make in your lead generation process that cost much less and get your win rate way, way up.
Work smarter, not harder, with these lead generation methods for insurance sales.
Make Sure You Look Great Online.
If you don’t have a strong online presence, you’re missing out on influencing the vast majority of insurance purchasers that research online as they shop.
Don’t worry — you don’t need to become an in-bound marketing specialist overnight. It’s just about making sure your online presence is optimized and complete.
Take a moment to review what content you have and what you’re making in order to get in front of as many eyes as possible. Here’s a handy checklist:
- Website: It’s not enough just to have one, but to make sure it’s as attractive as possible to your target audience. It should be as easy as a click for them to contact you. Keep in mind that they may be judging the quality of your services by the quality of your website.
- Social media: Be everywhere but especially where your prospective clients are. Don’t underestimate social-adjacent avenues, such as on LinkedIn or Quora. Update your socials consistently, not necessarily frequently, so prospective clients know they will always receive something of substance from your accounts.
- Blog: As you hone your craft, think of ways the things you learn can become blog posts as this will help with the ranking of your website. Think too about guest blog posts you can pitch to online trade magazine websites. Consider where you’re linking your sources as these can also become marketing opportunities (for instance, you can let other outlets know you’ve used them as a source, and they might share your content).
- Video content: Sales is an immensely personal profession, and creating video content that showcases your personality and expertise is a quick way to establish the level of intimacy prospective leads desire. Sending a personalized video to leads with big potential (or catered to specific markets) can communicate your willingness to cater to their needs.
- Email newsletters: There should be an easy way to sign up for newsletters on your site. Make the topics of your newsletter less about hard selling and more about information that your prospective clients crave.
Any of these things can certainly benefit from SEO or retargeting marketing strategies, but remember to not lose that personal touch.
“[B]ased on what I’ve learned 20,000 leads later, don’t build your site for Google or a search engine. Build it for the potential customer who lands there.” — Brad Cummins, founder of Local Life Agents, told Forbes.
Think Globally, Act Locally.
Whatever the type of insurance you’re selling, it’s a global industry. There’s a lot of competition out there, but you have one advantage — no one knows your local market like you do. Leaning in to a local-first mentality can reward you in many ways.
One way to authenticate your position as a local resource as well as collect prospective client information is by throwing an event, like a Q&A session or seminar. This can also happen via FB live if you have an active social media presence.
This local-first perspective can also help you save some money on pay-per-click advertising platforms (like Google Ads or on social media) as more defined keywords can be cheaper than vague, broad terms.
Another way to do this is by staying “on trend” with your pitch. Some call it “newsjacking” but a better way of thinking about it is by using current events to contextualize why prospective leads in your market need your service. By using neighborhood news apps like NextDoor or Citizen, you can learn about what’s worrying your community and think about ways to write content or craft a pitch that inserts your insurance service into the narrative.
Of course, nothing’s more local than good ol’ fashioned door knocking. If you’ve identified an area that’s rich with the kinds of leads for the insurance you sell, it can be just as effective as digital methods. Of course, it’s imperative to select the right CMS for you to track those leads, so prepare wisely before pounding the pavement.
Above all else, remember not to be too promotional when trying to tap into your community. Be authentic, make sure your reputation is pristine, and hold their best interests above the sale.
“Don’t try to sell your product through your advertising, sell yourself as a local, knowledgeable resource people can turn to,” — the Houston Chronicle.
Identify a “Lead Magnet”
A lead magnet is anything that is so irresistible to a prospective client that they’re willing to give up their email address (or other useful contact information) to get it.
The reason why this is so effective for insurance sales is because, to the layman, there’s tons of uncertainty about how insurance works, as well as plenty of adjacent legal or financial issues that can be tough to understand.
That’s where your expertise comes in! If you’ve answered the same question a million times over the course of your sales career, or if you know how to navigate issues in a way your customers have appreciated, chances are that what you know could be turned into a “lead magnet.”
Literally speaking, lead magnets take the form of whitepapers, e-books, templates, calculators, podcasts, or anything else that might make your prospective client’s life easier. Consider offering a variety of “lead magnets” that appeal to different kinds of people — some people like reading copious amounts of text, some people don’t.
If you’re having conversations with prospective customers, you probably have heard various things that customers want. To identify a topic that may be attractive, think about a common problem that your ideal clientele would want the answer to and then create something that answers it — in exchange for the low, low price of their contact information.
A neat aspect of this is that the more niche you get with what kind of market you’re looking for — like personal trainers in Albuquerque who host outdoor fitness events — the less time it could take to make something really effective. Consider how your services could make life easier for that kind of person and what specific questions may attract them individually.
Although you might be tempted to get super persuasive with offering your product or service, consider their needs before your pitch. Collaborate with your content team (or hire content specialists if you don’t have them) so you can craft exciting, shareable, and high-quality stuff that lives up to what they’d actually want to receive.
“Stop talking at your clients, and start having a real dialogue about what actually matters.” — Brian Nate, insurance marketer guru.
Identify Group Opportunities
Two birds, one stone — it’s the ultimate metaphor for efficiency. And thinking about crafting lead generation strategies with this in mind can yield similarly efficient results.
Think about where your kind of insurance would be naturally appealing to people in a group setting. For instance, coordinating with travel agents or agencies that specialize in group trips can give your offers a bigger bang for your investment in cultivating those kinds of relationships.
Or, if you’re in automotive insurance, make it easy for dealers to offer your policy at the point of purchase. It’s legal as long as the dealer isn’t acting as an agent and the insurance agreement is in a separate transaction than the car purchase. Consider how you can provide competitive rates to the kind of car buyers at those dealers — how can you develop a rate that’s attractive to brand-new car owners as well as ones that are looking to switch.
This method of teaming up with a complementary industry is called affinity marketing. It’s powerful because it can open up your service to niche or underserved markets. Your power is in aligning yourself with a brand they already trust, getting your foot in the door without needing to sell your trustworthiness.
When collaborating with other industries, focus on providing content, information, or statistics that are mutually beneficial to both their needs and your own. Pitching how you can provide their clients with a feeling of safety as well as a spirit of comprehensive service — and siting how other similar partnerships have succeeded — can help them see the value of teaming up for bigger success. For instance, suggesting to co-sponsor events or seminars related to the needs of their customer base could really prove your value to them just as much as to both of your bottom lines
Above all else, be sure that whomever you choose to team up with is as reputable, dependable, and fantastic as you are. Although this tactic can achieve big results, there’s a high risk if you’re not careful in selecting the right partnership.
“An affinity partner can bring valuable optional or add-on products or services, but it is critical a partner protect your brand equity, carefully handle your customers’ sensitive data, uphold high marketing ethical standards and offer clear and accurate billing.” — Tisha Hulburd tells Forbes.
Just remember: although the tactics may evolve, the reasons people need insurance will never change.
Whether it be for legal reasons or for the benefit of peace of mind, the market for insurance will always be strong and consistent. By utilizing all the available avenues available to you through digital media and networking, a steady stream of leads can be easy to achieve.
