Lead generation is tricky in any industry, but it’s especially tough in insurance. You and your competitors sell a nearly identical set of policies from the same well-known carriers, and your main differentiator is customer service—something you can’t demonstrate until a lead becomes a client. Plus, few businesses want to go through the hassle of switching agents, especially if they’re happy enough with the coverages and service they’re getting.
When you can’t use affordability, unique products, or urgency to find your next big client, it may seem futile to even bother with lead generation. However, with a bit of effort and the right strategy, you can start finding new clients in no time. Here are a few foolproof ways to get leads for your insurance business.
Why Is It Important To Get Business Insurance Leads?
Whether your commercial insurance agency is just starting out or struggling to gain market share, it’s not hard to see why getting leads for your insurance business is important. But if your book of business is bigger than ever, you might be wondering if it’s worth your time to keep chasing leads. The short answer is: You should never stop trying to build your client list.
Why is it so important to get business insurance leads? No matter how great your client relationships are, you never know when your biggest client will submit a new broker of record letter and leave you without thousands of dollars in commission. Finding new insurance leads is like an insurance policy for your business; it allows you to build your client base back up when something unexpected happens.
Any insurance business that wants to grow needs leads—it’s that simple. New clients translate to more revenue, and more revenue means growth.
The Best Ways To Get Insurance Leads
Insurance isn’t a fun product. It forces business owners to think about what may go wrong, and it requires an upfront investment with no guarantee of a return. Because they can’t use the sales tactics used in other industries, insurance business owners need to get creative with their lead generation strategy.
Here are a few of the best ways to get leads for insurance businesses.
Ask Your Clients To Spread the Word
Referrals may seem like an outdated way to get leads for your insurance business, but you shouldn’t underestimate their power. In a service-based industry like insurance, getting one of your clients to vouch for your expertise and attentiveness can go a long way. Think about it this way: When every insurance agency claims to provide “exceptional service,” that claim means very little without any proof. A happy client that raves about your service is the proof you need.
Referrals should come naturally if you really blow clients away with your service, but it doesn’t hurt to ask for a good word. You can also start a referral program for existing clients and offer gift cards or discounts when a referral becomes a new client.
Joining a networking group is also a great way to get referrals. The more connections you have in your community, the easier it is to generate interest in your business. Whether you join the board of a charity or an alumni group in your town, you can get leads for your insurance business that eventually become clients.
Share Valuable Content
Insurance is complicated, and it’s easy for business owners to get overwhelmed when sifting through content-heavy articles filled with industry jargon. If you want to build trust with current clients and get leads for your insurance business, you should share content that’s helpful and easy for the average professional to understand.
There are several routes you can take to share your content. You can share your expertise by writing a guest article for a reputable website. Additionally, you can post blog content on your company website or share it on social media to get leads for your insurance business.
Another way that your insurance company can share valuable content is with marketing collateral assets. With sales enablement materials such as brochures, infographics, sell sheets, and promotional videos, you can embed these materials into your website, attach them to emails, or post on your social media profiles. These assets are beneficial because they can explain complex processes in a visually appealing way.
Regardless of how you choose to spread your knowledge, doing so is an excellent way to position your company as a thought leader. Even if your piece doesn’t have an immediate impact, a reader might remember your company’s name and reach out when they need a new agency in the future.
Be Strategic About Cold Calling
The term “cold calling” has wildly different connotations depending on who you ask. Some insurance producers use this method exclusively to get leads for their insurance business. Others view it as an outdated sales tactic that only works if you get lucky. The truth is: Cold calling can (and does) work, but you have to be strategic about your method.
First, you need to identify your target audience and compile a list of leads that fit your criteria. From there, it’s crucial to verify your information before you start attempting to sell. One mistake, such as calling a contact by the wrong name or using outdated information about their business, could ruin your potential relationship with a lead.
Once you verify a lead’s information, you can start calling and nurturing a relationship with the companies on your list. If one expresses interest, stay in touch until they’re ready to switch insurance agents. It might take months—even years—for a lead to entertain a switch, but if you’re the top on their list, it won’t take much to win their business.
Build a Website With Search Engine Optimization
Back in the day, word of mouth and cold calling were some of the only ways to get business insurance leads. Now, when a business owner needs a new policy, they don’t wait for your producer to call—they turn to the internet.
If you want to use the internet to get leads for your insurance business, your website needs to appear on the first page of potential clients’ search results. Getting on the first page of Google requires search engine optimization (SEO), or the process of using strategic phrases, words, links, layout, and other elements to increase your website’s visibility.
Creating an optimized website that gets leads for your insurance business isn’t easy; you need a deep understanding of your target audience and the terms they use to search for your services. Additionally, you need a user-friendly layout that guides users through your content. Luckily, there are online services you can use to do keyword research and assess the value of your site if you’re not an SEO expert.
Ultimately, after users find your company through a search engine and start exploring your content, your site should prompt them to share their information via a submission form. From there, you can use the contact information they share, whether that’s a phone number or email address, to get in touch and start the sales process.
Use Social Media to Your Advantage
It might be hard to imagine your target clientele using social media to search for a new agency, but there are plenty of quality leads lurking on your favorite platforms. By creating professional profiles and connecting with these leads, you can increase awareness of your company and potentially turn those connections into long-term clients.
The key to effective social media marketing is consistency. You need to post content regularly, continuously build your network, and communicate with your connections to get leads for your insurance business.
Partner With an Outsourced Provider To Get Commercial Insurance Leads
Your primary job as an insurance company owner is to keep your existing policyholders happy. Between your day-to-day carrier calls, renewal meetings, proposal brainstorm sessions, phone calls with clients, and rapid-fire emails, you probably have very little time to focus on lead generation. And even if you have the best producers in the industry, they also have limited time to get leads for your insurance business. However, without lead generation, you can’t grow your business.
If lead generation is at the bottom of your to-do list, it may be time to entrust an outsourced provider to get leads for your insurance business. These B2B appointment setting companies attract potential customers using outbound sales and inbound digital marketing lead generation methods. The best part is: You don’t have to do anything until your leads are ready to buy. Once your provider identifies, nurtures, and sets appointments with your leads, you step in to pitch insurance products.
Key Takeaways
It’s an understatement to say that getting leads for your insurance business is no easy task. Once business owners find an agency, it can take years to convince them to consider a switch. However, with a few strategic lead generation methods and a lot of patience, you can identify your ideal buyers and add them to your book of business.
Outsourcing is an excellent alternative to in-house sales efforts if you don’t have the lead generation expertise or free time to build your client base. At Abstrakt Marketing group, we have years of experience getting leads for insurance businesses across the country, and our team offers a full range of B2B lead generation services. Whether you need a website overhaul or all-inclusive lead generation services, Abstrakt can help.
Are you ready to get leads for your insurance business? Contact us today to start growing your agency.
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