Insurance agencies have invested in marketing for decades, but in recent years we have seen a pullback in marketing funds. There has been one defined change: marketing is no longer pay to play (i.e. buying yellow page ads). It’s play to get paid. What this means is today’s modern insurance marketeers are getting paid to play on free channels to expand your agency’s brand and message. Sounds like it’s from the future, maybe?
Insurance agents never challenged the idea of spending $10,000 in yellow page ads per quarter, but we challenge the idea of taking that same investment and putting it into channels where we can have a two-way relationship. With a yellow page ad, you hope that your target audience reaches out to you. With a marketing person, you can start the conversation rather than waiting for someone to pick up the phone to get to you.
Here are some shocking statistics we all need to take the time to embrace:
Digital Transformation Statistics
- In 2020, the average person will have more conversations with bots than with their spouse | Gartner
- Over 50% of the world population is under 30 years old | Euromonitor International
- Today’s college students have never licked a postage stamp | The Mindset List
- World populations:
- 1 in 3 people would rather give up sex than their phone | New Theory
- 2 in 3 people get their news from social media | Pew Research
- People will soon trust Amazon.com more than their bank | Forbes
- 93% of buying decisions are influenced by social media | Nielsen
- What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube | Erik Qualman
- 80% of our mobile consumption is video | Cisco
- Shrinking attention spans: Goldfish (8-second), Humans (7-second) | Statistic Brain
- More people own a mobile device than a toothbrush | HubSpot
- 1 in 3 marriages start online and last longer | American Sociological Association
- We don’t have a choice to digitally transform. The choice is how well we do it. | Erik Qualman
- Every second, 2 people join LinkedIn | Omnicore
- LinkedIn now allows teens | LinkedIn
- The #1 used hashtag on Instagram in 2018 was #love | Hubspot
What tends to make us get a little cross-eyed and confused is wondering what a marketing person will do for an insurance agency all day. It’s a little funny — we never asked what a yellow page ad was doing all day, but we will inquire about what a person is up to all day!
It’s a fair question, since many agencies haven’t yet embraced or embarked on tackling many of the statistics above. For us, a marketing person is a key element to set fire to your brand. Here are some routine tasks we empower marketing professionals to take to their agency:
- Unique Content Blogging: This is creating unique content just for your website. It could be on Memorial Day safety tips, Barbara’s birthday or a profile on a local business owner.
- Visually Appealing Social Media Posts (that are in-brand): Social media is as much about getting news as it is about cracking a smile. Your social media posts should be unique and in-brand for you.
- Photos and Videos: Statistics don’t lie. Videos and images dominate attention online. Your marketer can be your own private paparazzi.
- Email Signatures: What a great way to get out your brand! Routinely make sure they are up-to-date.
- Flyers and Swag: If you need help getting the word out, your marketing person can be all over it.
- Website Maintenance: Everything in your marketing should point to your website. This means you need to make sure your website is up and running and ready to go.
A marketing person is the gatekeeper to new opportunity!
Kelly Donahue-Piro is the Co-Founder of Agency Appeal and President of Agency Performance Partners.