Customers go through a journey of sorts when they interact with a business, whether they’re aware of it or not, and insurance customers are no different. To stand out from the competition, agencies must reach out to customers at each stage of their buying journey and provide potential customers with relevant information that guides them from one stage to the next.
Stage #1: Awareness
Before they can buy from you, customers need to know you exist. In the old days that meant an ad in the phone book and a sign above the door. Now it means having an online presence. Make sure you have the following top of mind:
- Website. Put your best foot forward; make sure your website looks professional and is free of errors.
- Facebook. Update your Facebook page at least once each week with relevant content.
- Other social media. Consider options like Twitter and LinkedIn, but don’t take on more than you can regularly update. Remember that quality is more important than quantity.
Stage #2: Research
When the customer moves to the research stage, they gather information from a variety of sources. Today’s customers have access to more information than ever. Help guide potential customers to your agency by providing information when they need it, where they need it. Here are some tips:
- Content marketing. Become a trusted expert by creating informative blog posts, videos, or newsletters.
- Comparative rater. Provide a self-service price comparison tool on your website.
- Mailing list. Offer an email subscription link on your website so you can capture and convert new leads.
Stage #3: Consideration
Finally, the customer enters the consideration stage. To close the deal, you need to remove the barriers between your agency and the customer. That means using a mix of technology and personal service to help your customers complete their journey.
- Personal contact. Most customers still like to purchase insurance from a human being, either in person or on the phone.
- Self-service. Meet today’s high customer expectations by offering round-the clock web self-service.
- Email marketing. Upsell and cross-sell to your existing customers with targeted emails.
To Learn More
Interested in hearing more tips to help your agency adapt to the times? Register for the free Exceeding Customer Expectations Webcast to learn more about creating a digital customer experience.
(image credit: Farruh Tillaev)
