Amidst following up on leads, generating new business, and meeting with clients, insurance producers shouldn’t be ignoring the power of the web.
A lacklustre or non-existent online presence can cut agents and brokers off from a wide swathe of potential customers. And even if they recognize the importance of using social media or sending out press releases, many producers simply don’t know how to get started.
“These are people that have lots of experience and knowledge to share, and they don’t do a very good job of getting that out into the world for others to see,” said David Estrada, industry veteran and Rainmaker Advisory founder who will be divulging the other nine mistakes producers made last year in an exclusive Insurance Business webinar on April 05.
Consumer mindsets have shifted. Just like many people scour the web for the best places for ramen, tacos or steak before settling on where they’re eating dinner, potential clients are doing their own online research. Simply put, word of mouth isn’t enough anymore.
“You can be known by word of mouth on the block that you live in and that’s great, but you’re doing really great work – how is everyone else in the city going to get to know you?” said Estrada. “With social media, with the ability to do research on the internet, there is certainly more exploration the buyers will conduct on their own.”
That doesn’t mean producers should sign up for every available platform. Estrada recommends picking one that’s going to get the job done, and becoming a master at using the channel to reach more people. If a producer is sending tweets, posting to Instagram, and trying to draw in Facebook users through targeted ads, they might be spending less time on managing their book of business.
“What any professional in my opinion has to be conscious of is, am I now getting a mile wide and an inch deep here, and then not spending so much time learning all of these different platforms and how to distribute content through them,” said Estrada.
Press releases offer another route for producers looking to promote their work. Freelancers-for-hire on sites like UpWork can write up a press release at a low cost that a producer can then link to when emailing clients.
“That’s something that can differentiate a producer in the field who is trying to connect with a client, gain an appointment and differentiate themselves from others who are trying to do the same thing,’ said Estrada. “It seems to be a pretty big ‘wow’ factor and a credibility factor for a lot of these guys.”
David Estrada will be sharing his insights on the top producer mistakes to avoid in 2018 during an Insurance Business webinar on April 05, 2018. Click here for more details and to register.
