Marketing Ideas to Boost Your Brand and Your Book

Quick Look: Brokers are facing more competition than ever before, and it’s getting harder to stand out in a crowded marketplace. The benefits of a solid marketing strategy have been well documented, but how and where to get started can be a challenge. Using the right mix of evergreen and popular marketing trends can present significant opportunities for brokers, put them ahead of the competition, and attract new clients.

The digital revolution has forever changed the way brokers and business owners approach marketing. Tactics that once worked (cold calling for example) are being met with less success, so brokers need to adapt and adopt new marketing strategies to connect with clients and prospects. In this article, we’ll explore marketing ideas that brokers can use to help boost their book of business and their brand.

Embrace social selling: What to post, when to post, and how to post it can seem daunting, especially for busy brokers who would rather focus on revenue generation and growing their book. Social media presents agencies of all sizes with a way to directly engage and interact with their audience. It also serves as the online voice of your company and aids in building a brand. When used in conjunction with original content, social media can be a powerful tool in your selling arsenal.

Harness the power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Audit and optimize your agency’s website to ensure it’s fast and responsive. A fully optimized website means search engines are better able to understand it, making it easier to crawl and index. This will give you a clear path to improve your search engine standings by identifying any barriers your site may have and pointing out opportunities for improvement. Also, don’t forget about local SEO! Since many SMBs are focused in one or a few areas, making sure you show up in internet searches in these geographic areas is key.

Tip >> Claim a Google My Business profile for instant visibility, build quality links and citations, and make it easy for customers to submit reviews.

Think mobile first: With mobile devices playing such a vital role in our daily lives, it makes sense to build and optimize your website and content for a mobile experience. Small businesses, like larger organizations have already done, must update their resources to meet the expectations of their audience. It is crucial to ensure your website is mobile optimized and fully functional on phones and tablets.

Monitor trends in HR, employee benefits, and insurance to stay up-to-date on the latest news: Use a news aggregator app or an RSS news reader to subscribe to syndicated headlines so you can scan news from multiple sources quickly and efficiently. Trade media like BenefitsPro and Employee Benefit News provide great industry insights, and can help give you topics and ideas to post on your blog or share on social media. It will also ensure you can keep your clients informed on new trends and developments.

Distribute press releases and conduct media outreach: A regular cadence of press releases and newsworthy announcements can help an agency build mindshare with media outlets. Disseminating your release via a newswire service like PRWeb or BusinessWire generally requires a fee but can be very helpful in establishing third-party credibility and aid in search engine optimization. You may consider hiring a PR professional who knows how to write specifically for the media and has established connections with reporters at local and industry news outlets.

Network with other brokers on social media and at events: Not all agents are competitors. And even if they are, today’s competitor might be tomorrow’s acquisition. Look for ways to collaborate or partner – you may sell some products or represent a niche they don’t and vice versa. Plus, brokers in other states may have leads but no licenses in your state.

Customer testimonials: Everyone knows how important a Net Promoter Score (NPS) is, so client reviews and recommendations should be an essential part of your overall marketing strategy. Case studies and testimonials help build trust and act as proof-points that your business is legitimate and credible. People tend to trust other people over businesses, so testimonials add more credibility to the decision they’re trying to make. If your prospect can relate to the customers in your case study, it will be easier for them to relate to you.

Content creation. One of the best ways to show thought-leadership and improve SEO is to demonstrate your expertise with a strong content marketing strategy. Whether it’s blogging, ebooks, white papers, or videos, including educational, high-quality content can turn your website into a go-to resource for customers and prospects.

Explainer videos and demonstrations: Original pieces of content are a must for any SEO and marketing strategy, but content isn’t limited to blogs or articles. While these should be part of your overall approach, don’t forget about videos. According to a recent report, 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. Explainer videos are a great way to provide a quick overview of your product or service in a fun and engaging way. It’s an easy point of entry for prospects who may not know about your agency, and can offer demonstrations, tutorials, and more.

Email is important, but expectations have changed: Sending emails to your database is a great way to nurture potential clients and keep them up to date with your company. Email regularly about your agency news and services and keep a calendar about their renewal dates so you can conduct a targeted approach in advance. Build landing pages that coincide with your email and include more detail and a call to action. Brokers should also get creative with their use of email. Try A/B testing, plain text vs. full HTML, using more images, less images, and leverage segmentation for a more personalized experience.

Automation, automation, automation: Automation can help your agency increase marketing conversation rates and improve efficiency—giving you more time to scale and grow your book of business. Automate repetitive tasks. Deploy chatbots on your site to engage with visitors. Use social media automation tools with calendars to plan, schedule and monitor social media content posting.

Host virtual webinars: The work from anywhere world is here to stay and remote meetings and webinars are a great way to provide educational content and value. Topical and timely webinars can be particularly effective if you serve small businesses or a niche industry segment. Schedule sessions talking about healthcare renewals, Open Enrollment, compensation planning, or compliance changes. Make sure to record the webinar and post on your website and use for email outreach.

Add calls to action to everything: The perfect call to action (CTA) encourages a response from your audience. Add CTAs to your website, digital ad campaigns, emails, newsletters, and social posts. Use words like “Call Now” or “Download Today” to elicit a sense of urgency. CTAs don’t have to be hard sell but be sure to give the reader or caller a reason and a path to reach out.

Show your appreciation. Find creative ways to thank your clients and prospects and let them know they are important to you. But don’t stop there – extend your appreciation to your agency team, your partners, and your community.

Keeping these strategies top of mind will help brokers create effective marketing campaigns to increase their visibility, and ultimately, grow their book of business.

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