subject: Why Insurance Agents Should Brand Their Name [print this page] Why Insurance Agents Should Brand Their Name
Like the Who said "Who are you.. who who... who who?" How do people know you? How do you get known? How do you become "The Pro"? It's called Branding. What do you do when you meet someone? Do you ever "Google" their name? I think this is happening more and more as Social Media goes mainstream.
I have over 30 years experience on the insurance company side, mostly marketing for property-casualty carriers. The frustrating thing about our industry is that nearly everyone sells the same product, same coverage, but with a few bells and whistles. Everyone is selling the service of the agency that they work for, but to the buyer it sounds all the same. It is really hard to set yourself apart from the competition especially with so many agents competing on the same account.
Most of you have taken sales training where you know that your customer buys with emotion and they do business with whom they trust, respect and like. So, why not try an edge and use the internet to your advantage?
Brand your name. Show that you are an insurance expert on a website of your name. If you have a particular area of expertise i.e. insuring contractors this is where you can show your prospect that you are an expert in their field. Most of you join some association to network. Add a personal website to your business card so that your prospects can check you out. On your personal website you can have articles that relate to common insurance problems for contractors, insurance coverages that are important etc. Now when someone "Googles your name" a professional website about you, as the insurance expert comes up.
New producers would benefit especially by branding their name. They need to build credibility, plus most are young and they already using Social Media. Sending a prospect to their site that shows that they know their business and could make a difference in making a sale. This would give them an edge in making a sale.
What about when you are calling for an appointment with someone that does not know you? Send them to your website so that they can learn more about you. Perhaps they will find that they have something in common with you. Additionally, your prospect would be pre-positioned that you are more than just a "salesperson" - you are an insurance professional.
Perhaps some of you might feel that there is no value to this, but I feel that this will be a growing trend among professionals to brand their name. We all can be "micro-businesses" by branding ourselves. Just "Google" your name and see what comes up. Whenever I ask someone who is their insurance agent, they never respond with the agency's name. They relate to your personal name so I think you can see the value of branding your name on the web.
Did you know that according to Mashable.com, an online guide to social media, over 55 million people log onto social networking sites on a regular basis? That is just under 1/3 of the US population. Additionally, the fastest growing demographic segment of social networkers are baby boomers discovering the value of joining such sites. Think about how you want to position yourself for success. In addition to your own personal website you will want to integrate with the following:
Linkedin Profile - This is a combination of a resume, cover letter, references and a database of your network. Join targeted groups online and post your articles to establish your reputation as an expert.
Facebook Profile - Over 160 million people have profiles, but almost none of them have branded themselves properly using this medium. Your friends are a source of referral business for you. Posting your articles to your Facebook can show your friends that you really do know what you are talking about.
Twitter Profile - You can connect with more people using Twitter effectively so this up and rising medium show not be overlooked.
The tasks involved in branding yourself include:
* Creating a web presence which includes a website and a blog
* Maintaining a blog where you provide useful information to prospects
* Connecting with prospects on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook
* Learning SEO/SEM techniques that ensures you appear in the search engines for search terms that drive prospects to your website
* Writing and submitting articles to article directories for distribution to relevant websites that target your preferred audience
* Posting articles on relevant blogs as guest posts to gain additional exposure
If it sounds like a lot, it is and can easily be overwhelming to a person who has no experience with branding. In fact, if I had to guess, this may be the primary reason why you never did it before. Another reason may be that you just don't have the time. In between working with your existing clients.
One easy way to create your online presence is with a Personal Branding System that registers your domain name, creates a custom website with hosting, fully integrates with your Social Media and provides professionally written articles in your established field. Putting the time and effort into your Personal Branding will pay off over the long run and starting now will
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