Aside from your blog, email is the only marketing platform you truly own. It can help boost your brand awareness, build relationships with prospects and customers, promote your business — and generate and nurture leads. It also helps that it’s low cost, easy to implement and can be 40 times more effective at getting new customers than Facebook and Twitter combined.
The relationship between an insurance client and their agent is more personal than many other types of customer relationships. And email is a great tool for cultivating and strengthening those connections over time. If you’re looking to maximize your marketing efforts, then grab more attention from your pool of the 3.8 billion email users around the world with these tips.
Segment Your List
The most effective emails are highly relevant to their audience. Separate your email list into existing clients and prospects, and cater your messaging specifically to those two groups. For existing customers, provide auto or home safety tips — or answer common questions about how deductibles work. For prospective clients, you might offer a fast and free competitive quote on their existing coverage.
Now Segment Some More
But don’t stop there. Craft different messaging to target customers for each type of policy you sell (business, boat, RV, etc.). And develop a campaign to encourage existing clients to increase and expand their coverage — because it’s often easier to grow existing relationships than cultivate new business. Remember, no matter how you segment your emails, never spam. Include an unsubscribe link in each email to show that your business cares about their preferences — and complies with CAN-SPAM requirements.
Add Value With Well-written Content
Hard selling is an immediate turnoff for many people. Keep your messaging short and relevant to your audience, and make sure it adds value to their lives. For example, include tips on how to make your home safer, how to save money on premiums or what flood insurance does (and doesn’t) cover. If you have the subject matter knowledge but not the time or ability to craft excellent copy, hire a pro to write or edit your emails and newsletter to avoid embarrassing typos that can undermine your credibility.
Better Each Time
The only way to see if your email marketing is working is to track and test. One of the best ways to do this is with split testing (also called A/B testing). This is the process of comparing the results from two different versions of an email that are the same except for one small variation. For example, split test two different subject lines to see which has a higher open rate — or two different calls to action and their subsequent conversion rates. You’d be surprised how much difference just a small wording tweak can make in your results. By split testing regularly, your campaigns can gradually become more and more effective each time.
Don’t Overdo It
An email from your agency should be a welcome communication, not an annoying intrusion. Let your clients know upfront what they can expect in terms of the frequency of your communications. Or better yet, allow them to choose how often they want to be contacted and about what types of topics. If you have strong email offers, well-written content and the trust of your clients, then there’s no need to badger them. Your clients are not constantly shopping for insurance. Keep in touch just frequently enough with a variety of high-quality, helpful content to remind them that they’re important to you — and that you’re available should they need assistance or additional coverage.
Email marketing is a big subject and there’s lots more to say, so we’ll be continuing our discussion next month. Until then, be sure to make the most of your clients’ inbox!
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