Marketing is a challenging part of the business puzzle in the best of times. Now that we’re months into the Coronavirus pandemic, agency owners are wondering how to reach new customers and stay in touch with them while being sensitive to their economic conditions and emotional wellbeing.
This conundrum comes from a place of empathy, which is a good thing. In fact, your marketing should always address your customers’ needs and feelings so you can better serve them.
Create Connection
Effective marketing creates a connection between your company and the individual. Where are opportunities to establish goodwill?
Begin by putting yourself in their shoes. Brainstorm a list of all the ways you can help your customers by addressing their questions and anticipating their needs during this unprecedented time.
Remember that not all your customers will share the same concerns. One way to deal with this reality is to create personas for each of your key customer types. A persona would include a symbolic photo of the customer that uses demographic and psychographic data to express their goals, motivations and frustrations. You can refer to the persona when you’re developing marketing content or making customer experience decisions to help ensure you have each customer’s best interest at heart.
As an insurance agent, you’re a trusted advisor, and your customers expect you to be proactive and helpful. In March and April of 2020, many auto insurance companies were partially rebating premiums or offering grace periods for payment. This was an excellent opportunity to check in with customers and communicate with them.
Communicate Regularly
Keep up with your regular communication streams. With so much upheaval during the pandemic, your outreach should be a source of consistency and reassurance. Even if prospects aren’t ready for your services now, you’ll be top of mind when the time is right. Stick to a schedule and show up in their email inbox, social media feeds or real-world mailbox on a regular basis.
You might also consider special messaging to highlight changes to the way you work with customers as a result of the pandemic. New office hours, virtual meeting offerings and the like all merit promotion.
Reset Your Strategy
The pandemic is forcing people to stay home more, which means they’re using technology more, working on home-improvement projects and re-evaluating expenses.
This is a perfect time to shift your strategy by taking advantage of increased opportunities to get your brand and services in front of customers. Ramp up your social media posting and launch the email newsletter you’ve been thinking about. Consumers have changed their social media usage, with 39 percent reporting using social media more and 87 percent saying they appreciate brands that deliver relevant and timely information.
Updating their insurance policy or switching providers may already be on their minds. Current and prospective customers will be more receptive to you if you’re looking after their best interests all along the way.
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