Insurance agents who use and master digital marketing put themselves a step ahead of their competition. Unfortunately, the majority of agents today still do not take advantage of this amazing opportunity.
Insurance agents provide a tremendous amount of education to a client in a one-on-one situation, but become paralyzed when it comes to putting the same type of information in writing or video.
Why? Well, I believe there are many reasons, but I feel three stand out above the rest:
|1. Uncomfortable sharing knowledge for free.
Most long-time service professionals, especially insurance professionals, are uncomfortable to share their hard-earned knowledge for no charge. In essence, when you share your industry knowledge in a blog post, you are giving free consultative advice. Initially, that is hard to swallow for some. The truth is that you are gaining likability, credibility, and trust with your audience.
This is the same audience member who may not only buy from you, but also become your largest promoter.
Also, many insurance professionals think they have “secret knowledge” that separates them from the competition and therefore would be compromised if shared for free on a blog post or video.
I hate to tell you this, but you are not as smart as you think you are. There is a good chance that “Mother Google” knows someone just as smart. So you may as well get “Mother Google” to know you as well.
|2. Fear of saying the wrong thing in a permanent public forum.
I was once told the “e” in email doesn’t stand for “electronic,” but instead it represents “eternal.” That is also true in blog posts and social status updates.
You do need to be careful and thoughtful in the content you release. The content must be appropriate, applicable, and accurate. However, you can’t let the fear of making a mistake outweigh the benefits of getting your content in the public eye. There will always be risks, but just like saying goes, “No risk, no reward.”
Yes, digital marketing is public and eternal. Use that to your advantage. Leverage and embrace that fact, don’t run from it.
|3. Lack of time available to produce content.
Everyone wants more time. Everyone is too busy. The question becomes time allocation. Is creating digital content worth the time?
There is no perfect answer for this question, but let me ask you: Where do you think the majority of your prospects and customers look for immediate answers to their questions? How many times do they search? How many social media sites do they visit daily?
If you or your insurance agency isn’t visible in the digital space, you are missing a huge opportunity. I am well aware that you have literally hundreds of activities you could do daily, but I would suggest you make some time creating educational content that engages and provides value to your audience.
|The bottom line
Creating digital content isn’t easy. That’s why most insurance agents don’t spend time or energy creating posts, video or update their social media profiles.
You have to remember that creating digital content is not about you. It’s about your audience; most notably the exact people who could buy from you.
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