By Alan L. Shulman | August 19, 2013
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With apologies to Paul Simon’s classic song, there must be at least 50 ways to promote personal lines policies. Below is my list. I stopped at 50 due to the song, so if you wanted more, it’s Paul’s fault, not mine!
12 Social Media
- Fun video where you “fast read” all the potential [car] policy discounts you offer.
- Run radio ads on YouTube as audio behind a slideshow.
- Post Vine and Instagram mini-videos touting services or discounts.
- Policy-specific Facebook ads and promoted tweets targeted to local prospects.
- Offer free “executive level” insurance reviews to LinkedIn connections.
- Display entertaining mini-posters on Pinterest linked to relevant landing pages.
- Post fun personal insurance quizzes. Have prospects contact you for the answers.
- Post tip sheets to inform shoppers of personal insurance basics.
- Tweet insurance-related images along with your text.
- Offer free insurance tips to first-time home buyers.
- Display images of the many recreational vehicle types you insure.
- Post vehicle-specific promos for pickups, minivans, crossovers, etc.
10 Captive Audiences
- Poster-type ads in restrooms.
- Car insurance flyers placed under windshield wipers.
- Display ads on busses and taxis.
- Ads on supermarket shopping carts.
- “Fishbowl” business card drawings for free lunches at local restaurants.
- Entertaining insurance handouts at county fairs, etc.
- Offer outdoor quotes at sidewalk sales (strip mall-based offices only).
- Give a business card to neighbors of new home insureds “in case of emergency.”
- Present condo insurance tips at homeowners association meetings.
- Work with property managers to offer renters insurance to tenants.
6 Web-Related
- Offer online real-time personal lines quotes.
- Feature quote request forms when real-time quotes are unavailable.
- “Blind” Web banner ads with a single promotional message.
- Post discount checklists for major personal lines policies.
- Display typical agency new business dollar savings by policy type (when known).
- Post a graph comparing premiums for the same policy specs among multiple insurers, when you have winning rates.
Clicks to a landing page revealing who you are.
5 Internal Marketing
- Offer personal lines to commercial lines insureds.
- Cross-sell “missing” policies and upsell needed coverages to agency insureds.
- Resolicit desirable cancelled policies and failed quotes.
- Solicit group auto insurance from employers and groups you insure.
- Ask quality clients for “just one” referral.
5 Office-Based
- Limited weekend and evening hours.
- Offer teen driver insurance seminars to the community.
- Provide defensive driver courses to attract prospects.
- Waiting room slideshow of recently paid property claim photos (with permission).
- Provide old insurance paper shredding sessions for new prospects and insureds.
6 Printed Places
- Use personal URLs in conjunction with diret mail (and email) campaigns.
- Add QR codes to direct mail to send folks to online quote pages.
- Advertise in local road rally or vehicle-specific auto club publications.
- Place inserts for various personal lines policies in area newspapers.
- Consistently run small 2-inch ads in newspapers that focus on a single policy.
- Buy front-page Post-It note ads that direct readers to a special Web landing page.
3 Giveaways
- Distribute door hanger bags with a policy price comparison graph and small giveaway.
- Give kids kites imprinted with the message “If your family [auto] policy premium is too high…”
- Give drink umbrellas to eligible shoppers to entice them to get an umbrella quote.
3 Team-Ups
- Join up with non-competing pros for a financial fair.
- Exchange permission referrals with car dealers, marinas, etc.
- Tout the cumulative value of stacked discounts… Multi-policy, pay in advance, digital policies, etc.
Topics Auto
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Written By Alan L. Shulman
Alan Shulman, CPCU, is the publisher of Agency Ideas® sales and marketing newsletter (free basic subscription at www.agencyideas.com/join). He is also the author of “500 Sales Ideas for Commercial Lines Producers” among many other P&C sales resources. Email: alan@agencyideas.com. Website: www.agencyideas.com.
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