What Should Your Marketing Message Say?
This morning I received a phone call from the InsureMe National Director of Corporate Development, the wonderful John Calvin.
"Megan, do we have any articles or tips for agents when it comes to writing their personal marketing message?"
The marketing message in question is a 300-character advertisement that we display to a lead as they're presented with their insurance matches. This customized message allows each of our clients to send a personalized message to the lead and remain competitive against the other agents on our service.
Looking through our Agent Resource Center, I concluded that we had no such articles. And what better place to address this issue than on the blog!
So whether you receive InsureMe leads and need help with your 300-character message, or are faced with marketing your agency with limited print space, make sure your ad covers the following four items:
1. Who you are
2. What you sell
3. Where you're located
4. Why you're different
1. Who you are
Introduce yourself. Whether you're an independent agent or representing a larger carrier, introducing yourself helps the prospect feel that there's a person behind the cold exterior of the computer screen. If you're an indie agent, state your name, how long you've been in business, and the like. If you need to make a more corporate-ish statement, give a little history. "We've been selling discount health insurance policies since 1981 and have agencies in all 50 states," will work just fine.
2. What you sell
So maybe the lead initially requested a home insurance quote. But if he or she can see that you sell auto insurance or offer an array of financial products, they might be enticed to see what else you can do for them. And as you know, cross-selling often means a bigger sale for you, and increases the chances of developing a long-term client.
3. Where you're located
Although the InsureMe service shows the lead where their matched insurance providers are located, not all advertising spaces do. So depending on your marketing medium and what kind of client you're looking for (local or nationwide), include this in your marketing message. Doing so can differentiate you from your competitors...which leads us to point number four.
4. Why you're different
If you follow the Agent Blog in the slightest, you've undoubtedly seen a recurring theme here, akin to Seth Godin's purple cow mantra: be remarkable. Be different. And while items one, two and three all help you distinguish yourself and your offerings from those of your competitors, make sure your write your marketing message with limited sales hype (nobody likes a hard, pushy sell, not even online), lots of passion, and even more personality.
These are my four recommendations for making the most out of a short marketing message. What have you found to be useful and effective?
