What Are You Waiting For?

You continue to see the barrage of TV ads from your competitors and have witnessed their domination of online searches.

So, how can you compete, and what are some real marketing solutions you can implement to regain market share?

Put the power of video to further use for you.

For those of you who have appeared in TV ads, you should also consider what else could be accomplished when you tape an ad.

You could have a videographer return to your office and tape you explaining why consumers are better off buying from you. Or why not show visitors to your website why they have made the right choice in selecting your business?

With today’s technology, professionally produced videos cost about the same as custom designed brochures. However, a video is more interactive and dynamic and vividly shows the consumer exactly who they are selecting.

In addition to developing a more compelling message through video, you will also benefit through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Any videos produced should be placed on YouTube and your website. Remember that YouTube is only second to its parent company, Google, in terms of searches, and will greatly improve traffic to your website, where you should be selling your consumers.

Connect with your customers.

E-mail marketing trumps social media in Return On Investment. Today’s consumers spend more time in their email than they do on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Yes, that may change when younger consumers come of age, but that is the reality today.

If you’re not engaged in email marketing, you’re missing one of the best vehicles to directly connect with your customers.  And if you really want your email marketing to stand out, add a professionally produced video into your message.  Instead of telling your customers why they should add umbrella coverage, show them why in a one-minute video.

Revisit that website of yours.

Your website from three to five years ago may already be stale. Websites are meant to be interactive and informative, not repositories of out-dated information.

Add a blog, integrate your social media feeds onto your front page, and update your site.

Websites are not a one-and-done project, but are robust communication tools that need to be maintained, upgraded and improved on a regular basis.

Use social media that really works for you.

For your personal lines customers, Facebook is a strong connection tool, but be careful not to inundate people with useless information.

If you really want to connect with your business customers, you may want to put more effort into LinkedIn. Many agents have their own personal LinkedIn page, but have not built out their own company page.

Just like with Facebook, a LinkedIn company page can be followed by clients and spheres of influence, and regular updates and important information can be posted.  There are many easy-to-follow strategies to grow a social media following as well as best practices for posting content.

In addition, it’s relatively inexpensive to expand your posts through paid advertising on social media, so for those really important announcements, you should consider a modest investment.

The time to act is now.

Ineffective marketing is bogged down by inaction. It’s time to move many of these items up on that priority list of yours.