September 26, 2024
Pierre Bourdeau—Director P&C Marketing, CAA Insurance Company
With so many marketing tactics available, it can be challenging to know which will best deliver against your goals. After all, you want to maximize every marketing dollar you have. Here are some of the most common tactics—with a few questions to ask yourself before you start—and how they can best serve you.
- Do you have a budget? Some tactics have hard costs, others will only cost you time.
- Who do you want to reach? Is it people who know you, or new prospects?
- What kind of message do you have? Is it a short message, or a longer story?
Video
Cost: Videos can range from free, self-produced smartphone versions to more costly, high-quality professional productions.
Best use: Videos can serve many purposes—explainer videos can talk about coverage options, corporate videos can show what sets your brokerage apart and video blogs can include testimonials. Videos show your brand personality while sharing meaningful information to gain credibility.
Best audience: New prospects—while building awareness, more detailed videos can be used for consideration and quick tips on reasons to buy now for conversion.
Best location: On your website, in an e-blast, as an ad or on social channels.
Social Media Content
Cost: Produce free static posts made with easy-to-use online design tools, inexpensive stock images or your own free images. Use free organic media to reach existing audiences or establish a budget to target lookalike audiences on paid media channels and attract new prospects.
Best use: A great way to present photos, carousels, infographics and short videos. Social media content is not a single tactic but a collection of tactics that together, tell a story.
Best audience: Existing audience or attracting new ones by encouraging your followers to share your content with others. You will earn followers who appreciate your perspective and look forward to your posts.
Best location: On your social channels (free), or through paid social media.
Blogs
Cost: If somebody in your brokerage is good with words, blogs can cost nothing but time. Website hosting costs may apply, depending where you post.
Best use: Blogs are short articles of 200–1,000 words that offer an idea, thought, perspective or advice. Use them to share tips, ideas, opinions, recommendations or interviews.
Best audience: While generating new audiences from blogs can be challenging, when it works, you get engaged prospects. Blogs are also an effective way to educate people who are looking for additional information before deciding to buy. They help keep loyal customers engaged.
Best location: Embed in an e-blast, publish on social media like LinkedIn or archive on your website to help boost your relevancy score with online search engines.
Media Releases
Cost: If someone in your brokerage can write attention-grabbing press releases, this can have zero cost.
Best use: A great way to share important news about a new product, initiative or community event you’re sponsoring.
Best audience: Media outlets who pick up the story will send it out to the world for you.
Challenge: You’re at the mercy of media outlets who may not find your story newsworthy enough to share. That said, you can send your own press release to your current customers.
Podcasts
Cost: Investing in a quality microphone and some recording equipment can be helpful and doesn’t have to be costly.
Best use: You can speak solo, directly to your audience or conduct interviews to tell your story.
Best audience: Reach existing audiences by sharing on your social channels or attract new audiences by using an audio streaming service.
Best location: Share through social media or via an audio streaming service.