Finding local customers is one of the principle concerns of any insurance business. As you almost certainly already know, marketing is an essential activity. But have you experimented with online marketing?
There are plenty of ways that you can use online marketing to find local customers. Here are a few that you can get started with.
Create content with a local focus
Content creation is one of the cornerstones of any online marketing plan, and the same is true for local marketing.
By publishing content with a local focus, you can build stronger relationships with your readers who will know that you understand the local scene and share something in common with them.
This does not mean simply adding local keywords to your content. Instead, it means creating content centred on local issues affecting the people in the area. It could mean discussing specific areas of your town or city, or important local issues, and looking beyond insurance to issues that affect the lives of the people you want to become your customers.
Focus on local SEO
SEO, or search engine optimisation, is the practice of optimising your website and marketing practices to help your website rise up the search rankings. This way, when someone searches for your insurance products, hopefully they will find your site before your competitors’.
With local SEO, you put more focus on getting your site to rank for local-based searches such as ‘insurance providers London’.
This allows you to compete against fewer companies because your competition will only be those other insurers that operate in your area. It also has the benefit of attracting a more targeted audience who are looking for specific insurance products in your geographic area.
Part of this involves using the keywords in the content that you publish on your site and elsewhere. But it also includes building links and other standard SEO practices with a local slant.
One of the most essential steps to take is to get your business listed in Google My Business. This free service will list your business in Google+, Maps and in Search, helping to increase your visibility for people who are searching for your insurance products locally.
Use PPC to drive conversions
PPC is another popular online marketing technique that you can put to use for marketing to local customers.
Using PPC, you can create ads that appear in the search engines when specific searches are made. You then pay every time someone clicks on your ad and is taken to your website.
You can add geographic keywords to attract those people who are searching for your products in your specific area. You can also ensure your ads only show up to people searching in the areas you are targeting.
In addition, you can add telephone numbers to your ads in Google AdWords. These click-to-call ads will show up to people searching for your products from mobile devices. They can then click on the number to call you directly, which could help to boost your conversions.
Find customers on social media
Social media has exploded in popularity in recent years, and now many businesses have wised up to the fact that they can use it for marketing purposes.
However, many businesses do not know how to use it effectively, especially when it comes to attracting local customers.
You can take advantage of this by setting yourself up on some of the main networks like Facebook and Twitter, and by seeking out local users. Get involved in their conversations, provide answers to their questions, and share your local content with them.
You could also target them specifically by using paid advertising methods offered by social media sites.
Experiment with online marketing for local customers
There are many online marketing techniques that you can experiment with to attract more local customers to your insurance business. The above ideas are a few of the most popular, so you may want to start with these, but there are many more available.
Do not ignore the benefits provided for local business like yours online. Marketing techniques like social media and PPC are often affordable to implement, and they are also highly measurable, allowing you to find out where you are going right and what you need to improve.
So look into some of these techniques and start to boost your local customer base.
