Large captive insurance companies are spending hundreds of millions of dollars annually on advertising. According to the Ad Age DataCenter, Geico alone spent $921 million in measured-media in 2012. Captive’s are sponsoring NFL football stadiums, launching apps for smartphones, and even publishing magazines that promote their insurance offerings in an indirect way. They have marketing departments whose focus is on building brand awareness and increasing sales. As an insurance agency owner, this is scary. We know this.

While your agency is not able to invest millions of dollars into a marketing strategy, there are things you can do to ensure your book of business continues to grow, and that you are retaining your current clients.

Here are 2 areas to focus on while building your agency marketing strategy , part 2 of our series:

1.Build a responsive and engaging website.
With smartphone and tablet sales rapidly increasing, so does the importance of mobile-friendly websites. If a customer is trying to view your website, be it from typing in your web address or finding you in a search engine, it would be shame to not give them access to the information they are looking for because of an outdated design.

Think about shopping for a cell phone and how many options exist in the store. Screen sizes and browsers vary on each device. When bringing tablets, laptops, and desktop computers into the mix, the array of sizes that your website must be designed for is endless. A responsive web design is the only realistic approach to accommodating the ever-evolving technology industry and consumer shopping habits.

2. Build authentic and sincere relationships in your local community.
As a small business owner, you know the importance of being connected to people in your community. Public officials, business owners, nonprofit executive directors, parent-teacher organizations, and sporting team coaches are all influencers. With them by your side serving as advocates for your agency, your referral traffic will benefit dramatically.

The connections you form have to be authentic – you can’t purchase a good relationship. Contributing your knowledge or money to local events is a good start. If there are career fairs at the town’s school and you have the ability to represent your agency, take advantage of this. Donate or sponsor organizations and events that align with your personal interests and passions. Be a resource to these people on what you know best: insurance. The key is using each of these connections and opportunities as a conversation starter, not a sales pitch. It can be difficult to hold off on closing a deal in a conversation given your experience in sales, but I can assure you that in these situations it has to happen naturally. Don’t be that person at the career fair forcing auto policies upon 17-year-old drivers. Instead, talk to them about coverage, what factors they should consider, and let them know that you, and your website, are great resources to answer any questions they might have.

A clearly defined marketing strategy, coupled with your exceptional customer service and ability to connect with clients on a local, personal level, will set your agency apart from these large captives.