When you think of community engagement, one tends to think of donating money or helping out at the local soup kitchen. Small businesses today are taking advantage of the benefits that come with community engagement. You may have come across the little league team whose uniforms have a local business name branded across the front, or witnessed a corporate team participating in a 5k road race. Businesses are not only participating for philanthropic reasons, but have found growth and more dedicated customers from doing so.

As an insurance agency, you have a great opportunity to be involved in your community; as that is the place you will find your next potential client. Knowing direct reasoning behind being involved can help your agency get started:

Branding Your Name:  Your agency has great customer service, dedication, and trustworthy clients, but if you want to continue to retain and gain new customers, branding your agency can be important.  By becoming more engaged in your local community, you are building a name for your agency and an ethical reputation.  Marketing with billboards, direct mail, and the local newspaper can help advertise your services, but local consumers will remember you and your agency through your direct impact.

Distinguish From Your Competitors:  Consumers often decide to do business with companies in which they feel trust, value for their dollar, and lately, ones whom are involved in their community. A recent study by Clarity shows, 41 percent of consumers will buy products because they are associated with a cause or the community and 30 percent of consumers will spend more on socially responsible companies within the next year. Those statistics alone show the modern consumer is thinking more about businesses who give back versus those who do not.

Social Networking: If your agency is actively involved in your community, you will find you are already engaging and networking with potential clientele.  Charities, local high schools, and the chamber of commerce, for example, are filled with consumers who own a house, a car, have a family, and own a business.  As a local agent, social networking can be a refreshing way to generate new business opportunities; both referrals and new clients.

Employee Satisfaction: Let’s take a step back and consider how community engagement can directly affect your staff.  Net Impact reported that employees who are able to make an impact in their community are twice as satisfied with their job than those who are not involved. Not only will you employees feel great about their job, but it can become a team building activity that will have a positive impact on the agency as a whole.

There are many avenues your agency can take to be involved in the community. Focusing all of your agency’s energy and resources only on community engagement is not necessary. Starting small, and contributing what you can, will make a difference.