As consumer behavior online has increased the need for permission-based marketing, also known as inbound marketing, there are a few things your insurance agency should know about this strategy.

In part one we explained what inbound marketing is and the difference between inbound vs. outbound marketing. Now, we’ll get into the details of those differences and how inbound marketing can benefit your insurance agency.

Value vs. Disruption:

• Inbound marketing activities provide value to customers through content, social interactions, and SEO in a way that entertains, engages, or educates them. By doing so, customers are interacting with your brand in a more seamless way, since these marketing tactics attract people who are searching for information that’s important to them.
• Outbound marketing falls short in this way, since it involves actively seeking out customers who are not already looking for you. Since these customers are typically doing something else when they see the outbound marketing messages, such as shopping, watching TV, and looking online for some other information, they feel disrupted and annoyed by them. In fact, according to Blue Glass Media, 86% of people skip television advertisements, and 84% have stopped visiting a website due to intrusive advertising.
• The value that inbound marketing brings to customers allows insurance agencies to earn a greater number of site visits, leads, and sales. This tactic also helps businesses interact and connect more with their customers and prospects, which can create stronger brand loyalty in the long run.

Organic vs. Paid

• Inbound marketing focuses on driving organic (non-paid) traffic to a website.
• Outbound marketing has always focused on paid marketing techniques.
• In no way is inbound marketing “free,” however it does typically cost 62% less than traditional outbound marketing efforts.
• In addition to lower costs, inbound marketing has the ability to generate revenue, not just leads. (Read: lower costs + greater revenue = increased ROI). More and more companies are reporting customer acquisitions through social media, blogs, and other organic traffic sources.
• Creating quality content and interacting on social media isn’t free, but can become more cost-effective in the long run. Just think, one piece of content can be shared an infinite amount of times, but you only have to “pay” for it once.

Buzz vs. Hype

• Buzz about an insurance agency is created by people, word of mouth, the spread of content, etc. It is natural, and creates a more positive connection with consumers than hype. Why? The source.
• Hype is an obvious and in-your-face marketing tactic that consumers are not as likely to trust or connect with since it is coming directly from the business itself. Modern consumers are weary of these types of outbound marketing efforts because they are smart enough to realize that they are planned marketing tactics, rather than naturally created interest about the brand, product, or service.
• The more your content is shared from site to site and person to person, the more links will be brought back to your insurance agency’s website. Social shares, links, comments, and other interactions such as these all create a natural and positive “buzz” about your business that can help boost your brand’s image even more.

So, if your insurance agency isn’t on board with inbound marketing strategies yet, it’s time for you to catch up! Focus on building natural attention to your site through quality content, social media, press releases, and more permission-based type marketing.