We may live in a time of AI and rapidly advancing technology, but this does not mean that your agency should become impersonal and focused only on transactions. Customers who experience this type of interaction with an agency are not likely to sign up for insurance. They probably will not even bother to contact the agency again.
To prevent this from happening to your agency and losing customers, you must build a strong community around your insurance brand. Allow your customers and prospects to connect with your business and make them feel part of a journey.
Why Is It Important to Create a Brand Community?
Have you noticed how disengaged society has become lately? People prefer scrolling through social media on their phones to having a real conversation. TV and radio promote new and exciting ways to have even more fun on your phone. Your agency should take a different approach to engagement.
While you want to offer a digital experience for the sake of convenience, you still want to have a real conversation with your customers. If you can bring back a sense of community, you will stir up a desire to belong to a community. Doing this will help you build a loyal customer base and set your brand above the competition. When you have customers, you can:
- Improve customer retention: When customers feel valued and appreciated, they will renew their policies each year.
- Create brand advocacy: If your customers build a connection with your brand, they are more likely to advocate for it. They will promote your agency through word of mouth and on social media.
- Gather customer insights: When customers are comfortable speaking their minds, they will give you the feedback you need about your products and services. This feedback is a golden opportunity to strengthen your efforts to build a community around your brand by improving the customer experience.
- Improve your brand image: Ideally, you want your customers to view your business as a friend in times of need and emergency. You want them to know that you are their backup in case something goes wrong. This makes your agency more than just an insurance provider. And at the same time, it improves your brand image in the market, as customers keep sharing their positive experiences.
How to Attract and Build a Brand Community
Building a community around your insurance agency will not happen overnight. You must implement several steps before enjoying the benefits of a loyal and strong brand community. These include:
Getting to Know Your Audience
You must know your audience well. Your agency markets its services to a specific demographic. You need to know this demographic’s preferences, lifestyles, and insurance requirements. This is the only way to provide them with the products and services that make a difference in their lives. Do intensive market research to discover what type of content resonates the most with your target audience. You must also make sure to establish the interactions they find most valuable.
At this point, you can personalize your communication with your audience. Make phone calls and send personalized emails. Converse with people on social media and start important conversations. Communication is the number one strategy for building a community around your brand.
Choosing the Perfect Platform
That said, not everyone wants to receive a phone call or an email. This is why it is so important to communicate with your audience on the platform that they are comfortable with. If that means creating an app, then you should create an app. If your audience prefers private social media groups, dedicate part of your marketing strategy to these groups. You can also set up forums to discuss common complaints or concerns.
Everything you do should revolve around setting up channels and platforms to connect with your audience. Now, you probably will not get a lot of face-to-face meetings because of how the world has changed. But you can make the most of online platforms to keep personalized communication alive.
Make Your Customers the Center of Your Agency
Your agency should celebrate its customers. This means congratulating them on their newly built house when they take out the relevant insurance. It means empathizing with them when their little ones go to school for the first time and offering them educational insurance to ensure their children’s future.
You want to go on a journey with your customers and recognize their personal and professional achievements. Doing this makes your customers feel like they have a friend cheering them on from the sidelines while ensuring that their family and their assets are protected.
You can even feature some of these achievements and success stories on social media to show customers how proud your agency is of them. Doing this shows your dedication to your customers and your involvement in ensuring their well-being.
Start Building Your Brand Community Today
The insurance industry becomes a more complicated place to operate in each year. Make it easier for your agency by building a loyal brand community. Create a space for your customers to connect with you, air their fears and frustrations, and receive the help they need. This way, you can establish your brand as a trusted partner in 2024 and the years to come. Ready to learn about how we can help your agency thrive? Request a demo, today!