Identify your audience

You can't start marketing insurance businesses unless you know who your target market is. If you specialize or want to build a certain aspect of your business, ask yourself who is most likely to buy your product.

I recommend: Once you’ve determined your target audience, focus on lead generation, whether it’s commercial insurance leads or other markets. Visit Grow Your Agency for ideas on how to build your insurance business.

Create a marketing in insurance plan

After determining your ideal client, consider the best ways to reach that target group. You might find your target group reads the business pages of the local newspaper or surfs the Internet. Look at your competition, and ask yourself what ways you could be better at marketing in insurance. Consider all these factors when building a marketing plan.

I recommend: Writing it down turns ideas into a plan. Get help from free online marketing courses provided by Small Business Administration (SBA). Don’t forget to include follow-up with existing customers as one element of your market. Happy customers can turn into more customers through word-of-mouth. Talk with other members of the Professional Insurance Marketing Association about insurance sales marketing strategy.

Build a presence

If you haven't invested time and money in a good logo and website, now's the time. Many entrepreneurs hire out for these projects and consider it money well spent.

I recommend: SASid Insurance Development can provide you with web tools to keep your website updated with insurance quotes and rates.

Market regularly in more than one medium

A big one-time ad in a newspaper is a waste of money; so is investing all your marketing efforts on insurance postcards. You need to increase your name recognition among your target population by placing your name in front of them regularly. When you successfully invest in active insurance marketing services, people needing insurance will automatically think of you.

I recommend: Consider publishing a newsletter to educate and enlighten potential customers with insurance tips. Any desktop publishing program can help you layout a newsletter for mailing, or use eNewsletter Online for email newsletters.

Spend marketing dollars wisely

While advertising can be expensive, marketing your business doesn't have to be when you use no cost or low cost marketing methods. Join your local Chamber of Commerce and other civic organizations where you can network with potential customers. Use a talent for writing by writing a regular newspaper column with helpful insurance information for consumers.

I recommend: Publicize everything about your business by sending publicity releases to local and regional media. Office openings, anniversaries and accreditations are all newsworthy. Moreover, sending publicity releases costs nothing.