Make the Move from Outbound to Inbound Marketing
Strike a balance between immediate results and long-term success with a combined insurance marketing strategy.
The good ol’ days ain’t what they used to be. Business-to-business (B2B) buyers behave differently than they even did five years ago — there’s no going back. Luckily, you don’t have to go at it alone (but those previously-held notions have to).
Consider this:
- 74% of B2B customers conduct half of their research online before making a purchase offline.
- 52% of B2B buyers say they’re definitely more likely to buy from a company once they’ve read their content.
- 84% of B2B executives consider social media a source for making purchasing decisions.
Now, the questions become: Are you findable by people searching for your insurance solution? What do you offer that brings them to your digital front door? And what will make them sit down and stay awhile?
Although switching strategies doesn’t happen overnight, building the right foundation now can help you reap the benefits for years to come.
What is outbound insurance marketing?
Outbound marketing describes any marketing tactic that pushes a message out to the public hoping it resonates with the right audience. This more traditional advertising approach includes:
- Television ads
- Radio ads
- Print and digital media ads (newspapers, magazines, brochures, etc.)
- Cold calling
- Out-of-home placements (like billboards or bus benches)
- Direct mail
- Trade shows
Outbound marketing requires shifting the public’s attention away from whatever they are doing toward the messaging displayed to them. And, it can be pricey.
What is inbound insurance marketing?
Inbound marketing focuses on attracting prospective clients by creating relevant digital touchpoints. In this case, clients will reach out to you when they are already looking for or learning about group insurance plans for their company. In contrast with outbound marketing, inbound marketing doesn’t rely on interruptions, as it fosters relationships with potential and current customers, and relies on easily trackable online techniques to help decrease costs. Some inbound marketing channels include:
- Website
- YouTube video series
- Blogs
- Social media
- Infographics
- Search engine marketing
- Webinars
- Podcasts
- White papers
- Customer success stories
This marketing approach often uses your website as the front door to your business. Various tactics help bring people there, and then it’s up to you to show them why they should stay.
When thinking about outbound and inbound insurance marketing, keep in mind that online marketing does not always mean inbound marketing, and offline marketing is not always outbound marketing.
Is outbound or inbound insurance marketing better?
Inbound marketing comes across as less aggressive and intrusive, can be cheaper and easier to track, but it is not better or worse. Depending on what you want to accomplish, you can use an exclusive outbound marketing strategy for your insurance agency, an exclusive inbound strategy, or a mix of both.
If your objective is to get in front of a large number of people quickly to build awareness, outbound marketing may be your best move. The results will always be dependent on the money you invest, though. Usually, when you stop putting money towards an outbound campaign, the results will stop.
On the flipside, if your objective is a long-term return on investment (ROI), it’s time to bring in inbound marketing tactics. While this strategy requires more time and brings slower results at the beginning of a campaign, it will increase the trustworthiness and authority of your online presence. Inbound digital assets and marketing programs, like blogs, can generate leads years after they were originally created. And bonus: You’ll continue to provide value to your target audiences without being overly promotional.
A combination of outbound and inbound insurance marketing may be your secret sauce. Consider these scenarios:
- You’re a new broker in the community, and you want to get the word out, but you don’t have budget to send a postcard to every business in the area.
- Choose audience targeting and direct mail.
- You want to host an informational webinar about the latest trends in voluntary benefits, but you need to reach a new audience with invitations to attend.
- Choose webinar and paid social media ads.
- You create an infographic to go along with a new white paper you’re hosting on your website, but you want to drive traffic to it.
- Choose blogging and email marketing.
By meshing two different strategies, you’re able to reach a more targeted audience while still garnering more engagements with potential customers.
How do I get started with inbound insurance marketing?
The good news: You don’t have to do everything all at once. Much like personal health, consistency is key. Start with this checklist:
- I have a website.
- My contact information is on my website. (You’d be surprised how often this is left off!)
- I share an overview of what I do. (Use this guide and worksheet to determine your niche.)
- I share a little bit about myself.
- I share any credentials, awards, and other accreditation information.
- I include links to my social media profile(s).
- And my social media profile(s) include links back to my website.
Once you can check all those things out, it’s time to start with a small goal like posting weekly on your LinkedIn page. Then add on an interaction goal, which includes liking, commenting, or resharing three times per week.
And when you feel comfortable with that, you can progress to creating your own “owned” inbound marketing tactics. Set up a blog page on your website. Commit to posting at least once per month. Stay consistent, and then you’ll have even more items to share on your social media channels.
Then you’ll be able to tap into this:
- B2B companies that blog at least 1 or 2 times per month generate 70% more leads than the companies that don’t blog.
- 80% of decision-makers want articles, not ads from potential partners.
Sites like Hubspot offer free training and certification courses for digital marketing tactics, including inbound strategy, content development, and social media.
If you’re bootstrapping your own marketing efforts, this is a great place to start.
