Now that you have your highly targeted prospect list, its time to begin your attack. A very effective way to quickly reach out to your prospects is by launching an Insurance Agency eMarketing campaign. Over the past two years, email campaigns have consistently provided me with quality prospects – more importantly, email campaigns have generated prospects who can and will buy.
So how do you create an effective insurance agency eMarketing campaign? Lets break it down into three parts: the mechanics, the message and the follow-up.
Mechanics
Begin by shopping for an email engine that will allow you achieve your goals. There are many options out there, and they all have unique features and – both positive and negative. You will certainly need a convenient repository for your email library. Easy to upload, easy to sort and easy to export. Most cover the bases well here. You will also want to be sure that you test out the messaging interface. An annoying or complex creation tool will slow you down and frustrate you. Lastly, make sure you will be able to see detailed metrics of who viewed and clicked on your email – this will be of the utmost importance later.
Once you have found the best fit for your budget and needs, you will want to begin planning your campaigns. We suggest sending messages at times your prospects would be most likely read them. This could be different in different industries, and if you know your prospect, you can select the best time. Tuesday morning is typically the most popular time to send emails, however we have had equal success on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Think about your prospects day, and how you can best connect. As you progress, test different times and dates to determine what will work best for your target prospect.
Messaging
There are countless possibilities available for the format of your email message. Graphics, templates, colors, fonts, etc – truly an infinite number of options for you to select. My suggestion is that simpler is better. A clear and concise business email is much more effective and readable than than a flashy and graphical presentation. Remember, many images will not automatically load in Outlook, and will have that little red x instead – not an attractive way to introduce yourself.
The content should be educational and of value to your prospect. Choose a subject that they would like to learn more about, that will help them with their business. Include a link that allows them to quickly register for a web seminar, or review a white paper. Do not sell in your message, only educate. This will increase the chances that your message is read, and maximize the deliver-ability of your content.
Follow Up
Now the fun begins. You have sent a highly effective email message from your new engine – now its time to turn that message into opportunity. Track the metrics closely to see who is clicking the links in your message, and who is opening and viewing your message. My suggestion would be to call anyone who clicks through, and anyone who opens multiple times (3 or more views). If you do not have an executive available for this, you can outsource to a high quality telemarketing firm to make the calls.
Multiple opens (those prospects who viewed a message several times) have regularly been near the top of my list of most productive and profitable prospects – even more than those who click through. Make sure to call these people, as soon as possible. They are showing an obvious interest in your content, and often will be willing to meet with you to learn more.