Every time I ask an insurance agency what their top source of new leads is, they almost always say the same thing: “Referrals.”
In fact, in a recent survey we ran with insurance agencies, 49% of them responded that word-of-mouth marketing, which includes referrals, is their most effective strategy.
However, what’s even more interesting is how people are referred to your agency in the first place—especially with most first impressions taking place online.
BrightLocal ran a study and found that “76% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.” (Source: BrightLocal)
This tells us that most people who are reading reviews are taking those to heart as much as they would if that referral came from someone they knew and trusted. Because of the way we are programmed nowadays to read reviews for every product before we buy, the same trend is happening in the insurance space.
And with that, we’re entering a time where reviews are becoming just as—if not more—important as referrals.
Why reviews matter for insurance agencies.
With more and more people engaging with their insurance needs online as opposed to in person, it’s not surprising that trust in reviews is growing.
That trust in the people who leave reviews is just as important as the trust your clients have in your agency. Getting reviews from your most loyal clients will almost always be 5-star, glowing testimonials that you’ll want to highlight wherever you can.
The more positive reviews that your agency has, the more it will lead to increased referrals and new business naturally.
This creates a cycle where your clients are reviewing and referring you to others, and people who are being referred are reaching out to you after reading reviews to make their decision.
So, the key to making the most of every referral you get is to have a solid foundation of 5-star Google reviews to show that you are a trustworthy, credible business that people would want to work with.
Creating a review generation strategy.
Like anything online, gathering reviews and having a consistent flow of new testimonials takes time and involves having a strategy for nudging your clients to give you feedback.
1. Set up a Google Business Profile.
The first step to approaching a review generation strategy is to ensure you have a Google Business Profile set up for each of your physical office locations.
While there are other review sites you can certainly get set up with, Google reviews have a dominating impact on how and where you show up in online searches, and are likely the first thing that people will see when they search your business name.
If you’d like help in setting this up (plus 50+ other directory listings), you might be interested in our Local Listings solution.
2. Determine who you want to ask for reviews.
After you have that established, the next step is to identify the clients from your book of business who you’d like to request reviews from. For many agencies they are happy to ask all of their clients for feedback and reviews. Depending on your situation, you might also want to narrow down the list to long-time clients and those you have the strongest relationships with.
The best way to do this is to select people from your AMS and create an audience segment that you can use for a mass email list, for example, so you can ask everyone.
3. Ask for client feedback.
Now that you’ve determined who you are going to reach out to ask for reviews, you need to create messaging that asks for feedback, including a link to a review us form on your website that ties into your Google reviews, or a direct link to Google to leave you a review.
Regardless of how you ask for a review, you’ll want to make it as easy as possible for them to write you the review, so including the necessary links to get them to the right place is key.
Timing is important as to when you ask. Consider sending out review requests 1-2 times a year to get a sense of how clients feel about your agency, and allow space between those communications.
In addition, if you assist a client with a claim or other service situation and they have a positive experience, take the opportunity for a one-off conversation to ask for that feedback.
One important tip when asking for someone to leave you reviews is to make it feel organic and not forced. You want to let them know you value their feedback. What you don’t want to do is force a review by offering incentives, which can go against Google’s guidelines for receiving reviews if you’re not careful.
4. Respond to client reviews.
Once you start getting reviews from your clients, your prompt follow–up is key to bolstering your relationship with that client.
Positive or negative, you need to respond to the feedback you get right away. Provide an appropriate response that is personalized to the reviewer, and where possible, reach out to them separately to thank them for their feedback, or to address an issue.
By acting quickly to engage in the reviews you get, your clients will be more willing to review—and refer—your agency time and time again.
It also creates a positive feedback loop for those who are reading your reviews to see that you’ve acknowledged the feedback you’ve received and are open, transparent, and communicative as a business.
If you want a streamlined approach to requesting and managing reviews, you’ll want to consider our Reputation Management feature within our marketing automation platform, which has the ability to:
- Create a targeted audience to request reviews from.
- Use a pre-built email campaign that sends a review request every 6 months.
- Add reviews you get and feature them on your website automatically.
- Get notified of the feedback you get so you can respond in real time.
Showcase client reviews for maximum impact.
With your client feedback strategy in place, you can start to take advantage of those reviews you’re getting online. That way, you can promote what others have said about your agency and use it in your marketing efforts to build credibility, brand awareness, and differentiate yourself from the competition.
1. Feature positive reviews online.
As you build up your client reviews, you’ll want to begin highlighting them where they matter most—your website.
Often, your website, particularly your homepage, is the first place people will engage and learn about your business online. Having positive reviews featured front and center on your site can make an impact.
We typically find that a handful of 2-5 reviews are the perfect amount to highlight on your website, as it doesn’t overwhelm the reader, and you can select those reviews that promote different aspects of your agency.
If you want an easy way to get and highlight reviews on your website, our complete insurance marketing platform provides review request forms and campaigns, as well as an automated feature to add reviews to your website—making this process simple for your agency.
2. Integrate reviews into your digital marketing strategy.
Another way you can use the reviews you get from clients is within your digital marketing. That includes email campaigns and social media.
Within your email marketing campaigns, there are opportunities where you might want to highlight your reputation to assist in the decision-making process.
One great example of using reviews is for emails you are sending to people who submit a request for a quote or consultation with you. These prospects are already interested in your business, and having the added touch of showcasing a review that could be relatable to them can only help (think of using a review from a local business you received in communications with commercial prospects, for example).
In addition to email marketing, you don’t want to skip out on sharing client success stories and testimonials on social media. In fact, when people refer businesses to people, they often will research them on social media to see if they are credible or not.
So, having the positive reinforcement of featured reviews on social media can help engage those who find you through social media.
Reviews are the new referrals, and how you benefit.
As I mentioned earlier, reviews truly are the new referrals.
And, as an independent insurance agency, if you could have a similar boost in new leads from your reviews as you do from your referrals, imagine the growth potential for your business.
Take these strategies I presented here, and use them to your advantage to tap into the potential of client feedback if you’re not already doing this as part of your marketing strategy.
And if you want a more advanced look into how you can turn the feedback you get into positive change for your agency, you’ll want to read our article, Turning Negative Feedback Into Positive Change.
Want to learn more?
If you’re ready to take the next step, our complete insurance marketing platform offers the tools and features your agency needs to stand out and succeed.
From marketing automation that keeps you connected with clients and boosts retention, to insurance websites designed to drive growth, and a suite of marketing tools to meet your needs, Agency Revolution is everything you need after your AMS.
Learn All About Our Complete Insurance Agency Marketing Platform
