Building Your Agent Brand Before You Sell a Single Policy

So, you’ve made the leap to becoming an independent insurance agent and you want to get started as fast as possible to sell your first policy. To do so, though, you must build your brand so potential customers recognize you and can trust what you’re selling them — and this all begins way before you sell that first policy. 

Unlike captive agents, independent agents don’t have the presence of a huge insurance carrier to back them. You must work to stand out, to build that trust so that customers can rely on you and know they’re getting what you’re promising them. 

That can all be done with a well-planned and executed multi-pronged branding plan.  

In this article, we’ll discuss how to build your agent brand before you sell a single policy. 

Define What Your Brand Is 

Before you can brand yourself to prospective customers, you must decide what your brand actually is.  

What types of insurance policies do you want to sell — auto, home, life, health or a combination? What personality do you want your brand to have — laid back, ultra-professional, relatable or some combination?  

Successful brands have a focus. They are able to define who they are, what they do and what makes them stand out from the competition, i.e., their value proposition. 

Before you sell a single policy, you must create the brand that you want others to see. Then, you can get to work on building it — everything from developing marketing materials to messaging to a formal advertising plan. 

Build Your Presence Online 

An online presence is the foundation of branding and marketing today. When prospective customers come across you, they’re going to want to check you out online, so you better have a solid presence that they can find and interact with. 

It all starts with a professionally-designed website that showcases you and the services you offer, and provides valuable insights for visitors. Your website should be clean and user-friendly, and have multiple sections for people to explore. 

Your agency’s URL should be easy to remember and fit in well with your brand, and you should optimize your site for search engines so that people can find it. This means utilizing local SEO to your advantage and setting up your free Google My Business profile. 

Once your website is set up, create accounts on social media platforms that make the most sense for your brand and who you want to attract. Tying them into your website will only increase your presence and boost your SEO. 

Create Valuable Content 

Simply having a website and social media pages is not enough to build your brand. You must create content that is valuable, resonates with your target audience and convinces them to engage with it and, ultimately, you. 

Blog posts and short explainer videos are great ways to build some content on your website. These can be helpful tips for people who are shopping for new auto insurance policies or common home maintenance items homeowners shouldn’t overlook heading into winter. 

The goal with this content is to position yourself as an expert in your field. When you share your knowledge and insight, and help people out, they’re more likely to trust what you’re saying. 

Another good idea is to share your personality through your content, especially on your social media pages. This could be “behind the scenes” pictures and videos of you and your staff around the office or out in the community. 

This type of content adds a human element to your brand and allows people to connect with you. 

Build Local Relationships 

Insurance sales are based on relationships, especially for independent agents whose client base usually consists of local clients. One of the most effective ways to build your agent brand before you sell a single policy, then, is to build relationships in the local community. 

While you’re doing the work to get your agency off the ground, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be introducing yourself to players in the community.  

Join local business organizations and industry associations so you can network with others who might serve in a complementary role to the services you offer. Attend local events and volunteer so that you can get involved in your local community and give back. 

When you build local connections, you are creating a list of potential referrals to your business. At the same time, you’re making yourself noticeable and adding validity to your brand, as others can trust who you are and what you stand for. 

Experience the Good Life

At GLIA, we provide independent agents with guidance, knowledge, tools, support and services that help them launch and sustain successful agencies. We also provide access to a full range of insurance products through more than 100 national carriers. For more information or to partner with us, visit us online or contact us today.