People form opinions about your agency based on your messaging. What you write tells your story, which either compels or repels your readers. Insurance agencies have done so little marketing that writing for an audience is not an often-honed skill and it shows in website copy, newsletters, ads and social media profiles.
The quality of writing needs to improve to represent the industry in a more client-centric, modern and sophisticated way.
Doing so requires a clear understanding of what will resonate with your readers. People come to your site and subscribe to your newsletters because they have specific challenges and are looking for someone who can provide the right solutions. Write about their needs and how you help solve their challenges.
Then, dissect this messaging youre creating to see if it matches your intentions. Poorly written copy usually does not.
For some examples and comparisons, Ive gathered a few poorly constructed messages paired with more descriptive ones.
Great service
Great service is a minimum expectation, so dont waste time telling people what they already assume youre capable of achieving. Instead, show what great service looks like.
- Tired message:We believe great service is an absolute requirement when transacting insurance.
- Fresh take: Our culture is passionately focused on the human aspect of an organization, a passion that results in productivity, profitability and execution.
How we work
Proper maintenance is another minimum expectation of any professional. Let them see what they will get when working with you.
- Tired message:Our team approach has been developed to go above and beyond expectations and ensure that our clients portfolios are properly maintained.
- Fresh take: We identify strengths and prioritize the needs within your company to build a strategic plan. We want to help you and your organization become more productive and successful, allowing you to eliminate of some of the hats you are wearing.
Target audience
Working with everyone means youre not a specialist and makes you look desperate or unfocused. Describe your ideal client so they can see themselves reflected in your writing.
- Tired message: Our team specializes in many different types of businesses.
- Fresh take: The companies we work with are proud of the businesses they have built, and they understand that in order to create long-term success, stability and competitiveness in todays complex business environment they need to be seen as an employer of choice.
How long weve been in business
Any message about time in the business is simply a lazy way of saying youre probably good at what you do. Instead, use stories that show how youre good. The power of the client story cannot be beat.
Study these examples, scrutinize the meaning, and look at them as an outsider. Once you realize how generic and nonsensical so much marketing writing really is, youll be craving new, descriptive copy to create stories that resonate with your readers and help turn you into a feared competitor.
Keneipp is a partner and coach at Q4intelligence, driving agency transformation. Learn more at q4intel.com. Reach her at wendy@q4intel.com, on LinkedIn, or Twitter @WendyKeneipp.
