Personal Touch

I came across a great article from Property Casualty 360 this week talking about using technology to give the personal touch to your clients.

The article describes how agents (specifically Independent Agents in this case) do a poor job of using digital marketing and websites to really expound upon the value they bring.

And, while I agree with many of the topics presented, especially as it relates to websites, I think there are some additional things that can be done.   For example, I have seen too many agency websites that are just online brochures.   They don’t have a clear direction, they don’t provide any type of agency branding (Is this agency the smartest?  Do they have the most experience?  Are they the cheapest?), they don’t give a clear “Call to Action” so the visitor knows what the next step is, and some don’t even have clear contact information.

It’s important to remember that consumers are searching and researching your company online.   People base their purchasing decisions on trust, and much of that trust is garnered from what they find on your website.   The better your website looks and more cohesive the content, then the more trust you elicit.

The next thing to remember is that not all of your potential consumers are just using websites to find your agency.  Many are using other digital tools like social media to find and interact with your agency so it’s important that you create a unified message on all fronts.

More important than anything else is your agency’s ability to show off show your company’s personality.   People still want to work with people they know, like and trust — they just want to use digital tools to make that determination now.

The best way I feel you can do this is through video.  Video immediately creates a personal connection with your site’s visitors and humanizes your agency.   For your video to be effective, though, you must have it professionally done.   Poor lighting and sound will just make your agency come across as cheap, small, and actually deter people from working with you. (If you are hesitant on using video on your site, then you should use photos of your agency within the site rather than just stock photos.)

Whether it’s on your website, through email marketing, video or even blogs, just make sure that your content and material provides that personal touch your customers are looking for.