How do you find your best prospects? Or, conversely, how do they find you? Perhaps it’s through networking and referrals. Or perhaps it’s through phone calls and emails. These are effective prospecting methods, but they aren’t the only ones available to you. If you’d like to connect with more prospects, try broadening your reach. 

You may have heard the term “omnichannel marketing.” This simply means reaching out to prospects through multiple communication vehicles. In other words, it involves leveraging various forms of media—social media, email marketing, phone and video calls, texts, webinars, etc.—in order to connect with new people.    

The business world keeps changing, which is why it’s important to keep adapting your sales strategies. Let’s explore some of the different channels that you can use to connect with prospective clients—and how to get started. 

3 Rules of Crafting an Omnichannel Strategy

Before you start venturing into any new communications territory, it’s wise to set a few basic ground rules: 

1. Be Authentic: You know who you are—your brand, so to speak—and the quality products and services that you have to offer. You know what your message is. Always keep this front and center. Of course, you can tailor your message to your audience—that’s just good salesmanship—but be true to yourself and the products you sell in every media environment.  
2. Take an Educational Approach: Research shows that one reason many consumers don’t buy life insurance is that they don’t know enough to make an informed decision, so use your new communication platforms to educate. Not sure where to start? Think about your current clients and what information galvanized them to act.  
3. Prepare to Leverage Technology: Not all marketing channels are digital, but many are. If you need to sharpen your tech skills, do so, or bring someone in to help. Make sure your devices are up-to-date, and practice good cybersecurity, too.  

Now, you’re ready to branch out into new marketing channels! 

Dive into Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool for insurance advisors, although according to LIMRA research, financial professionals have been slow to get on board. With billions of people active on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, advisors have countless opportunities to connect with them. For example, you might:

• Choose one or two platforms to build a presence on, sharing weekly posts that are interesting and educational, and that highlight your products and expertise. Learn how to get started.  
• Join some online communities and start regularly engaging. Look for opportunities to share knowledge and offer insights as various topics come up. In the meantime, you’ll establish yourself as a steady presence, allowing people get to know you.   
• Chances are, you’ve developed some short “scripts” you use in meetings with prospects. Why not repurpose them by creating educational mini-videos and posting them on YouTube or Instagram? Video is a powerful way to reach younger consumers.  
  
  

Ramp Up Your Email Marketing

Email marketing is an effective, low-pressure way to share information with prospects, while staying in touch with clients. It allows you to showcase your products and also promote upcoming events, such as speaking engagements.   

While email marketing does require some initial planning and set-up, once you get your program going, chances are, you’ll find it’s more than worth the effort. Check out our beginner’s guide.

Conduct Webinars and In-person Presentations

Hosting webinars and in-person presentations are another proven way for advisors to connect with potential clients in an educational setting. Choose topics you frequently get questions about or that you’re passionate about sharing. Consider partnering with local groups like libraries or your local Chamber of Commerce to leverage their followings. 

One of the benefits of speaking engagements is that, once you have them on your calendar you can promote them through all your omnichannel marketing vehicles, creating a circle of shared content.  

So Many Ways to Connect

As an insurance advisor, you are undoubtedly an expert at connecting with prospects in all kinds of ways: on the phone, in person, through virtual meetings, perhaps even by text. These are part of omnichannel marketing, too.

When you add new communication vehicles to your marketing lineup, you’re not taking anything away, but rather building on what you already know. Because if you want to connect with new clients, you need to meet them where they are—even if it’s new to you.