NH-10-Facebook-Ads-in-the-Insurance-Industry-and-What-We-Think-of-Them
November 14, 2017

If you’re warming up to the idea of Facebook advertising but have absolutely no clue where to begin, a good practice is quite honestly to look at what everyone else is doing.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at 10 Facebook ads in the insurance space and give you our thoughts on them.

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1. State Farm

State Farm Facebook Ad

This ad is a great example of how many words should actually be in your ad. As with anything, there’s going to be variation in what works for you. However, the general rule of thumb is 90 characters at the top of the ad, 25 characters for the headline, and 30 characters for the description.

People are scrolling quickly, so if you offer a snappy sentence that’s quick to consume, people are much more likely to actually read your message.

The photo matches the copy really well, giving us an example of how we can celebrate life’s moments. The ad seems to be more of a “brand awareness” ad, because the headline isn’t telling us to do anything – it’s simply putting “State Farm Life Insurance” at the top of our mind. The more we see a brand name, the more we think of it.

The goal here is this: You decide one day that you’re ready to buy life insurance. State Farm immediately pops into your head.

Overall, this ad is really great.

2. IGH Insurance

IGH Insurance Ad

The photo in this ad takes the cake for grabbing our attention. Movement draws the eye, and this photo bridges the gap between video and photo – it’s well chosen.

However, there are aspects of this ad that could be improved – specifically, the copy.

When you take the time to read all of the copy, you can pick out the action: “Request a quote today.” However, that call to action is buried in the second sentence of the text. If you want someone to do something specific, it should generally go in the headline.

Headlines grab our attention, and “International Health Insurance You Can Trust” is a bit bland.

Overall, this ad is a bit jumbled up with no clear message and no clear ask.

3. Affordable Health Insurance

Affordable Health Insurance Facebook Ad

This ad definitely catches our attention with the strange photo of President Trump. However, it appears that that’s all it is – an eye grabber. The Trump photo doesn’t seem to have much to do with the ad message whatsoever.

What’s more concerning to us are the obvious copy mistakes, which completely undermine the company's credibility.

For example, some of the words are capitalized while others aren’t. You’ll also notice the phrase “$9 Week…” which needs to be “$9 per week.”

Finally, if it were up to us, we would swap the link description and the headline. “Get a free quote” is a great action item, while New Humana and Cigna Plans would be great description for that action.

4. Lifeinsurancedirect.com

fbads_lifeinsurancedirect

Another eye grabbing photo with this ad – a grandmother giving the “rock on” sign. This segments your audience, because some people will find it funny while others will just think it’s strange.

The copy does use some techniques to get you curious, such as the question at the beginning: “Why don’t more people know about this?” and the headline: “Seniors: Read This Before Getting Life Insurance!”

While this will grab some people, be aware that Facebook has started penalizing articles and ads that use the word “This” as clickbait. The people who click this ad may only be interested in seeing what “this” is – not necessary the life insurance.

The one thing this ad does well is call out the audience – seniors. If you read this ad, and you’re a senior, you know you’re in the right place.

5. Policy Genius

Policy Genius Facebook Ad

PolicyGenius has a huge presence on social media – perhaps you’ve even seen one of their ads before. The colorful photo catches the eye, but unlike some of the previous ads, it actually matches the ad message

“You wouldn’t be caught dead like this – or without life insurance” is a bit of a play on words, and it supports the funny image. If you look closely, you’ll see that the company name “PolicyGenius” actually appears 4 times in the ad – this really helps with awareness, as people will be more likely to remember the name.

Keywords like “simple” and “affordable” are great for insurance industry ads, and the humor works well.

Overall? Round of jealous applause from us.

6. Ladder

Ladder Facebook Ad

Similar to the State Farm ad, this ad works to conjure up our emotions. The image is supposed to help us picture ourselves and our family.

The text length is perfection, with a short one-liner, a clippy headline, and a simple link description.

While some might argue that “Get it Done Today” is a bit vague, “life insurance” is mentioned twice elsewhere in the ad, so we give it a pass.

Finally, the red color against the gray background really draws the eye, but we’re not convinced that it’s used in the best way – remembering a logo can be great, but this logo is such a simple shape that it might not prove to be useful down the road.

7. Australian Seniors Insurance Agency

Australian Seniors Insurance Agency Facebook Ad

This ad is a great example of offering value in order to get a lead. The offer here is a free legal will kit, and we’re betting that the company is asking for an email address in exchange for it. This allows the company to follow up and build a relationship with the consumer in the hopes that it leads to a sale down the road.

The short message is clear, the headline calls for action, and the link description adds value while drawing on our emotions. When you read that, you should be thinking something like this, “Well, yes, I do want control of my own assets! Sign me up!”

Maybe not that exuberant about it, but you get the idea.

The photo itself is a bit generic, but overall, we think this ad is a great example.

8. Cheap Auto Insurance

Cheap Auto Insurance Facebook Ad

This ad relies heavily on the image, and the image does grab our attention.

However, just so you know, this ad was able to pass inspection, but be aware that before and after photos are not allowed.

The ad message is good – it promises cheaper prices, which interests most people, but it’s unfortunate that the company name is “Cheap Auto Insurance.” Because it sounds so generic, the company relies on phrases like “use this site” and “This is a comparison site.”

Overall, the ad looks good, but the copy could be tightened up a bit more.

9. Quilt

Quilt Facebook Ad

Another comparison photo – it does grab the eye, but this photo is a bit busy. When you first saw it, did it take you a second to figure out what you were looking at?

We do have to give props to the copywriter, because if you look closely, you’ll notice some keywords we like to use. Words like warning, free, and instant have been proven to boost click through rates, and this ad is full of them.

The headline has a specific call to action, and the link description introduces a bit of urgency – “why wait?”

This ad could use some optimizing, but overall, it’s well done.

10. Lemonade

Lemonade Facebook Ad

Last but not least, this ad is very simple, yet sort of confusing.

The company name is Lemonade, but when you read the ad, it appears they sell insurance.

The photo doesn’t scream “insurance,” but the ad text does. To be honest? We’re not sure what to think about this ad, and perhaps that’s what the company wants.

It’s clear that the message is simplicity, with phrases like “90 seconds” and “Done!” People these days don’t have much patience, and this ad recognizes that and promises a hassle-free experience.

What do you think? Send us your ad ideas – we’d love to take a look at them!

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