So, you have a website for your insurance agency – how do you get qualified senior prospects to see it?
This article will take you through 26 traffic-generating tips, covering everything from making TikTok videos to adding QR codes to your business cards. Let's get into it!
Share Valuable Content
One of the best ways to put yourself out there is to offer value with no strings attached.
This can be done in a variety of different ways, including a blog, a YouTube channel, social media accounts, and email newsletters.
1. Keep a Consistent Blog
If you want your website to generate consistent traffic, there needs to be a compelling reason for people to visit.
If all of the content on your site is static and never changes, people will visit once, and that might be it.
A blog changes the game.
Not only do people have a reason to come back, but they’re much more likely to find you through a regular Google search.
For example, here at New Horizons, we’ve written an article about AHIP discounts. When people search on Google, our blog post shows up as the first organic result, and people who have never heard of us before end up on our site.
Think like a consumer – how often have you ended up on a website from a simple Google search?
Tip: The Medicare insurance space is highly competitive, so it's better to write articles for what we call "long-tail keywords." These have less competition, and you have a better chance of being seen on Google.
For example, instead of writing an article about what Medicare is, you might write one answering the question: "What happens when one spouse goes on Medicare and the other isn't eligible?"
The free tool Answer the Public is a great way to generate lots of blog post ideas. If you're an active producer here at New Horizons, reach out to me and I can help you come up with more ideas.
2. Create a Facebook Page
Facebook is arguably the best place to advertise in the 21st century.
However, simply having a Facebook page can make a huge difference, even if you aren’t paying for ads.
If you have a presence, you automatically show credibility. People want to know you’re a real company, and let’s face it – real companies have a Facebook presence.
3. Share Articles on Social Media
If you’ve taken the time and energy to produce a blog post for your website, share it!
People are much more likely to be receptive to you when you consistently share bits of value, and they’re more likely to appreciate that if you make it easy to find.
Sharing on social media helps you reach more people, which brings in more traffic.
We recommend starting with Facebook, but there are plenty more out there. LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, and Instagram are a few to consider.
There are dozens and dozens of social sharing platforms, but if you want to keep things simple, we'd stick with Facebook.
4. Use a Social Sharing Tool
If you don’t have the time or staff to be constantly managing a social media presence, there are tools available that makes things much more manageable. Some examples are Loomly, Tailwind, and Hootsuite.
These platforms can cost a whole lot less than hiring a social media assistant.
You can create your social media posts in batches, allowing you to schedule out several weeks worth of content in an hour or less.
That will allow you to focus on more important tasks.
5. Post Videos on YouTube
You don’t need a professional video camera and a green screen to make a fantastic video.
Many modern marketers are predicting that video content will soon take over written content. While copywriters like myself would like to think otherwise, they’re probably right.
Video requires zero effort for the consumer, and today’s world appreciates that.
Set your phone up on a tripod, and record in a space that isn’t cluttered. Lighting can help the quality of your video as well, so try to take advantage of natural light if you don’t want to invest in professional lighting.
Post your videos on a YouTube channel, and share them on your other social media platforms.
Just be sure you don't talk about Medicare Advantage unless it's communication only and not considered marketing. You can visit our Compliance Hub for help.
6. Create TikTok Videos
TikTok isn't just for Gen Z – plenty of seniors visit the video-focused social media platform. On top of that, many children help their grandparents with Medicare, so reaching the younger crowd has its benefits.
More info about this subject here: 10 Easy Ways To Generate Free Medicare Leads
Here are some pointers to get you started:
- Capitalize on current trends in your videos; the more you browse TikTok, the better you'll grasp these trends.
- Include relevant hashtags to indicate your video's theme and target audience, helping both viewers and TikTok's algorithm. Start with hashtags like #Medicare, #retire, #retirement, #turning65, #medicareparta, #medicarepartb, and #medicaresupplement.
- Study successful TikTok content to start seeing viral patterns and spark inspiration for your own videos. Some of the most viral videos are spin-offs of other viral videos.
- Add a link to your bio so people can learn more about you and visit your website.
Here are a couple of successful videos to give you inspiration:
7. Cross-post Short Videos to Instagram and Facebook
If you've gone through the effort to create a short TikTok video, get as much out of it as you can by posting it to Instagram and Facebook and well.
These two platforms are integrated, so if you post to Instagram, you can have it automatically post that same video to your Facebook page as well.
Tip: Instagram and Facebook reels must be shorter than 90 seconds, while TikTok lets you go up to 10 minutes. To be as efficient as possible, consider keeping all videos under 90 seconds so you can quickly post them everywhere. If you can't, split the video up into parts for Instagram and Facebook.
Work smart, not hard!
8. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
There’s a lot more to LinkedIn than just putting your name and resume on your profile. We teamed up with 4 LinkedIn experts and coaches who shared all the tips and tricks for generating leads and moving traffic through your LinkedIn profile.
You can read their coaching secrets here.
9. Send Newsletters to Your Email List
Email is one of the leading ways to stay connected with your clients.
You should absolutely have an email for all existing clients, and you should be capturing their emails on your website (we will explain this later in this article).
When you generate new content, send it out to your list. For many agents, email is one of the top traffic sources for their website.
Paid Advertising
Paid advertising is a surefire way to get your website in the eyes of prospects.
The downside, of course, is that it costs money, but the upside is that you’re able to reliably and effectively send the right people to your site.
10. Run Facebook Ads
One of our favorite advertising methods is Facebook.
You can definitely afford to buy ads and show them directly to your target audience, for as little as $5 per day.
We've had a lot of success with running local paid ads promoting educational Medicare workshops.
These are the settings we use:
- Age range of 64+
- 40 mile radius around our workshop location
That's literally it – we stopped adding income and interest targeting as a test and found that our results were much better.
We know of other agents who do the same thing but with educational webinars. You can even pre-record them so that you don't have to constantly do live ones. It's certainly worth testing!
11. Use Google Search Ads
Google search ads are incredibly powerful.
Here’s why: people are typing in their specific questions and problems, and your website is popping up with the answer or solution.
It might sound too good to be true, and it sort of is… Google search ads are expensive. What’s worse is that ads in the insurance space are some of the most expensive ads out there.
However, if you want to see some action, this could be an incredible place to invest your money.
As someone who manages Google search ads, I have to admit: you want to hire a professional for this. It takes a lot of time and skill to learn Google's system, and it requires daily maintenance as you adjust your bids.
I believe anyone in any industry can run a simple Facebook ad, but when it comes to Google ads, if it's not your profession, I'd outsource it.
12. Buy a Billboard Space
If you’re primarily local, a billboard space can be a great investment.
Many local businesses find a huge jump in prospective clients when they invest in a billboard. While they can be expensive, they’re well worth it, especially if you have a great design.
With billboards, it’s important that you say the most with the least amount of words, which can be tricky. A designer or even the billboard provider can help you fine-tune your message.
In general, a quick Google search in your area will show you how you can start advertising on a billboard. Get ready, though – it can be pricey, with the average cost being about $500 per month.
Share Your Insights
13. Engage on Quora
Quora is today’s popular version of Yahoo! Answers.
Regular people ask questions, and experts flock to answer them. The real draw of Quora is that if your answer is really well-thought out, people will “upvote” it, and before long, it’ll be the top answer.
People will seek you out, and you can generate a lot of traffic to your website.
Guest Eirini Kafourou wrote an article for us, and she explained how Quora alone generated a large number of sales for her platform. You can read about that here.
14. Post to Reddit
Similar to Quora is the most popular forum of all time – Reddit.
The key to being successful here is to NEVER sell. The users of Reddit are very antsy about salesmen infiltrating their area, so always come with value and value alone.
For example, if there’s a senior asking a question about insurance, don’t say “Get a quote from me now!” Instead, explain their options in a helpful, educational way.
It may seem like a waste of time, but your helpful answers can turn you into a mentor, and people may soon be flocking to you for professional help.
It doesn't hurt that Google's Helpful Content algorithm update (HCU) in late-2023 heavily favors discussion forums, giving you even more opportunity for visibility.
15. Be a Source for a Journalist
Connectively, formerly called HARO, which stands for Help a Reporter Out, is an outlet for news reporters. Reporters submit their questions, and sources can reply to them for a chance to be interviewed or featured.
If a topic shows up, and you’re an expert in that area, you can “pitch” your contribution, and the reporter can follow up with you. If the reporter likes your pitch, you may be featured in their publication.
It’s a great opportunity – the reporter gets the story finished, and you get free press.
You can go the Connectively website, click “Join Now,” and you can start browsing through the feed. You can even type in keywords to help you filter the queries.
16. Reach out to Local Radio Stations
Radio advertising is expensive, but what if you were part of the radio show?
A great method for successfully being featured on the air is by doing something called newsjacking.
You take a breaking news event and use it to generate media coverage for yourself.
Here’s a random example: It’s the weekend of the 4th of July. A local hearing aid specialist reaches out to the station to speak about the importance of protecting your ears during the fireworks show.
And another: CMS just passed a new regulation. A local insurance agent reaches out to the station to provide an explanation and expert commentary on what it is and what it means for the average Medicare beneficiary.
17. Be a Guest On Someone Else’s Podcast
Unless it’s a one-man show, podcasts usually feature some kind of interview. While there aren’t a ton of podcasts that speak directly about insurance, there are ways to get yourself out there.
There are insurance agent podcasts out there, such as Agency Nation, but you really want to find a podcast where your potential customers are hanging out.
Half of the battle is awareness – you want people to recognize your name. Being interviewed on a podcast is a great way to do this.
18. Write Insightful Comments on Other Website’s Articles
People do read the comments. If your comment is thoughtful and adds to the discussion in an interesting way, people might think twice: who is this guy?
It might sound far-fetched, but it happens all the time.
While your energy is probably better spent crafting your own articles, a fantastic comment or two could pay off in the long run.
Optimize Your Website
19. Add Social Media Share Buttons to Your Website
A few years ago, we did a giant study on independent insurance agents’ websites. We graded them using a variety of factors, and one was all about the social media.
Out of the 50 websites, 15 of them didn’t link to social media, or their social links were broken.
While that’s not too bad, there’s no reason you shouldn’t advertise your social media on your website.
Even if you can only keep up with Facebook, make sure there’s a social media share button somewhere on your site.
20. Ask for Emails
If you have a website, you absolutely must be asking for contact information. A lot of people get this wrong, thinking that a Contact page will suffice.
But unless someone is really ready to reach out, they're not going to fill out your contact form.
Most people are very hesitant to give our their information, unless you have an irresistible offer. This is pretty easy for people who sell things, because they just offer a percentage off the first purchase. 20% off my first order? Take my email!
However, insurance is a lot different. You can’t exactly run a promotion for 10% off a Medicare Supplement.
To give you some inspiration, most successful downloads we've done (these are called "lead magnets" in the marketing world) are:
- Medicare Cost Worksheet: this interactive PDF helps consumers figure out how much Medicare will cost them
- Turning 65 Checklist: this one-page checklist helps new Medicare beneficiaries ensure they don't miss any important steps related to signing up for Medicare
- Funeral Planner: this multi-page planner helps people do end-of-life planning to ensure their family knows all the key details along with their final wishes.
There are plugins that help you add this feature to your site, and there also professional services, like Sumo, that offer “welcome mats” and various other ways to capture more email addresses.
Whatever it is, make sure you’re asking for emails, and make sure you deliver on that promise.
21. Add Names to Your Images for SEO
If your website is already up and running, I want you to take a look at your image names.
For example, maybe you have a photo of yourself on the “about” page. What’s the photo named?
If you’re anything like me, it’s probably something like “IMG_3926.” That’s not the best for SEO, and it's also not great for accessibility.
Before you upload images to your site, name them something meaningful.
So, for your headshot, you might name it “Insurance Agent in Decatur Illinois.”
Now that’s a powerful keyword phrase. Google notices these things, so you might as well capitalize on them.
22. Link to Other Blog Posts On Your Website
If your blog posts relate to each other, include links to them.
Interlinking your blog posts helps immensely with SEO, and it also helps keep people on your website longer.
So, perhaps you wrote an article about Medicare Supplements. In the article, you might talk about how much they cost. Here, you could link to another article you wrote about the costs of Medicare.
The more your articles link together, the better your website will rank on search engines.
Link to Your Website
23. Update Your Email Signature
It’s easy as pie – make sure your website URL is in your email signature. This is simply another way to send traffic to your site. And it couldn’t possibly be any easier.
24. Include Your Website URL On Business Cards
If you have business cards, add your website URL to it. Most people want to feel you out before they make any decisions, so a phone number and email usually isn’t enough.
By adding your website to the business card, you give people an opportunity to check you out – what’s he all about?
Tip: You can also add a QR code to your business card to make visiting your website even easier. There are many services out there that can generate a QR code for you – Adobe offers a free one.
We recommend Vistaprint for ordering inexpensive business cards. Their website makes it easy to design one – you don’t need a professional designer for this.
25. Any Flyers or Direct Mailers Should Have Your Website Link
If you invest in flyers or mailers, make sure you include your website URL.
You want to give people every opportunity to be exposed to you and your services. So, before you send off any marketing materials, be sure your website link is included.
26. Create a Google Business Profile Listing
If you have a physical office location, a Google Business Profile (formerly called Google My Business) listing is a no brainer, but if you don't, it's still a good idea.
It gives you credibility, it'll help local searchers find you easier, and you can link to your website.
We teach you exactly how to set this up here: Google Business Profiles for Insurance Agents (a How-To)
Conclusion
If you spend time and money creating a website, it's worthwhile to do a few extra things to promote it.
Even small efforts can have a big impact if you're consistent about it. If you have any questions about how to get more visitors to your agent website, drop a comment below!
