Let’s get digital!

The internet is changing the pace and the way we do business. Online activity has altered the sales process and the role of the traditional salesperson. The salesperson now has less direct involvement and is engaging prospects at different stages of the process through different channels. People on average are two thirds through the sales cycle before engaging a sales representative. Essentially, it’s changing from a sales led process to a buyer led process so it’s increasingly important to support and facilitate that customer journey through both online and offline touch points.

The ever evolving insurance industry, combined with the fast-moving digital world, means that more and more opportunities are emerging in the area of digital insurance marketing. The challenge with insurance marketing is that it’s more difficult to market a need rather than a want. In addition people struggle to understand product details and how to differentiate between providers.

While more than 50% of all Irish internet users state the internet helps them choose better products and services, the good news for the Broker market is that 88% of all Irish users conduct their research online but purchase offline. The key opportunity here is to make it as easy as possible for people to find you online, understand who you are, the products you sell and why they should choose you. While at the same time, demonstrating how easy it is for them to get in contact with you for that all important fulfilment role.

According to the SME Digital Health Index, an annual survey of 1,000 Irish SMEs, 72% of Irish SMEs now have a website and 89% say their website is important for driving new business. However, two thirds do not promote their businesses online. The main barriers to this are cited as lack of time and lack of digital skills.

Zurich Digital Academy

Given that lack of knowledge is one of the main barriers to digital marketing activity, Zurich carried out research last year with our broker network to understand where the knowledge gaps are. From that we designed a bespoke eight-part digital marketing webinar series. The Digital Marketing Broker Academy is housed in a video rel="noopener noreferrer" content hub on Zurich's Broker website. The hub aims to inform about how to choose the right online channels for your business, ensuring that potential clients can find you online and how to get the most from your digital marketing efforts.

The digital marketing academy series covers topics such as an introduction to digital marketing, website tips, social media marketing, content marketing, search engine advertising, search engine optimisation and Google Analytics. You can watch the videos on demand at your leisure and browse through the topics you’re most interested in. Each main topic has also been broken down into shorter snippets for your convenience. You can download the PDF decks as reference points as you work through your digital marketing plan.

Whether you have no digital marketing knowledge at all or you’re a seasoned digital marketer, the digital marketing broker academy will have something to offer you. Now is the time to start your digital marketing journey.