For today's consumers, Auto insurance is a multi-channelexperience.

Consumers shopping for Auto insurance increasingly preferdigital and online forms of engagements, such as online advertisingand insurance websites in comparison to more traditional channels,such as personal recommendations and in-person meetings atinsurance agencies.

According to a report by Rocket Fuel, one in four consumers now requesta quote directly on the insurer's website, up 9% from 2014.Research by ComScore validates these finding in a studythat says that the majority of shoppers are doing so online andsecuring multiple quotes. According to the findings, "the number ofconsumers who shopped for auto insurance in 2015 held steady at46%, consistent with 2014. Of those consumers who shopped in thepast year, 71% of them did so online, up from 67% in 2013."

Auto insurance shoppers considering a new insurance providertypically will research providers of which they are already aware.Implementing brand awareness strategies to reach consumers duringthis phase will ensure your company is considered as consumersbegin their path to purchase.

The report by Rocket Fuel found that compared to last year,there was a 50% increase of consumers first becoming aware of Autoinsurance providers through ads, either on TV or digital. There hasalso been an increase of consumers who use search engines duringthis initial phase of awareness. This points to a huge opportunityfor Auto insurance marketers to influence consumers through digitalchannels.

Once consumers are aware of the Auto insurers they want toresearch, they continue to consult a variety of channels to reach adecision.

The most popular choice continues to be consulting with afriend, parent or colleague (27%). However, this habit is on thedecline compared with 34% of respondents a year ago. Digitalresearch channels have significantly risen in popularity, with onein four consumers (24%) researching new Auto insurance providersthrough digital sources. Use of search activity is also up from theprevious year, and use of search (24%), insurer websites (20%) andonline advertising (10%) all increased compared with one yearago.

Related: Insurers not quite reaching digital transformation,survey says

When requesting a quote, there have also been significantchanges in the channels consumers uses. No surprise, this channelis also becoming digitized. According to Rocket Fuel, "one in four(26%) consumers now request a quote directly on the insurer'swebsite, up 9% from 2014. As a consequence, the percentage ofconsumers opting to meet with an agent in person to request a quotedropped by 12%, down 24% compared to 2014."

Here are four ways to implement digital strategies to reach autoinsurance shoppers throughout the purchase journey:

E-mail is a good way to target messages to Auto insuranceprospects to keep your company on their minds. (Photo:iStock)

1. Get found online

With consumers heading to the Internet for research, insurancecompanies need to establish a strong online presence. This includesinvesting in a robust website with easy-to-use quote forms andtools, a good SEO strategy, and search advertising. In a recentsurvey by G/O Digital, 42% of respondents said thatonline ads will trigger a purchase.

2. Stay top of mind

As consumers begin interacting with brands through onlinesources, auto insurers must also implement strategies to continueto stay top of mind and engage them throughout the entire buyingjourney.

E-mail is a great way to engage prospects. Consumers expect tobe known based on their likes, dislikes and lifestyles.Personalized targeted messages based on this information will go along way to convert prospects into customers. This means insurancecompanies must implement real-time strategies to collectinformation across multiple touchpoints. By collecting theseinsights into consumer behavior, the right message can be targetedto consumers at the most opportune moment.

3. Take advantage of social

How exactly can insurers benefit from social media?

According to research by LeadSift, the number of social opportunities onsocial media is a huge goldmine of untapped potential.

In one month:

• 3.7 million tweets about insurance.
• 23,401 social tweets about purchase intent.
• The dollar value of insurance opportunities on social media is$15 million.

4. Optimize online forms During the request forquote policy, more shoppers are using online forms.

Making these forms as user-friendly and easy-to-use as possiblewill provide a better experience for prospects, which willultimately enhance brand their engagement. Consider using real-timeservice to reduce costly drain on data-processing resources,instantly access rich customer insights and verify and correct dataas it is entered. 

For example, a verification process can correct informationprovided through web forms, customer relationship managementsoftware or order-entry systems. If the wrong email address orphone when a lead is received, real-time verification software willcorrect the information before it is entered into a database forfollow-up.  Or with only a phone number, e-mail address oraddress, real-time services can be used on forms to identify if thecontact is a current customer or a prospect.  Theseservices can also shorten web forms to only require a phone ore-mail address and additional information can be instantlypopulated (i.e. address, alternate phones, emails, etc.).

Consumers are gradually shifting their paths to purchase fromtraditional channels to digital channels. As consumers increasinglyprefer more self-directed approaches to buying insurance products,it will be up to insurance marketers to use more data-drivendigital strategies to reach these prospective new customers at theright moments.

Jim Kaiser is vice president of data solutions for WesleyChapel, Fla.-based data marketing company DataMentors.

Related: 5 e-mail marketing tips for insurancesellers

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