We've all heard claims that “e-mail is dying” and the “next”social media platform whether it is Facebook, Twitter,Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest or Snapchat is the newsilver bullet for marketers.

But e-mail marketing is far from dead, and every agency ownershould place e-mail ahead of social media efforts. This is notmeant to steer you away from social media, but to help youprioritize your efforts by focusing on “low-hanging fruit.”

The fact is, 60% of consumers prefer communicating withbrands through regular e-mail updates and newsletters compared tosocial media platforms.

Yes, social media can be effective, but you’ll want to make sureyou master e-mail first. Here’s why:

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  • You already have the email addresses of yourclients. A seasoned agency may have 2,000 to 4,000 clientsand hopefully has e-mail addresses for the majority of theseclients. Contrast that with social media; even a Facebook superstaris only going to convince 10 to 20% of their entire book to jointhem on social media. This number is even less if the demographicis older.
  • Your clients or prospects don’t have “join” a newsocial network to engage with you. This one is key, almosteveryone has an e-mail address, but not everyone is on socialmedia. What you can be sure of is reaching your clients via theirinbox through email marketing.
    
    Okay, so let’s just say that you’ve convinced that 10% to 20% ofyour book to “like” your Facebook page or interact in some way. Inorder for this to truly have a positive impact on your return oninvestment and customer retention, they have to remember to visityour page. You are not staying top of mind this way.
    
    In addition, it’s important to remember that once a client orprospect has visited your page, there's a good chance the contentwon't be seen unless it’s boosted (pay to play).
  • E-mail marketing is the best option for “one to many”touches. If you are going to make the effort to createawesome content, you might as well get the most of these efforts bysharing this with your entire book.
    
    A perfect example is Holidays. Plenty of agents posting “HappyHolidays” content on Facebook, whether it be a picture, a blogpost, or even a short video. Why not send this content to yourentire book? Sharing content via e-mail is a simple andcost-effective way to touch your entire book and can be a great“retention touch.” A simple touch throughout the year can helpto reinforce your value.

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Your agency can use automated messages to stay welcome newclients and stay in touch with them throughout the year. (Photo:iStock)

With e-mail marketing, you can leverage automation

For birthdays: Not every service provider hasthe birthdays of his or her clients (think about mortgage, realestate, auto dealers, etc.). As an insurance professional, there isa unique opportunity to reach your clients on their special daywith automated e-mail marketing for Birthdays. Two of the morepopular email marketing service providers are MailChimp and ConstantContact which make it easy for agents to set up birthdaycampaigns along with the ability to “bulk blast” your book.

For welcoming new clients: After a new clienthas joined your agency, a best practice is to send them a series ofonboarding e-mails automatically.

Here's an example of a welcoming sequence of emails for newclients:

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  • Day 1: Thank you from the agency owner withlink to a survey.
  • Day 7: Meet the team showcasing the staff witha photo and contact information.
  • Day 21: “We are a ‘full-service agency’ andcan help with all of your insurance needs.”
  • Day 35: “Are you a fan of our agency? Pleaseleave us an online review at Yelp Google+, etc.”
  • Day 90: “Have you had any changes in yourlife? Be sure to tell us (P.S. it could save youmoney.)”
  • Day 270: The importance of an annualreview.

Easy to track and measure results

A great feature of these e-mail services is that you can measureopen rates. If open rates are low, tweak it and test it. Learn fromthe process and you will gain insight into what is effective andwhat isn’t for your email list.

Plus, if you were to just use e-mail for your retention touches,this could provide fantastic cost savings compared to printedoptions.

If an e-mail is sent to 3,000 people, and you get a 15% openrate, you just reached 450 people with that valuable informationwho have already done business with you. Compare that with aboosted Facebook post about flood insurance to an audience that maynot even own a home!

Here is what you should do:

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  • Decide which email marketing platform works best for you, justmake sure there is a birthday campaign feature.
  • Focus on the type of content you want to curate or create.
  • Choose the frequency at which you want to connect with youremail list, whether it is once a month or once a week, keep itconsistent.
  • Most importantly, measure results.

You are better off to perfect one, then dabble in the manydifferent marketing initiatives available to you.

Focus on what is most important first, building your email listand creating a consistent e-mail marketing strategy. Once youconquer this, social media and other forms of marketing can be usedto amplify the foundation you have set in place.

You don’t want to build a skyscraper on a six-inch slab ofconcrete. Just like you don’t want to try to conquer social mediabefore having a solid e-mail marketing strategy in place. Plus,much of the content you create for e-mail, will be good for socialsharing too.

Mike Demko is founder and CEO of Del Mar, Calif.-basedMyInsurance Videos.

Related: 5 e-mail marketing tips for insurancesellers