It isn't easy for small and midsize insurance brokerages to win new business on a playing field that includes both giant rivals like Geico and fast-growing digital upstarts. You need to find a way to even the score, and the most impactful thing you can do is focus on online marketing.

Pushing forward in this direction enables you to easily reach thousands of new prospects in your local area. Online marketing also allows you to maintain a relationship with your existing clients, which is critical for keeping their business and helping you comfortably reach out for referrals, online reviews and word of mouth recommendations.

By leveraging these following key online marketing tactics, you can find new customers easily and nurture existing relationships, even on a budget.

STEP ONE: Make the Initial Investment.

By staying disciplined and focusing on a few key areas of your digital presence, you can make the most of your existing resources. Tackle these basic steps before you invest in more advanced forms of digital marketing.

Establish your online presence. It's a no-brainer. You must have a business website or risk not being found by potential new clients. And in today's gadget-driven world, you need to make sure that website looks great on mobile devices. Consumers are increasingly turning to mobile for their local searches so your website need to functions well when they find you. Not sure where to start? If you are web-savvy or work with a developer, you can follow Google's guidelines for making your site mobile-friendly. If not, ask around and find a consultant or service to optimize your mobile presence. It is worth the effort. Three out of four mobile searches trigger follow-up actions, which can translate to increased revenue for your business.

Optimize for search. Try searching for "insurance" and other common keywords used to find insurance agencies in your city to see what comes up on the first page. If your business isn't there, get to work on search engine optimization (SEO). If you are unfamiliar with SEO, check out books like "Local Online Advertising for Dummies" and sites like Moz for key insights. Many search engines' rules for ranking content change frequently, so review your own ranking at least once a month. You need to make sure you're not slipping down the results pages on major search engines such as Google and Bing.

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Fix your business listings. Search your company name online and check all listings in directories such as YP.com and Yelp to make sure the information about you is correct. Contact any listing service that has published data that is wrong, outdated or incomplete and revise the content where applicable. It won't cost you anything, but it will make it a lot easier for people to reach you.

Get reviewed. Make it a practice to ask for online reviews on critical review sites from every satisfied client. Reviews are vital to the success of your business – 78% of purchasing decisions are influenced by online reviews – but business owners aren't taking control of their online reputation. In a recent survey, 36% of consumers said that a business with such reviews has a competitive advantage, and 40% said they expect it. However, less than one in 10 consumers (7%) have been asked to write a review of a local business, even though the vast majority (89%) said they would be willing to do so if they had a positive experience and were asked.

(Photo: GongTo/Shutterstock.com)

STEP TWO: Protect Your Assets.

Take things to the next level now that you have the basics in place. As you already know, word of mouth marketing is one of the most effective ways to spread the word about your business. Make the most of your online resources to ask satisfied clients to send new clients your way. Here is how.

Offer referral incentives. Give generous discounts to clients who want to share your services with their children, spouse or a friend. A $100 credit may seem high, but it is a small price to pay to win a good client who may ultimately spend thousands of dollars at your business. Get the word out about your referral credit through email blasts, posting it on the home page of your website and sharing it across social media.
Make your contact list a priority. An accurate and informative contact list is one of the most powerful marketing tools. Maintain yours by adding new clients regularly and asking every customer you speak with for their email and physical address, and phone number. Entering notes about previous interactions, birthdays or other relevant information can help you determine the best time for future outreach and campaigns.

(Photo: iQoncept/Shutterstock.com)

Start talking. In a world where we are inundated with emails, you might be surprised to hear this, but your customers want to hear from you. There's a communication gap between what consumers are open to receiving and what local businesses are sharing. Send customers emails with helpful tips, newsletters with information on changes in insurance or encouraging messages that show you care. There are many services that can make this more manageable by allowing you to upload contacts and send professional emails directly from an online platform.

Reward loyalty and surface new business. In a recent survey, 57% of consumers said that offers for returning customers are the best way for a business to stand out. Show your current customers that you want to keep their business by giving them a "welcome back" incentive. In a competitive marketplace, you can never welcome repeat business enough.

(Photo: Feng Yu/Shutterstock.com)

Paul Bascobert is Yodle's president of local. Yodle is a leader in local online marketing that helps 50,000-plus local businesses, including more than 850 insurance providers, find and keep their customers simply and profitably. You can find out more information about Yodle at www.yodle.com or by contacting the company at info@yodle.com or 877-276-5104.

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