Since the inception of MySpace in 2003, new social media platforms have been created each year, totaling more than one hundred as of 2015.

Around 641 new apps are added the the Apple App Store each day.

Technology, in short, is in a state of perpetual change. One day, Facebook is the go to social media marketing tool. The next, it’s LinkedIn.

However, one piece of technology has remained constant through all of the changes: email. Though it wasn’t named email until 1993, messages have been sent via the internet since 1978, and in reality, very little has changed during that time.

More than 3.9 billion email accounts exist worldwide, and email users check their accounts regularly, even when they’re on vacation. A recent study by the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company revealed that email is almost 40 times better at bringing in new clients than Facebook and Twitter. One reason? More people use email on a daily basis.

How can email marketing help your small insurance agency?

Email marketing allows you to speak to your audience individually.

An email feels more personal than blanket posts via social media platforms. Even automated emails can be generated to feel intimate and targeted, using clients’ first names, for example, rather than generic salutations.

Emails also allow you to segment your market and address the specific needs of each segment. For example, separate emails could be created for your senior market and for your young professional market, addressing the unique pain points of each.

Emails have staying power.

The average lifespan of a tweet is less than an hour. Facebook posts may make it three hours before they’re shoved down below the fold. An email, however, can sit in an inbox for days. It’s not unusual for emails to be opened several times as clients consider the content, which means your small insurance agency can spend some quality time in front of prospective and existing clients.

Emails provide an opportunity for one on one engagement with clients.

When a client or prospective client shows an interest in email sent by your agency, you have an opportunity to address that client in a meaningful way as an individual. In this way, emails can help agencies build two way lines of communication with clients.

Emails provide another venue for sharing online content.

When used effectively, emails can be yet another tool for bringing clients to your website. They can be used to share blog posts and social media links, helping clients and prospective clients find you online.

Need help building your email marketing campaign?

Agencies Online, LLC provides assistance catered to the marketing needs of small, independent insurance agencies. If you’re interested in learning how we can help you establish a winning email marketing campaign, give us a call today!