Feeling unsure about the best way to market your insurance agency? Relax. Coming up with a good strategy isn’t as hard as you think. In fact, you need look no further than your own team of great agents to discover what should lie at the heart of all your marketing efforts.

Chances are, your best people are the best because they personify certain qualities that nearly everyone looks for in a trusted agent. It only makes sense that whatever methods you use to market your business should reflect those same qualities. So just what are some of those must-have qualities for an agent and a marketing campaign?

Availability. Simply being there, being more accessible than someone else, can make the difference between a client choosing one agent over another. The same is true when it comes to your agency’s marketing campaign. For people to choose you, they first have to see you. You simply can’t afford to be ignored. Advertise, leverage relationships, maintain an active social media presence – whatever it takes to make sure you’re at the forefront when potential clients are ready to make their choice.

Reliability. Everything that an agent reaps by being available can be destroyed in the instant that he/she disengages. Similarly, truly effective marketing has to continue long after the “hook” or the “sale.” When clients have questions, make sure you’re there to answer. When they follow your agency on Facebook or Twitter, make sure you acknowledge them. Keep your website and blog posts current and relevant. When you stop being there, so will your clients.

Empathy. Everybody likes to be understood. Great agents know how to connect with clients in ways that say “I get where you’re coming from.” Make sure that your marketing efforts do the same. One of the best ways to do that is to humanize your brand. In other words, take every opportunity to remind your audience – and yourself  – that you’re not just an agency or a business, you’re people just like them. Think like people. Present yourselves like people. For some more specific tips on what that means, especially when using social media, click here.

Authenticity. Clients want agents who are honest and candid – who “keep it real.” They expect better than a “walking commercial” who will say anything anytime to snare them. Great agents know their real goals, mission and purpose; and are consistent about sharing them, while still listening and being open to clients’ needs and ideas. Market your agency in the same way. Here’s what some big businesses have to say about the importance of authenticity in today’s marketing.

Perceptiveness. The best agents not only know what to say, they pick up on cues that help them determine when and how to say it. Perhaps even more important, they know when to stop talking. Remember that superior marketing isn’t a monologue. It’s a conversation during which listening to the audience is at least as important as telling your agency’s story.