Trying to gain organic reach on Facebook can be an uphill battle. As many insurance agents know, even if you get people to “like” your Facebook page, that doesn’t mean they’ll engage with your posts. Many will not even see your posts, due to the way Facebook’s algorithm works. So, the reality is that gaining Facebook leads for insurance agents often depends on advertising.
While you may be hesitant to invest in Facebook advertising, if done well, it can be a better use of your resources than if you were to spend vast amounts of time trying to grow organically. Facebook ads for insurance agents can help get your content directly in front of your target audience.
Whether you want to reach entrepreneurs in Nashville, women across the U.S. interested in finance, accountants over 40, etc., you can set Facebook ads up to try to reach particular segments. Doing so can yield quality Facebook leads for insurance agents, rather than getting engagement from someone who has no likelihood of becoming your customer. Plus, you can focus on specific goals, such as getting people to sign up for a webinar or visit your website.
In this guide, we’ll cover how insurance agents can use Facebook ads to gain quality leads, including by choosing the types of ads to run, creating the actual ad campaigns and what to watch out for along the way.
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Types of Facebook Ads for Insurance Agents
Before going through with a Facebook ad campaign, insurance agents should understand their options. Because of their digital nature, Facebook ads can be more interactive and have more varying objectives than, say, an ad on a park bench.
For one, insurance agents can create Facebook ads that include different types of media, such as photos, videos or slideshows. Facebook ads also come in different formats that can affect how the ads are delivered and/or the goals of the campaigns. Different types of ads that insurance agents can use to gain Facebook leads include:
Lead ads:
One of the more direct ways to gain Facebook leads for insurance agents is to use Facebook’s lead ads. As the name implies, these ads are designed specifically to generate leads.
“People can simply tap your ad and a form pops up—it’s already pre-populated with their Facebook contact information and ready to be sent directly to you,” explains Facebook.
These lead ads can be customized with questions that you’d like to include on the lead gen form. And once a prospect fills out the form, you can include different CTAs, such as prompting someone to request an appointment to speak with you.
Link ads:
Another way to generate Facebook leads for insurance agents is to use link ads. These ads are designed to have users click through to a link you provide, which might be your own lead gen form, your website, a landing page, etc.
If you use a platform like Wheelhouse to create custom landing pages, then link ads can be a great way to drive traffic to these destinations. You might not be able to fit everything you want into an ad or lead gen form, so being able to drive traffic to landing pages might help in cases where you want to share more information or have prospects obtain bindable quotes.
Messenger ads:
One creative type of campaign can be to use Messenger ads. If users click these ads, Facebook’s Messenger app will then open to allow for direct conversations. This may not be the most direct way to generate Facebook leads for insurance agents, but it can help start a relationship in a more personal way than prospects might be used to.
Developing Facebook Ad Campaigns for Insurance Agents
Having an understanding of the different types of Facebook ads insurance agents can use can help you then start to create your actual campaign. Doing so can be a quick, easy process, and Facebook offers tons of resources to help you get started.
But you don’t want to jump in blindly. To try to maximize your return on investment, consider the following:
Set your goals and budget:
Your goals for your Facebook ad campaigns tie in closely with the type of ads you select and your budget. For example, some insurance agents might try to generate large numbers of leads to build out their networks. Not all of those leads will convert, but having a wide range might help you down the road, such as if you start to get more engagement on your social media channels.
If this is your goal, yet you have a limited budget, then you might want to try a campaign that gets you more bang for your buck, based on factors like your audience and the amount you bid to have your ad shown within users’ feeds. However, if you’re more so focused on getting your ads in front of quality prospects and you have a larger budget, you might be willing to bid higher to increase the odds of users seeing your campaign.
“If you try to bid too low, your campaign may not get the exposure it deserves, and you won’t reach your goals. Remember, you always get what you pay for,” says AdEspresso, an ad management platform.
Choose your audience:
When creating a Facebook ad, you can select your target audience. Factors such as location, age and interests can all be used to help insurance agents get their ads in front of people who might be in the market for business insurance.
In general, the more you can target your ideal customers, the more likely insurance agents will generate relevant Facebook leads. Otherwise, ads targeted at all users mean you’ll spend money on those who have no need for business insurance.
As mentioned, different audiences will have different costs to advertise to, so you may want to play around with how choosing different factors affects the clicks you can get for your budget.
Select your creative/messages:
Once you know who you’re trying to target, it’s time to actually create an ad that can help insurance agents get Facebook leads. Think about whether your audience might prefer different forms of media, such as pictures vs. videos. A busy audience, for instance, might prefer a photo that catches their eyes enough to stop scrolling.
Think about what your ad needs to say to capture this audience too. A simple message like “shop for business insurance” might not be very effective. Put yourself in your target customers’ shoes. What would make you click on an ad? Maybe a line about cost savings, budgeting or risk management would be more effective than a “buy now” message.
As you develop Facebook ad campaigns, it’s important to use Facebook’s built-in reporting tools to see how your ads perform. You may need to go through some trial and error to find what types of ads work for different audiences.
Potential Pitfalls With Facebook Ads for Insurance Agents
To get the most out of your Facebook ads so you can gain more Facebook leads, insurance agents should be aware of potential pitfalls. Some issues mean Facebook won’t approve your ads. Whereas others may affect your customer experience or overall effectiveness in terms of gaining Facebook leads.
Examples of pitfalls include:
Issues with Landing Pages:
Facebook has rules around landing pages. They are relatively easy to follow, but you should be aware of them in advance. For instance, your ad copy and imagery should align with your landing page. If you post an ad that includes an image of puppies, but your landing page is about a webinar on business insurance, that could cause your ad to get rejected. Other examples of rules include not making landing pages PDF or JPEG files.
Too Much Text:
In the past, Facebook had rules around how much text could be in your ad images. While these rules no longer apply, insurance agents may still want to be mindful of how much text they use. “Make sure most of the text you use is in the body text instead of directly on the ad’s image,” Facebook advises.
Data misuse:
Data-related/privacy laws can vary by location and industry. You should keep in mind what rules apply to your specific situation and consult with legal counsel if necessary. In general, though, insurance agents should be mindful of how they use data. For example, you might not want to buy a list of email addresses to advertise to on Facebook.
Turning Facebook Leads Into Sales for Insurance Agents
As you become more successful at creating Facebook ads that attract leads, it’s important to be able to close deals. Using InsurTech like Wheelhouse, powered by Talage, can help.
For example, you can create custom landing pages that you can incorporate into your Facebook ads. When prospects click through, they can easily obtain bindable quotes. Similarly, if you direct traffic to your website, you can use Wheelhouse to allow these new leads to quickly get quotes. In contrast, if leads are directed to a contact page or an about page, they might not take the extra steps to connect with you and learn what type of coverage they can obtain.
Turning Facebook leads into sales can still be challenging for insurance agents. But the better you can get at finding qualified prospects through Facebook and directing them to resources that let them find the information they need, you may be able to convert more prospects into customers.