International Health Insurance Brokers: online marketing ideas

Online marketing is using the power of the internet to communicate with existing and potential customers through a variety of tactics including:

• A website
• Social media
• Paid online advertising
   

Start with your website. All other online marketing channels will lead potential customers to your website so ensure it provides users with the best experience possible.

If your business site needs a refresh, our advice is to call in the professionals as there is a lot to think about. When working with a web development company, it is best to approach the conversation with some knowledge of what matters when designing a website. There are several topics worth having some knowledge about:

In 2017 about half of the web page views around the world were on a mobile device. The expat hubs of Asia and Africa are leaders when it comes to mobile internet usage.  Google, the first port of call for online searches for three quarters of the world, is acknowledging the move to mobile by giving preference to websites that are easy to view on a small screen. Do not create a separate mobile website, this is an outdated practice. Instead ensure any proposed design is responsive to mobile devices. A responsive website will format itself according to the device it is viewed on.

If you want to add content to your website without needing a developer, ensure it is built with a content management system (CMS) that is simple to use. Wordpress or Joomla are good options for easy editing. It is worth getting expert guidance on how to best edit your website so it’s overall structure remains clear and easy to navigate.

Have you ever been on a website where you couldn’t do what you wanted to easily? It may have been to purchase something, find contact details or book a hotel room. Chances are you left the website feeling frustrated and didn’t return.

That was a poor user experience and visitors are 88% less likely to return to your website if the usability is poor. Work with your developer to ensure visitor usability is clear and easy. Visitors to the website of an international health insurance broker might be looking for information on:

• The products offered
• Insurers you work with
• How to contact you for a quote

No-one knows your clients as well as you do, so put that knowledge to good use by including a section with the answers to the most commonly asked questions  on your website.

This is a marketing tactic that helps a website perform well on search engines. Optimising your website for your audience will help your business reach them when they are searching for information online.

There are many elements involved in search engine optimisation including; site speed and mobile optimisation, but at its core is content. Search engines try to match users to the websites with the most relevant information. You should ensure your website contains as many answers to the questions your consumers are asking your business. There are certain content formats that suit certain industries, so if you are in the business of international health insurance you should familiarise yourself with what results are top of the rankings.

One of the ways to keep your website fresh and up to date is by creating content that is relevant to your target audience and adding it to your site, usually in the form of a blog. If your topics are carefully chosen to appeal to your target audience, over time, your readers may become clients. This is the overarching goal of inbound marketing. Rather than asking users to blatantly buy your services, you create helpful content that will show them the benefits of it.

As an international insurance broker, providing clients with a high value product, trust in you is key. Research by Search Engine People showed blogs are the 5th most trusted source of online information as they come straight from the company itself. They also found those who blog regularly receive 67% more leads than those who don’t.

The basic steps you need to complete are:

• Understand your customer, what questions do they have that you can help answer?
• Think about topics related to the products you offer. As an international health insurance broker these could include the challenges of moving abroad, acclimatising to a new culture as well as choosing an international health insurance policy.
• Match the format to how we read online, we usually scan instead of reading full sentences. Potential clients will find your content easier to digest if it is broken up with:
          1. Subheadings
          2. Bullet points
          3. Bold for important points

• Consistency and quality is more important than frequency, although if you have the resources to blog multiple times a week, do. Otherwise focus on creating one good piece of content every week or two and publishing it at regular intervals.

Ask existing customers to provide testimonials for your website but also ask them to leave a Google review for the work you have done with them. Over 90% of consumers read online reviews. Positive reviews are an easy way to increase the number of customers contacting you.

Once you have your website in order you can look at promoting your business through social media. The volume of social media available can be overwhelming. The best approach to take is to, once again, step into the shoes of your customer and consider where they might go looking for information on your product.

It is useful to know that you must pay for advertising in most forms of social media for it to be seen.