FREE Insurance Sales & Marketing IDEAS » QUESTION #4
From the Q&A Column in Agency Ideas® newsletter

Q>

We want to market personal lines insurance by email to prospects within a particular upscale neighborhood. How can we obtain their email addresses? Do you have any suggestions?

A>

There are many ways to collect an individual’s email address. One of best methods is to entice them with a promotional giveaway on your website. A time-tested promotion is a drawing for a free dinner for two at a popular eatery in the neighborhood you’ve targeted. Today, many restaurants are having a hard time filling their tables and are more willing than ever to work with you. Offer to buy monthly dinners for two, with a value of at least $50, for a year. In exchange for the $600+ in guaranteed sales, the restaurant distributes a postcard [sample below] to each diner with their bill. The card invites people to visit a special email address collection form on your agency’s website. This web form can easily be set up to gather more than just an email address. Also ask for the auto x-date and the month in which the prospect bought their house.

Once you get enough email addresses, conduct a drawing to determine the winner. You then email the lucky person and notify the restaurant. To make sure that you reach everyone, also mail the postcard to every address within your desired neighborhood. This action helps to promote your agency and the restaurant. You might even get the owner to share the cost of the mailing.

Below is a mock-up of how the postcard might look. If the restaurant employs its own graphic style, use their look instead.