Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Insurance agents and financial advisors, especially in this day and age, are competing for more than just a prospect's attention. They're often competing against people who offer very, very similar services and products in their community.
So if a prospect has a dozen options to choose from, why should they choose you, Joe? That's the question we're hoping to answer today. We're talking about personal branding and especially around busy seasons like aep, how you stand out in your market can be a real difference maker. So when we're talking about personal branding specific to the health and wealth industry, Joe, what are we talking about?
[00:00:36] Speaker B: We're talking about ourselves and what we bring to the table that sets us apart from the agent or advisor next to us. So think about what people say before you walk into a room. That is your personal brand. That is what you spend time building. You know, if we're all out here and you mentioned it, we're selling the same products and we're talking about the same, you know, the same options. What sets it apart is the way that we explain it, the way that we connect with people, the way that we make people feel and our story of why we're doing what it is that we're doing, that's what sets us all apart.
[00:01:03] Speaker A: Why is it, it feels like a personal brand matters more to someone in a trust based industry.
So for, you know, Medicare agents out there or those handling financial matters for families, those are some of the biggest decisions that folks will face. So what role does a personal brand play play? When you're building trust with, with your
[00:01:23] Speaker B: audience, it plays a critical role. I mean, would you rather work with somebody that you trust and that, and that you feel comfortable with or somebody where you're like, I don't even know who this person is, but I'm going to go ahead and have them help me with my money decisions? You're not going to do that. And the more that people build their personal brands, the more that you put yourself out there and people understand your history. What is it, what is it in your past that made you do what it is that you're doing today? What is your why of why you, you know, why you do what you do today? Your style of approach, you're going to connect with the people that you should be connecting with. You're not, you may not connect with everybody. You're going to have people that are like, nah, you're not really my flavor and that's fine. But the people whose flavor you are, those are the ones where you're going to build Those strong, lasting relationships with. And that's really what you're trying to do, is you're trying to show people who you are and what makes you different.
[00:02:08] Speaker A: I think it's easy to assume in really any business that if you're losing business to a competitor, that it comes down to their offer or maybe they beat you on price. And that's not to say that that doesn't happen sometimes because consumers are just looking for the better deal. But how often would you think, is it that prospects just don't see the difference between their options? So it's a coin flip?
[00:02:31] Speaker B: Oh, I think that happens all the time. I think, you know, that's where you see people who are just online and they're looking, you know, if they are looking for the best deal, they don't understand that a lot of the times it's the same products, it's the same thing that we're all offering, and they're just picking whoever, you know, came on there first. But imagine if you were out there with your personal brand from the beginning and you were explaining products and you were explaining options and you were explaining things that maybe they're not thinking about. You know, we live in this world every single day of insurance. It's not the most entertaining topic, but there's a lot of things that people don't know about it and they don't realize the questions maybe they should be asking or the things that they should be thinking of. So the more that a person can get ahead of that and, and be able to explain that and provide value and, and help protect their, you know, their local community or their potential clients, and the more that people are going to value that relationship and depend on you to help make them or guide them if they're decide if they're making the right decision.
[00:03:26] Speaker A: Let's say you are posting on social media, you're making the videos and you're sending emails, you're, you're doing all of the things, but you're, you're still not seeing the results that you're hoping for. The problem oftentimes might not have anything to do with how much marketing you're doing. It can also, it can often come down to the fact that you're not doing enough to stand out. And so that's where we're going to help you today, is to help you stand out and make those decisions in your market easier for those prospects.
And Joe, we talked about this a little bit. It's easy to start thinking about products, pricing and carriers when we're thinking about what sets agents apart, but that's not the full story. So what are some specific tactics that agents can start doing to identify their key differentiators so they can start building a personal brand?
[00:04:11] Speaker B: One of the things, and I think we've talked about this a lot, is really narrowing it down to one Persona that you're talking to and it's finding your niche. You know, we always say that, you know, the riches is in the niches and it's deciding. So I always joke and say, my person, Sally. I always talk to Sally, and she's that person who's trying, she's an agent, she's trying to grow into an agency, and she's trying to learn marketing. She is who I speak to every single time I'm posting on YouTube or anything else. And, and that's where I, my messaging stays on key. And I'm not trying to talk to 10,000 different people. I'm just being me and I'm just speaking to the audience that I'm trying, you know, that I should be speaking to my, my niche audience.
[00:04:49] Speaker A: So let's say you've determined that niche audience and you are crystal clear about who you're talking to. Which, by the way, is the most important step here. Because if you're not sure who you're communicating to, then it's, it's going to be really difficult for that message to land. And, and so speaking of that messaging, Joe, what does the agent or advisor have to do to ensure that they are tailoring their messaging to that audience so that they can help themselves stand out?
[00:05:14] Speaker B: It's being you and it's being real and your real experiences and who you are to the story and sharing that. So if, you know, if I was selling life insurance and say I was selling life insurance to, to new families and new mothers, then I would also explain, I'm a mother of five. I've been through this. And, and it's sharing those type of experiences of if, if it's life insurance because, you know, for, for a married couple, and it's saying, hey, I know somebody who's, you know, had these situations in the past, and it's sharing those experiences with them and speaking directly with them and it's relating to them on a different level.
It's, it's not going straight to the product and saying, oh, well, you know, here's this product and here's what the price is, and this is all you need to know. It's connecting with them at a different level and explaining to them that this may not be something that you're thinking about right now, but I want to make sure you're aware that this is a scenario that I faced before, and this is why I do what I do, and this is why I try to protect as many people as I can and make sure that they're aware that, you know, these are the, this is the protection you need for unexpecting times.
[00:06:12] Speaker A: Yeah. As you were talking, something stood out to me. And you, you mentioned how you're a mom. And so business and brands that communicate with you and meet you where you are probably resonate more. And then if I were to receive that same exact messaging, it would feel like, do you even know who I am? I am a single male with no dependence. I'm not a mother of five.
[00:06:33] Speaker B: So you're not selling?
[00:06:34] Speaker A: I'm not selling, but that's what we're talking about here. If Joe and I were receiving the same marketing communications, then chances are, for one of us, it's not landing at all. And that tailoring, that tailored messaging is going to help promote you and your personal brand, because not only should you be crystal clear on what your mission and values are, but you're. You're also conveying that to your audience.
And, and Joe, it's one thing to know what makes you different and make what makes you stand out.
And maybe your clients know what makes you the right choice. But as we've been talking about, it doesn't matter if your message is not landing or you're not communicating it correctly. So let's talk about ways that we can make sure that message shines through and lands. Once an agent understand what makes them different, how do they turn that into a message that they can use within their marketing?
[00:07:21] Speaker B: I think it's about consistency. It's about sure that any channel that you're posting on or any efforts that you're putting out there, it's all going within that same consistent message. And so what, whatever the, the instances that you're talking about, it's putting that message on LinkedIn. This is who I am. This is why I do what I do, and this is who I help. It's doing the same thing on your website. It's not just about product heavy or, or any type of sales messaging or anything like that. It is simply about, this is who I am, this is where I am, this is what I do, and this is who I help, and this is how I help them.
[00:07:50] Speaker A: Yeah. And nobody can replicate those stories.
[00:07:53] Speaker B: No. And that's the best part Is it's your history. You know, the story of how I got to where I am today is going to be very different from how you where you got to where you are today. And we both talk about our history in the ways that we explain things. So I talk about the newspaper industry and how I came from that. You talk about television or the news industry, how you came from TV production. It's two different complete things. We land it in the same area, but we have different experiences. And that's how we share based off of things that have happened in our past that got us to where we are today and then also who we're trying to help. We're talking to them directly, and we're very narrow in our niche of who we're speaking to. We're not out there speaking to real estate agents and, you know, other industries. We're narrowed in on the health and wealth space. And that is our niche. That is who we're speaking to. And we try really hard to make sure we always stay right in line with them.
[00:08:40] Speaker A: I, I'm curious because obviously personal branding is important, but we're also in this for business and, and, and, you know, we got to put food on the table.
What role does promotional messaging play in this conversation we're talking about?
[00:08:55] Speaker B: I always run on a 30, 70, so I do 70% of kind of fun, personal, you know, just kind of off the wall. Whatever I'm thinking of that day or whatever I think might be helpful to my audience and being of true value and helpful 70% of the time. And then about 30% of the time I'm trickling in there, those actual sales messages and the things that I probably need to be pushing out there, you know, such as our webinars and our podcast. But I'm pushing that every single day. If you look at my LinkedIn profile, I'll share posts, I'll do stuff like that, but majority of the time, I'm posting about whatever I'm thinking about that has to do with marketing that day. And I'm just sharing it to be helpful. I'm not asking for anything in return. I'm not saying I expect you to take any action. I'm just trying to tell you what it is I found or what news I read. And that's just, to me, that's the easiest way because you're learning, you're learning, you're figuring things out, and then you're also sharing it with others and providing that value.
[00:09:49] Speaker A: I sometimes think that promotional messaging is some of the easiest to Convey, because it's fairly black or white, you have this service, you charge this month. This is when the offer is live.
So you can tailor that messaging to be very, you know, to the point.
What advice do you have for agents and advisors, especially those who might just be getting started with social media and creating content to show off a little bit of that personality? How do, how do they, you know, start getting comfortable with that side of social media?
[00:10:16] Speaker B: I don't think it's about being polished and about making sure that everything looks perfect. It's just about being real. So if you want to give that sales message about having that webinar, take a one minute video of just saying, hey, I'm Joe, I have a webinar coming up and this is what we're going to be talking about that puts your personal brand right on the messaging of that sales message of join our webinar. But it's you presenting it and it's you showing your personality, your enthusiasm. And that's what people connect to people. And I have it all the time. Like I'll go on YouTube and I'll follow different people and connect with different people. And the way people explain things to me, if it connects with me, I follow those people because I'm like, oh, you make that really digestible. Like, I get this and I, and I end up following their pages. It's the same thing you have to think about if people, your potential audiences are out there searching things, what are videos and what is content you can put out there to make it digestible for them, be helpful for them, and also put your spin on it of explaining it the way that you explain it.
[00:11:11] Speaker A: Speaking of putting a spin on things, when it comes to the health and wealth industries, the messaging can get often very repetitive, redundant. And these are regulated industries too. So it's not like you have all the freedom in the world to say whatever you want to say, however you want to say it.
But there are strategies you can do to still explain your value, your expertise, and what makes you unique. But before we get into that, Joe, what are some of those most overused marketing messages that we hear? Like for example, I've been in the industry for years, that feels very general.
[00:11:45] Speaker B: Anything that, that you've seen a hundred times, that, and basically the way I always look at it is if you can't tell that I wrote it and it sounds like any other agent or any other advisor could have written this, it's probably not good.
You've got to have some, some way that it, that it ties back to you that sets you apart from those other people.
And if it's something, you know, even if it's a product that you are, that you are promoting, you can still put on there why you chose to promote that product and what it is about that product that, that you, you know, believe is most beneficial to your target audience and why you believe that they should be paying attention to that.
But I think, you know, those generic messages such as, you know, top trusted advisor and you know, like all of those things that you, you see them everywhere where it's like, you know what? Instead of just saying who you know, those type of messages go out there and be like, hey, this is who I am and this is who I help, and this is what I'm, you know, this is where I thrive.
And it just relates more to the people that you're actually talking to instead of putting those generic taglines on everything.
[00:12:41] Speaker A: And once you have figured out what you want to say, there is another challenge. You have to make sure that you're placing that message where people will actually encounter you and hear that message.
[00:12:50] Speaker B: So frequency and making sure that you're, you're using it consistently. So people, you know, it doesn't take one message. You hear it for the first time and then you're like, oh, gosh, that's who that is.
You know, they have to hear it frequently. And that's where, you know, some people, they'll post something and then they won't post about it again for six months because they're like, oh, I just posted that. You're like, yeah, but people aren't rolling back in your page six months ago. See what you posted six months ago. They want to see what's relevant now. So don't be afraid. If you just posted a two week ago, go ahead and repost it. It's okay to do that. I, you know, do it, do an intro of who you are every, you know, three to six months. I do that on LinkedIn all the time. It's consistently about every six months I do a new post, it's probably due now, where I'll be like, hey, I'm Joe. Guess what? 5,000 of those people may already know me, but you know what? The rest of them don't. And let me do an, you know, let me do an intro to say who I am. And those are those constant reminders just telling people, hey, may not mean my services. Now, this is who I am, though, and this is who I help. Keep me in mind.
[00:13:43] Speaker A: Well, and it, it solidifies you in your space, because the more you talk about something in particular, the more that's what you become known for. I don't think anybody's confused about the fact that Nike's known for shoes because they've been, you know, communicating the same message for decades. And, and that's sort of what you're getting at. You have to be consistent with your messaging so that the more and more people hear it, they associate it with you.
As we wind down this conversation, Joe, and people are out there feeling like, okay, they have to identify what makes them unique before enrollment season gets into full swing, where would you tell them to start?
[00:14:19] Speaker B: Start with a video of who you are and who you help. That is the easiest way to do that. You. You write a simple script. If you're not confident in just winging it and being able to speak, put a simple script together that says, this is who I am, this is who I help, and this is why I got into this business. Put that across all of your channels. Put it on on Facebook, put it on LinkedIn, put it on your website. Go. Put it on Google my business. Put it everywhere. Get used to doing videos like that to. To presenting like that. And then move to the next question. Start slow, but be consistent across all the channels. And then don't be afraid to repeat that message continually. You know, every quarter or whatever it may be to remind people who you are, what you do, and why it is that you do what you do.
[00:14:58] Speaker A: And you just mentioned a Google business profile. We're going to link this down in the comments, but we just produced a great episode of the Amer Life Marketing Mentors podcast about local SEO, making sure you show up in your market and how to create and optimize a Google business profile. So if that is something that interest you, I highly encourage you to click that link below. Otherwise, there's also a free personal brand guide in the description down below that can help you jumpstart your personal brand today.
In the meantime, ensure you're subscribed to the AmerLife Marketing Mentors wherever you get your podcasts. And for the Amer Life Marketing Mentors, that's Joe Barker, I'm David Belville, and we'll catch you later.
