Another way to show off your expertise

Brokers wanting to stay a step ahead of the competition and stand out from the crowd need to consider an untapped field: video.

It’s an area with huge potential for insurance brokers, said Garrett Wasny, a Vancouver-based technology skills advisor who works with professionals. People can read about your business online, but words can only make so much of an impact.

“[Video] conveys all these different signals that can be used to promote and persuade and educate customers about your professional competence and your ability to help them solve their problems and address their insurance needs,” he said.

While speaking with Canadian Underwriter, Wasny searched YouTube for insurance brokers in Canada. A few generic items came up – how much a broker makes and how to become a broker, for example – but more alarming was what wasn’t there.

“It’s not so much what I see, it’s what I don’t see. What I don’t see is videos from individual brokers talking about their particular practice in wherever they may be in Canada,” Wasny said.

The first two results are from American content farm company eHow, a website that provides step-by-step instructions on how to do a number of tasks, with the third being a U.K.-based video.

“Ideally, I’d be seeing 10 videos from an insurance broker who is five minutes from my house in Vancouver who says, ‘I’m Vancouver-based, I know the unique nuances and subtleties and requirements of the market. I feel your pains and I have the right solutions for you.'”

Video has long been a tool for advertising and is growing in popularity, Wasny explained. It goes beyond just for entertainment purposes. As potential customers research brokerages online, being able to see what the business looks like on the inside and the faces of people working there can go a long way.

“They want to see that face to the name,” he said. “There’s that authenticity.”

And costs are minimal. Brokerages don’t need to hire a production company and knock off a whole day to develop a video. Just pull out your smartphone and start recording. And don’t bore people with how great you are – discuss issues that are important, relevant and show why you should be a customer’s broker of choice, Wasny advised.

“It doesn’t have to be fancy. Everyone has a smartphone that has a video camera in it. Just do a selfie video that provides a brief elevator pitch about what you are and what services you provide, what lessons you’ve learned along the way and what new information comes up like reports and studies,” he said.

“You’re learning something new all the time – why wouldn’t you want to share that with your clients and prospects?”