How Targeted Insurance Marketing Is As Easy As Talking to Girls

Over the past week, I walked in the shoes of a genetic researcher, a Navy SEAL, and a teenage boy in Texas. It was eye-opening to say the least.

First, I finished reading “The Rosie Project” by Graeme Simsion. It was a hilarious account of how an extremely intelligent, yet socially inept professor named Don Tillman attempts to select a wife by applying scientific methodology – and, how, when true love came along, it had nothing to do with science.

Then, I went to see the movie American Sniper featuring the life of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. We have a local connection to the story because Kyle’s wife is the daughter of the mayor of Lake Oswego. It was non-stop action; a lot of violence; and not my usual movie genre. That said, it was definitely worth seeing.

Then, last night, we watched Boyhood, an intriguing film that was shot incrementally over the course of 12 years, as the main character, Mason Evans Jr. grows up from first grade through twelfth grade. At one point, Mason asks his dad how to interact with girls. His dad replies with some advice we could all use. Paraphrased: “Ask lots of questions and then listen very carefully.”

Did you hear that? “Ask lots of questions and then listen very carefully.”

That’s good advice for nearly every interpersonal situation, and particularly essential for those of us in insurance marketing. You see, the characters I grew to love and appreciate over the past week – Don Tillman, Chris Kyle and Mason Evans, Jr. – in many ways represent our target audiences. They’re quirky, they face tough challenges and they have unique hopes and aspirations. Like everyone, they do things for different reasons than you and I.

To effectively communicate with our target audiences, we have to know them – and not just their demographic data. We must also understand their headaches and their motivations. We have to walk their shoes, like a writer developing a character for a book and movie.

Clearly, Don Tillman, Chris Kyle and Mason Evans Jr. are interested in vastly different things. They come from different backgrounds and experiences. They are in different stages of life. This is also true of our insurance marketing segments. To be effective, insurance marketers must respect and honor the differences of each segment.

How? Your first task to identify the common attributes and characteristics of people in the targeted segment. Next, you need to pretend you’re writing a book featuring a spokesperson – someone who embodies the common traits of this audience. As a starting point, give the “persona” a real name, age and job title. Then, use HubSpot’s list of 100 questions to discover the other important persona attributes.

Finally, you need to share the final persona with everyone involved in sales and marketing. To create truly engaging insurance marketing content, you must really know your targeted personas and understand their unique perspectives. But here’s the deal: It’s just like talking to girls. The only way to get there is to ask lots of questions and listen carefully.

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