If you’re in the insurance game, you know chasing leads is tiresome. You also know from our previous articles that referrals are gold, but constantly begging for intros from outside sources is a lot of work.
So, flip the script and generate your own referrals by hosting your own events and webinars! Done right, these events will:
- Position you as an expert,
- Warm up cold prospects,
- Bring clients to you ready to talk.
Let’s walk through how to make these educational events work for you.
Choose a Topic That People Want to Hear
The worst thing you can do is pick something that sounds good, but no one else cares about. Think like your audience. What’s keeping people up at night? Find out what people are googling in your area about insurance.
Some examples of what different groups in your area are researching can be:
- For Small Biz Owners: “How to Offer Health Benefits Without Breaking the Bank,” “Group Plans vs. ICHRA—Which Saves You More?”
- For Individuals Nearing 65: “Medicare 101: What You Really Need to Know Before You Enroll”, “Avoiding the Top 5 Medicare Mistakes First-Timers Make”
- For Real Estate Pros, 1099s, Freelancers: “Health Insurance Options When You’re Self-Employed,” “How to Get Covered Without Overpaying (Or Getting Stuck in a Bad Plan).”
Set up your conversations as inspiration, turning the pain points each group experiences every day into something helpful for relieving their pain.
Plan Logistics to Avoid Getting Stuck in Tech Hell
Keep it simple, as you don’t need a fancy studio setup.
- Platform: Make sure it uses an easy-to-access recording capacity so you can send out and make event recordings available.
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- Zoom
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- Google Meet
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- WebinarNinja
These are easy picks that many are familiar with.
- Length: 30–40 minutes max., as people are busy.
- Time slot: Midweek (Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday), late morning, or after work tends to perform best.
- Keep Slides Simple: Slides keep you on track but don’t overdo it.
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- 5–10 slides max.
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- Keep it visually simple with bullets; don’t just copy/paste paragraphs you read to the audience.
- Have a backup plan: Keep your phone nearby if you need to hotspot your internet. Tech hiccups happen, so just be ready for them and roll with it.
Be Personal When Promoting Your Event, Not a Spammer
Here’s where most agents drop the ball by hosting something great, but no one shows up because the agent didn’t effectively promote it. Here’s what you can do, and not do to effectively promote your events:
Do:
- Email your list with a subject like “Quick invite: How to save on benefits without cutting coverage.”
- Post on LinkedIn and tag a few folks from your network who might be interested.
- YOU should personally text or email 10–20 people or organizations you’d love to work with a casual message like: “Hey! I’m doing a short webinar next Thursday about cutting group health costs without cutting benefits. It might be useful for you. Want me to save you a spot?”
Don’t:
- Blast generic invites to your entire contact list with “JOIN MY WEBINAR” in all caps.
- Wait until the day before to promote; start at least 7–10 days out with follow-up reminders occurring at regular intervals leading up to the event.
Deliver Real Value (Not a Sales Pitch)
You’re at this event to solve a problem and make people feel like, “Dang, this person actually gets it.” Be their problem-solver, not their salesperson, and be educational, thought-provoking, and solve problems.
Break your presentation into three parts:
- The Problem to Solve: Describe the problem your audience is facing in simple, plain English. Don’t use jargon.
- The Possible Solutions: Explain their options and how to avoid common mistakes in plain, easy-to-understand language. Make it simple for everyone to see this from their perspective.
- The Plan to Execute: Discuss the next steps for them to choose the best solution for their personal situation. This is where your services naturally come in.
You can end your presentation with something like this, “If you want to help sort this out, here’s a link to my calendar. Let’s hop on a quick call.”
No pressure or icky sales tactics, just a clear next step.
Don’t Lose Touch: Follow Up
Most people won’t act right away after your event. That’s fine, as your follow-up game begins.
- Send A Reply Email: Start with people who RSVP’d and didn’t attend your event. Send a “Couldn’t make it? Here’s the recording” message with a recording of the event.
Send a message to people who attended your event, asking for their feedback on the event and if they have any questions about the content.
- Key Takeaways Email: After another 24 hours pass, send the “3 things everyone should know from our (event name).”
- Direct follow-ups: If someone asked a great question or seemed engaged, follow up with a personal one-on-one message like this:
“Hey [Name], thanks for coming to the webinar! Let me know if you want to talk about (an issue they brought up or were interested in.) I’ve got time next week if you’d like to chat.”
You can even offer a free audit or strategy call to keep it helpful.
Reuse the Content So You Don’t Start from Scratch Every Time
A single 30-minute webinar is weeks of content if you’re smart about it:
- Clip the recording into short videos on LinkedIn, Reels, and other social media platforms for people and organizations to access and view.
- Write a blog post based on the key points from your webinar on your website and client portal.
- Turn attendee questions into future social media posts.
- Use the slides again for 1-on-1 client presentations or lunch-and-learns.
Don’t reinvent the wheel when you have already made it for use.
Your first webinar might not be packed, and if 5 people show up and 1 sets a call, you just got a better ROI than most ads. Consistency of monthly or quarterly events when you rotate topics and build an educational library of insurance solutions is when you build real market power and awareness. Every session builds trust, and trust closes deals.
You control all of this with your content and voice, which generates possible leads, so use the microphone that your events provide to promote you as a trusted community advisor to the maximum extent possible.
Picking topics can be tricky for your first couple of events, so contact Agility as we can provide great educational webinar topics you can use. Our Market Leads, ACA, Medicare, Life and Annuities, Small Group, and Supplemental resources have experience doing these exact presentations to communities like yours to build your own self-generating prospect base.
Contact Agility at (866) 590-9771 or email [email protected] to find the best presentation topics for your unique skills and market needs. Agility can also add you to our free weekly email list for tips and vital information!
Start your educational webinar circuit today!
