Content marketing, and video in particular, remains an untapped resource among insurance professionals that can both generate leads and attract new agents.
In this week’s episode of Stay Paid, we have an insightful conversation with David Duford, owner of Duford Insurance Group, author, and YouTube influencer. David is also a master recruiter of final-expense insurance agents. Using video content he posts to YouTube, he’s recruited 3K agents, dozens of whom are now six-figure producers, and amassed over 40K subscribers.
Using content to attract agents
David’s awakening to the power of content creation—and YouTube in particular—happened when he first realized the value of giving away expert knowledge. Offering value, he says, with no expectation of anything in return is a way to combat what he calls “a crisis of trust” that plagues the insurance industry. As for his success on YouTube, he attributes it to his unique approach of collaborating with other industry professionals for cross-promotion, including interviews with competitors, and offering sometimes biting critiques of their companies.
This strategy not only drives audience engagement but also serves as an effective tool for attracting potential agents. In fact, 85% of David’s recently recruited agents reported that his YouTube videos and follow-up emails are what caused them to reach out. Video, he notes, is still an untapped resource among insurance professionals for both lead generation and recruitment.
Building a strong team
But recruiting agents is only the first step in building a successful agency. David emphasizes the need for a serious and well-defined qualification process to ensure the long-term success of any team. Committed to training agents versus mass recruitment, his organization uses a thorough application process with first and second interviews to identify promising agents as well as a probationary period for new agents to ensure their long-term success.
Stay the course
In addition to speaking at length about content and recruitment, we ask David to share his thoughts about lead generation and follow-up (the biggest changes are in digital leads and telesales), expected conversion rates (across different lead types, they’ve remained fairly consistent over the years), and the pursuit of referrals (in the absence of a solid lead system, they make sense).
The core functionality of final-expense insurance, David says, has remained the same, and the marketing and sales processes are largely unchanged. He observes, “You still need a reason to talk to someone, to get through the door and have a conversation.”
We hope you enjoy this episode and act on the advice Luke offers at the end. We’d also appreciate it if you took a moment to leave us a 5-star review and comment on Apple Podcasts. (We read them on air!) Thanks for listening!
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