question
I am an entrepreneur who started my own insurance business. I know that branding is important, especially in the age of social media. On a shoestring budget, which branding element is the most important to establish first: a recognizable logo, a social media campaign or local visibility?
Esther Castro
EC Financial Strategies
answer
Often the best answer in my classes at the University of St. Thomas also applies to your question: "It depends."
First, before you get to tactics like logos and social media, you need to establish who is a customer. Do you plan to sell to families or businesses? And what does "local" mean to you? If your targets are businesses, that could be a five-county area.
Next, what fundamental things must be communicated to potential customers? Are you an independent agent or aligned with a single insurer? This is hugely important since affiliation with a major insurance company offers immediate brand identity — but likely comes with restrictions on logo use and tag lines.
If you are an independent agent, a potential client must grasp quickly how you can deliver the insurance product they need and the service they expect.
Further, your relationship with clients demands trust, which derives from something beyond logos and tag lines: the name and reputation of the agent. So unless you are connected to a single insurance firm, your name on the door will likely be more valuable than a spiffy logo. So save the money, for now.
