Selling non-essential insurance is difficult. More difficult than essential insurance products that are mandated by legal necessity. Every brand from pet, contents, travel, health, life, gadget and GAP needs to work harder to educate and convince consumers to part ways with their hard-earned cash for something that’s not necessary, and for an event they think is unlikely to happen to them. Pet insurance may be seen as an unnecessary expense, as the consumer may not expect their pet to get sick or injured. Similarly, gadget insurance may be seen as an unnecessary expense if the consumer does not believe that their gadgets are at risk of damage or theft.

In today’s economic environment, the stakes are even higher. Bristol based research company; Consumer Intelligence conducted a survey in November 2022 which polled 1,096 respondents. It found that 7% had reduced their insurance protection over the last three months and of that 7%, 43% had cancelled their cover completely. The top three to get the chop were home buildings and contents insurance (35%), pet insurance (35%) and appliance insurance (35%).*

Consumers are re-evaluating and re-prioritising their spending like never before, but price is not always the deciding factor. When comparing two very similar products, with two very similar price points, the brand that wins is going to be the one that the consumer can relate to the most. Even if it's slightly more expensive, if it's still affordable to them, the one that wins is going to be the one that makes them feel the safest and gives them the most peace of mind - because after all, in times of austerity no one needs the additional financial stress when the unexpected does happen.  

‍How to fill the top of the purchasing decision funnel?

Influencer marketing is nothing new. A tale as old as time, it’s essentially "word of mouth" rebranded as influencer marketing and as an industry currently worth £13.7 billion (Statista Jan 23) it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Influencers can have a significant impact on consumer behaviour and purchasing decisions, especially when it comes to buying non-essential insurance. With their large and engaged audiences, influencers have the power to sway consumer opinions about your brand from little awareness to comfortable familiarity to consideration, purchase and loyalty - to the point where your new customer turns into brand ambassadors and influencer themselves encouraging others to make the same great decision they did.

But why exactly does it work?  

Well, for exactly that reason. It's a word-of-mouth recommendation from a trusted source. Not from a brand or a corporation but from a person they see just as much - if not more than – their best friends, partners and family. They have a connection, and as a result the most valuable commodity to give – time. Time for that person to educate them, entertain them and encourage them to click through to your website for more information or to make a purchase.

The investment into this early stage of the purchasing journey is essential because non-essential insurance is often not as well understood by consumers as essential insurance products. It often needs more education and explanation for consumers to understand why they need it and how it can benefit them, which is why having influencers as a mouth piece for your brand is essential. Without influencers, you’re limiting your opportunities to be seen, heard and listened to. Only 30% of consumers trust companies**, whilst 60% of consumers have bought a product because of an influencer recommendation***, with Gen Z and Millennials two times more likely to trust influencers than Boomers.

How to choose the right influencer for your brand?

It's always best to think about the audience you want to target and ensure that the influencer you work with, has that audience as their following. Engagement rate, gender, age, location, household income and interests all need to align. When they don’t, it’s one of the main reasons behind a failed campaign.  

The influencer has got to feel authentic if they are going to convince their followers – your prospective customers – of the benefits and why it is worth investing in. For example, a travel influencer can authentically share their personal experiences of travel mishaps and how travel insurance saved them from financial loss or medical emergencies. By doing so, they can make their followers realise the importance of having travel insurance and motivate them to purchase it.

Single mum of two, Anna Lawler worked ALA Insurance on the campaign, “Not Just a Nice to Have”. As a woman who so openly talks about financial hardship, her audience are used to her thrifty hacks and self-confessed oversharing, so we tapped into this, found the insight and built an entirely relatable campaign for her audience. Considering insurance – especially GAP Insurance – is not something typically bought via Instagram, ALA Insurance saw a 10% click to quote conversion rate and a 12% quote to sale conversion rate – similar stats to what they see with their motoring affiliates.

Because of Anna’s highly engaged, loyal following, ALA Insurance had the time to get their message across. They had time to educate a brand-new audience, most of who hadn’t heard of GAP Insurance before and in the space of a 4-week campaign, take them from awareness to consideration to purchase.  

How to shorten the purchasing decision journey?

Non-essential insurance is a far more considered and informed purchase than other types of insurance because of all the reasons we’ve highlighted above. The longer that consideration phase lasts, the less likely you are to make the sale. So how do you shorten that and turn your product into something someone buys quicker than you can say, “Swipe up for 10% off”.  

Shared first hand experiences from a trusted source are always going to speed up those parts of the purchasing decision journey.

Take our “Your Life” and “Conversations with...” campaigns for ALA Insurance. Both featured mum of three Louise Boyce (@mamastillgotit_) who shared her own experiences, struggles and concerns when it comes to managing a busy household. All of these accounts relate in some way with her audience which is what makes them so engaged and loyal to her content. However, on this occasion, Louise was sharing stories as she normally would, but using ALA Insurance as the antidote, the thing that made those struggles easier and her worries less of a concern. Because her audience were already relating to the experiences, it was much easier to convince them that ALA GAP Insurance would also make their lives easier too.  

Finding that common ground with your audience and positioning your brand as the solution is not a new concept, but using influencers to do that for you will shorten the consideration phase and in turn increase your conversion rates and market share.

To get more specific advice based on your brand, drop Emma, Sophie or Holly an email on talk@biglittlelondon.com and we’ll be happy to help.

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* https://www.insurancetimes.co.uk/news/cost-of-living-crisis-causes-43-of-insurance-customers-to-cancel-policies-when-seeking-to-cut-cover-costs/1443546.article

** https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2022/06/21/new-survey-shows-a-big-gap-in-trust-between-companies-and-consumers/

*** https://www.adweek.com/commerce/infographic-how-much-do-people-really-trust-influencers/

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