The Advisr Insurance Broker Awards 2023 have provided valuable insights into the latest trends in online marketing for insurance brokers. We swept across the major social media platforms to analyse what insurance brokers are doing differently in 2023. We found several key trends that are an indicator as to how insurance brokers are innovating their approach to social media.

More and more insurance brokers are leveraging video content across platforms like Advisr, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok, with many taking to their car (like Andrew Brett, Advisr's SA Insurance Broker of the Year 2023), their couch, their office or their hallway to create an authentic backdrop for an informal conversation. Statistics show a surge in video usage by professional services on social media, with LinkedIn alone witnessing a 32% increase in video views year-over-year. Video content has become a crucial tool for attracting attention and driving engagement. When creating a video, think about what video style will work best for your audience. Generally, around 70% of branded videos leaned towards social media and explainer videos. Other formats you could create include presentations, testimonials and teaser videos, all of which are able to generate considerable traction on social media and can be added to your Advisr profile or into your Advisr articles.

Early adopters like Daniel Ufer have seen viral success on TikTok, with one video amassing 2.1million views. With the Advisr Top Insurance Broker, Abbie Wilson of National Insurance Brokers and Phoenix Insurance Brokers in Perth, also taking to the platform. While the insurance industry remains underrepresented on TikTok, pioneers are reporting strong engagement and regular, high-quality leads they can directly attribute to the platform. This presents a vast opportunity for insurance brokers, with very few Australian Insurance Brokers using the platform there is still a lot of open space for insurance brokers to add their voice to TikTok. Key to a successful approach is authenticity, answering relevant questions with clear expertise, and not only pushing out your posts, but also engaging with the videos posted by your niche audience, becoming part of their TikTok community.

Early adopters like Daniel Ufer have seen viral success on TikTok, with one video amassing 2.1million views. With the Advisr Top Insurance Broker, Abbie Wilson of National Insurance Brokers and Phoenix Insurance Brokers in Perth, also taking to the platform. While the insurance industry remains underrepresented on TikTok, pioneers are reporting strong engagement and regular, high-quality leads they can directly attribute to the platform. This presents a vast opportunity for insurance brokers, with very few Australian Insurance Brokers using the platform there is still a lot of open space for insurance brokers to add their voice to TikTok. Key to a successful approach is authenticity, answering relevant questions with clear expertise, and not only pushing out your posts, but also engaging with the videos posted by your niche audience, becoming part of their TikTok community.

Insurance broking podcasts are on the rise with well-recognised industry podcasts such as Ausure's Millsy and Mick podcast and Mark Silveira's Business Made Personal podcast. We saw many insurance brokers featured as guest insurance professionals, contributing to the open discussion of insurance for business in new and engaging ways, often sharing very personal stories. This format not only offers valuable insights for listeners, but also provides a novel medium for insurance brokers to build their profile and add to their authenticity and accessibility with potential clients. For those looking to start a podcast, a strong understanding of the podcast's mission and audience is key, with careful curation to ensure content is relevant and resonates with the target audience. Working out how to increase the visibility of the podcast is the second key challenge, with guest speakers providing a key way to increase visibility and network size for your podcast.

2023 saw several large insurance broking groups strategically entering the Advisr platform for the first time through engagement with head office marketing teams. This marks a significant shift in industry recognition for Advisr, which is increasingly seen as a key distribution platform by large insurance broking groups. A 2023 study revealed that 81% of businesses now research professional services online before making a purchase decision (Clutch). Marketing teams across the insurance broking sector, in brokerages of all sizes, are responding to this cultural shift of businesses seeking high-quality and personalized insurance assistance online, and ensuring that their brand is clearly represented on all platforms, including Advisr. Golf days, bridge walks and sports team sponsorships need the crucial support of online channels to ensure those who see the brand, can reach out and connect in the place that most businesses are looking for professional services, online. 

Insurance brokers are increasingly targeting specific niches with insurance brokerages rolling out businesses with niche-specific brand names, URLs, and content. Insurance Broker Adam Pile, Advisr's Top Specialist Insurance Broker for 2023, is a key example, branching out from his Insurance HQ branding to add Truck Insurance HQ and Gym Insurance HQ brand names. 2023 saw Adam write and publish a suite of long form content to Advisr answering highly specific questions relevant to these niches. This targeted approach caters to the needs of specific customer segments and significantly improves search engine visibility and SEO performance. The Advisr Insurance Broker Awards in 2023 saw an increase in both the number of specialist broker finalists, across NDIS, Farming, Cyber, and Equestrian industries amongst others, and also the creation of highly targeted content within these specialisations, demonstrating the growing popularity and power of niche marketing within the industry.

As insurance broking businesses grow, the question arises of whether to publish content under the brand name or individual profiles. This year we saw several insurance brokers shift from focussing their content strategy around them as an individual, to publishing as a brand or across the team. Generally we could attribute this shift to a growing business and team expansion, with different individuals and businesses making different strategic choices about how to attribute their content. Research suggests that people prefer to connect with people, a 2022 Hubspot report found that 86% of consumers trust individuals more than brands. Features such as Advisr's content sharing tools allow a brand to resource their teams with high quality and compliant content, generated at your head office and available to your brokers in their Advisr Dashboard, that they can publish under their own name. In this way you can resource your growing team to still connect with business buyers at a personal level. Finding the right balance between individual and brand presence remains crucial for effective online communication for growing businesses into 2024.

7. Visual Storytelling Gains Momentum:

The widespread adoption of tools like Canva (used by over 60 million active users) has made it easier for insurance brokers to create visually appealing content to share on Social Media. In 2023 we saw brokerages who previously created long form content choose to prioritise visual storytelling through infographics, memes, and other engaging formats. Interestingly, by the end of 2023 we have seen some of those insurance brokerages swing back to using long form content, or looking to utilise new medium length formats or video formats that allow deep and valuable content that is still visually engaging. One key aspect that should not be forgotten is that while visual content is an effective social marketing tool, long-form content is still the primary format for effective SEO and receiving free organic traffic via Google Search. So a balance is critical to gaining traction across all digital channels.

The Advisr Insurance Broker Awards of 2023 have been a pulse check on digital marketing activities of insurance brokers across Australia. These seven trends reveal how our industry's innovators are moving forward, testing and learning with their online strategies. Adapting to these changes and leveraging them strategically can help brokers reach new audiences, build trust, and grow their businesses.