Viewpoint: What’s on Tap for Insurance Digital Marketing in 2025?

Historically, insurance has had a reputation as an industry slow to embrace change. However, it’s safe to say that technology and customer expectations are leaving insurers with no choice but to adapt. Individuals and businesses are changing how they buy insurance, how they engage with their insurers, and what they expect from the experience. We already have seen this change in consumer behavior. The question is, how have insurers, MGAs, brokers and others progressed in terms of this evolving journey? Will these changes shape the public’s perception of insurance, and what expectations does this drive toward change set for 2025?

Where We Are

The insurance customer experience has fundamentally changed, thanks to the sheer volume of information they have at their fingertips. Buyers are doing research and shopping around before opening their wallets for any purchase.

In fact, 96 percent of prospects across industries invest their time researching companies and products before talking to a salesperson, according to HubSpot. Before a single conversation, customers are reading product details; researching vendors; scouring reviews or recommendations, summaries or reports about those products from various media. All this time and effort is invested before a single conversation takes place.

This independent consumer research leads to a narrowing of prospective vendors early in the process. Who are they choosing? According to a 2018 report from Forrester, 62 percent of buyers say they finalize their purchase selection criteria based solely on digital content. Content leads clients in the door.

For insurers, this means one thing: If you’re not posting valuable, insightful content online to meet your audience where they are, you’re starting at a major disadvantage. And in 2025, failing to show up in the right way will directly impact your ability to grow.

Embracing Digital Transformation

Sales teams can’t wait for opportunities to come to them. In today’s environment, they have to be generating those opportunities by building trust through demonstrating their expertise and authority.

This is where the power of a digital strategy comes into play. A well-executed digital strategy connects marketing and sales in a way that builds trust and opens doors. Traditionally, sales have been a 1-to-1 effort and marketing a 1-to-many approach. But with digital tools, we now can scale our sales efforts to reach many, leveraging the same expertise and relationship-building skills—without ever needing to hop on a plane or bribe clients with cookies.

Salespeople can use technology to introduce themselves, showcasing their expertise as well as aspects of their personality through video, thought leadership, social media posts and more. Even using AI notetakers can help to humanize salespeople on calls with prospects, by improving engagement and meaningful conversation while de-emphasizing note-taking. Advancements in technology allow salespeople to humanize themselves and better engage with customers, making connections and fostering relationships.

Raising the Bar

In 2025, insurance companies that embrace digital transformation in their sales and marketing strategies will be focused on continually refining their approaches to meet customers and prospects where they want to be met. Four trends that will drive this reality include:

Video: In 2025, we will see more professionals in the insurance marketing space embracing LinkedIn and, particularly, the platform’s new video feed. We will see more companies encouraging their C-suite to create videos after earnings calls or to share thought leadership. This presents a new forum for executives to present themselves authentically and promote a level of transparency. On the subject of video, companies outside the fashion and retail worlds are increasingly finding success with video on TikTok. I personally have posted multiple digital transformation-themed videos on TikTok that have garnered more than one million views.

B2B Influencing: On the subject of TikTok, we see a valuable opportunity for businesses to lean into the idea of influencing and its power over buying behavior. People subscribe to influencer behavior in the business-to-consumer sales world, and we are going to see more of this in the business-to-business sales world.

Authenticity: At an individual and corporate level, consumers crave authenticity. The companies that win in 2025 will be the ones that realize the days of flashy mascots, big-budget Super Bowl ads and perfectly curated Instagram grids are not what get people talking. Entertaining, educational and real social media content is what creates buzz. People are drawn to brands that are not afraid to pull back the curtain and show a more genuine, unfiltered version of their culture. They want to see the people behind the company, hear real stories from employees and customers, and engage with content that sparks meaningful dialogue. In 2025, we will see a shift by companies from simply broadcasting a message to cultivating an online presence that encourages community and trust.

Personalization: We are accustomed to social media feeds curating exactly the right content, which is why influencer marketing on platforms like Instagram and TikTok is so effective. Customers increasingly expect personalized experiences that feel uniquely relevant. In 2025, we will see a significant shift toward hyper-personalized digital marketing, driven by advancements in AI and data analytics.

Getting Started

An education chasm exists in insurance. On the consumer side, people don’t understand what insurance is about, what it’s here for or what the coverages mean. Using real-world examples of how insurance impacts lives allows people to see its value beyond numbers or legalese in a policy document.

To start, share content with relatable stories that break down complex topics in a way that speaks to your end-users’ needs and pain points (whether they be consumers, agents and brokers, etc.). This will make you more approachable and help to build the trust and authority that makes people want to buy from you.

Second, companies that want to see their digital marketing strategies succeed must commit to consistency. I heard an expression the other day that captures the idea: If you dump a bucket of water on a rock, the water will wash away while the rock remains unchanged. If you take the same bucket of water and drop a single drip onto the rock every day for many days in a row, a hole will eventually be drilled into the rock.

The consistency of the drop is more effective than the intensity of the bucket falling.

Digital marketing is advancing with thoughtful content at its core. By working with a professional who knows the space, companies will better understand how to develop a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, including a content plan that connects with end-users and educates.

Let’s ring in the New Year with an eye toward the future and embrace digital transformation that will not only help to modernize insurance sales but play a valuable role in reshaping the industry’s reputation in the marketplace.