5 THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUR INSURANCE BUSINESS

Ah, the wonders of social media … imagine your insurance business optimized to its full potential.  Are you taking advantage of everything social media have to offer?  If you are, you’re on the road to a finely tuned operation and will be able to offer the ultimate in client care.  There are a few points you should bear in mind, however, to really take your social networking strategy to the next level!  

1. Your business should have a personality that shines through on social networking sites.  One of the most integral aspects to social media is that they enable you to bring forth your business’ human side.  Your business needs to be more than just a money-making operation – it needs a personality and a passion – and social networking is the most effective means of letting your clients and prospects know that your business’ perspective is a human one and its passion is client satisfaction.  Use social media to communicate ‘to’ and ‘with’, rather than ‘at’ your audience.

2. Really get to know your audience by listening to what they have to say.  Let them do more of the talking while you do more of the listening.  Social networking is nothing if not a great way to get to know people.  Take the time to visit your Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn account and your blog‘s comments section at least a couple of times a day to hear what people are saying.  Listen to the good, the bad and the ugly and make sure that you respond to people where required in a timely manner.  Ask questions that provoke people to share information about themselves so you can get to know them better and anticipate what their needs are.

3. Build awareness and trust at the same time.  Of course you want people to know what you and your business can offer.  Social media allow you to get your message out there and to build brand awareness, while at them - keep the dialogue going, and showcase your industry knowledge all the while allowing them to believe and trust in you.  Social media allow you to become indispensible to your clients by giving them access to you 24/7.

4. Remember that social media are interactive and people will be sharing their opinions – good, bad or indifferent.  Use what people have to say a learning experience and as a means of changing and growing your business.  People’s opinions are important information for you to have and social media provide the best means for people to relay their messages.  Again, ensure that you address and respond to people where warranted.

5. Focus on generating “word of mouth” buzz by delivering engaging, relevant and useful content.  Be helpful and informative when engaging in conversations with your audience.  People will appreciate it and spread the word about your expertise and professionalism within the industry.  Social media make it very easy to do this.

Need help getting your social media endeavors on track?  Why not join one of our Social Media for Business workshops.  Just click on the following link for a schedule of upcoming workshops in your area!

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

INSURANCE PROS REACH MORE CLIENTS & PROSPECTS THROUGH BLOGGING

I was looking the other day for some information regarding a couple of insurance questions I had, and like most people, the first thing I did was conduct a Google search.  As an avid blogger, I fully understand and advocate the power of blogging for the business professional.  But, wow – you insurance pros are really up on the blogs!!  I was amazed and excited to see how many insurance blogs there are out there and how informative and interesting some of them are.

For those insurance professionals who have not yet begun to take advantage of blogging to drive business and reach more clients and prospects, I have just one question for you:  What are you waiting for???

Blogging is a very useful tool for insurance professionals to employ if your end game is to reach more clients and prospects.  Blogging should be an integral part of any social media campaign.  And, no, you don’t have to be Ernest Hemingway to blog.  You just have to know your stuff and write about it on a regular basis so your clients and prospects find you the next time they have insurance related questions and conduct a search on Google to obtain their information. 

Blogging provides you with an opportunity to showcase your smarts about all things insurance and it builds within your clients and prospects a sense of trust and reliability in you.  Wouldn’t you like to be the go-to -expert for these people? 

Okay, I know what your next question is going to be:  What in the world do I blog about?

Well, I can help you there.  As aforementioned, people have questions about insurance and their policies all the time.  What are some of the most frequently asked questions that you hear?  Jot them down and, voila!! blog content ideas abound.  Still need more?  One of my gurus, Chris Brogan, noted author and marketing consultant, created a list of 100 blog topics to write about, and below, I will share with you 50 of them:

1.       Why I love being an insurance agent

2.       What are your agency’s values

3.       How is trust earned

4.       Improving the insurance industry’s image

5.       My favorite social network and why

6.       How can agencies help the community

7.       What are “named perils”

8.       Obscure auto, home, or other insurance discounts

9.       Customer service vs. sales culture

10.   My favorite news sources

11.   I helped someone by…

12.   Spotlight local non-profit or charity event

13.   Importance of agency goals

14.   Pet and wedding insurance, when and why

15.   Insurance provider news

16.   High or low deductibles, the logic behind both

17.   I am motivated by…

18.   Attracting millennial talent to agencies

19.   Secret world of annuities

20.   An interview with someone older and deserving

21.   When to drop collision on your auto insurance

22.   Promo for business insurance client

23.   What (insert favorite show/movie) can teach you about insurance

24.   Comment on local news story

25.   Biggest misconception about insurance

26.   What “helping” means to me professionally

27.   Difference between “actual cash value” and “replacement cost”

28.   Publicly answer a client’s question (chances are someone else is wondering too)

29.   Why I love my community

30.   Small business marketing tips

31.   Common business insurance claims

32.   Advantages of agency over online insurance

33.   When is saving money NOT a value

34.   What is property cost evaluation

35.   Factors that affect health and life insurance coverage

36.   Testimonial for a vendor

37.   What you need to know about pet insurance and biting dogs

38.   Highlight benefits of local insurance trade organization

39.   Thank you blog to existing clients

40.   Weekly stories from the road

41.   A day in the life of an insurance agent

42.   My favorite hometown landmark

43.   Does my roommate need renter’s insurance too?

44.   Historic person I’d like to interview

45.   The importance of a proper greeting

46.   Local insurance risks (weather, crime, etc.)

47.   Video tour of the office

48.   When is umbrella insurance necessary

49.   My favorite social media users

50.   Blog topics I’d like to read

Be creative and remember, it doesn’t have to be all business all the time.  A funny story or anecdote makes for a great blog, too!  Have some fun with it and keep it engaging and you’ll see just how easy and profitable blogging can be! 

Happy blogging – and, if you want to learn more or need help getting started, why not join one of our Social Media for Business workshops and we’ll teach you everything you need to know to reach more clients and prospects through blogging. 

For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit:  http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS ARE JUMPING ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA BANDWAGON

It appears that more and more insurance professionals are looking to join the masses on social networking sites as a means of enhancing their business practices and reaching the clients in their communities – clients who are already making use of the many benefits of social media.

Life reinsurance experts, LOGiQ3, recently polled their community of clients at one of their annual events and the findings were very enlightening:

“26% of our attendees preferred to use email communication (not a surprise), but followed tightly by LinkedIn at 22%, Facebook and Phone calls, both at 18%, Twitter at 13% and lastly, traditional postage at 3%.” – Insurance-Canada.ca

This is very useful information for the insurance industry.  It enables focus on communication where it is most constructive – to these preferred social media sites. It allows insurance professionals “…to connect with their networks on a real time basis, providing relevant content…” and it furthermore enables them to “…listen to what is being said on their preferred channel.”

A search on LinkedIn conducted by LOGiQ3 showed that some of the top insurance companies do in fact have abundant followings on the very popular business-oriented social network:

ACE – 4,954 followers; Sun Life Financial – 7,280 followers; Swiss Re – 5,924 followers; AEGON – 5,226 followers; RBC Insurance – 1,302 followers and Partner Re – 677 followers.

Life insurers, according to the article on Insurance-Canada.ca, are furthermore now using social media as a means of detecting fraud in submitted claims - “Investigators are now using sites such as Facebook to investigate suspicious claims. They’re looking for clues that don’t add up to the claim submitted, such as someone bragging about running a marathon while submitted a claim for an injured back, etc. Though data gathered on these sites are useful, they can only be used as insight and never as final proof of fraud.”

There has also been speculation that social media data might be useful with respect to price policies.  Insurers are able to compare information posted by applicants on social networking sites with the information concerning their lifestyle choices and medical histories filled out on their applications.

Social media is undoubtedly one of the most valuable and functional tools at our fingertips and you, as an insurance professional, can make the most of the many features each social network has to offer.
  
Join one of our workshops and we can show you how to make the most of your social networking experience.  For information regarding our schedule, please go to:

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

INSURANCE URBAN LEGENDS DISPELLED

Believe it or not, 29% of Canadians deem it to be true that driving a red car means more expensive insurance premiums, and a whopping  54% of us mistakenly believe that two-door cars are more expensive to insure than are four-door vehicles.  These are just some of the findings of a recent TD Insurance survey.

‘Overall, the online survey of 1,000 people conducted in March 2011 by Environics Research Group found that "when it comes to making significant decisions regarding insurance products and services, 63% of Canadians don't go to an insurance provider, but instead ask their friends, family or colleagues for advice (25%), rely on searching the Internet (33%), or simply go with their gut."
This hearsay approach to insurance knowledge likely plays a part in the spread of misinformation about insurance products and services. The TD Insurance survey identifies a number of these myths and legends.’- DAILY NEWS August 9, 2011

Based on the results of the survey, Canadians are putting themselves along with their assets at risk as they are making important choices with respect to insurance on the basis of hearsay and untrue urban legends.

As insurance agents, it’s more important than ever to get the word out to your clients that there are too many misconceptions floating around out there regarding their insurance policies and requirements.  Social media is the fastest and most effective way of doing just that.  Join us at one of our Social Networking for Business workshops, and we’ll show you how to communicate imperative information to your potential and existing clients.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20  

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