Nov/Dec 2009 - By Angelyn Treutel
Putting more tools in your toolbox for market reach.
Among the popular topics at this year’s TENCon was social networking.
From “Ask the Expert” sessions to an interactive panel presentation to Rick Morgan’s Web 2.0 sessions, classrooms were filled with ASCnet members looking for information. They wanted to know about the tools and, perhaps as important, what to do with them.
ASCnet members are not alone in their quest. Other industry meetings, webinars, Web sites and magazine articles are exploring networking sites, blogging, strategies, tactics and more. More and more, agents are testing the tools—setting up Facebook Fan pages, tweeting, linking up with LinkedIn and more.
Because of my role in ACT (IIABA’s Agents Council for Technology), ASCnet and other industry organizations, I’m frequently asked: “What is this social networking stuff all about,” “Should my agency get involved,” “Why,” and “How?”
Early Adopter
I became a believer in the power of new Web tools early on. Why? Well, for starters, they’re free. As agents, we have a reputation for being rather frugal. Most available social networking tools are free. All you have to do is invest a little of your time or enlist the help of an enthusiastic agency co-worker! Plus, with social networking, agencies can reduce the cost of using print advertising: newspaper ads, phone book ads, and no more painting on a roadside bench!
The market reach is phenomenal. Think about how many people read a newspaper in your hometown—in my town it is around 10,000. Then check how many people in your area use Facebook—in my area it is 67,000!
Social networking is merely an extension of how agents have conducted business in the past. The successful agent of yesterday invested in a storefront and used community networks to develop referrals and prospects. Printed advertising abounded in newspapers, magazines and phone books. Business cards were used as a calling card and a convenient way to remind prospects how to contact you on the office phone. Agents used print media to emphasize their expertise and encourage clients to visit them in the office.
Making Connections
Wow, how times have changed! Today’s consumers want convenience and everything at their fingertips. Successful agents can respond with an integrated Web site that presents an outward face to the online consumer—extending the brick-and-mortar storefront out into the Internet marketplace.
By creating online profile pages at Facebook (www.facebook.com), Google (www.google.com/profiles), and MerchantCircle (www.merchantcircle.com), you can drive consumers to your agency Web site for a broader reach—24/7. Agents can provide more convenience to their clients and prospects by using customer portals, e-mail, text messaging, and mobile phones.
While networking may have shifted from being exclusively face-to-face, it is clearly within an agent’s comfort zone. We’re good at building relationships. Social networking lets you connect with more contacts than you could possibly meet in person. Plus, connections increase exponentially. Referrals from your online connections to theirs are easy. And, frankly, many consumers distrust mass media when researching products; they prefer to obtain opinions from a trusted peer group or their own connections/friends.
Finding Payback
Don’t let the desire to measure ROI stop you from getting started! There are many ways to measure success. Free tools like Google Analytics (www.google.com/analytics) let you easily measure your Web site and your online advertising campaign effectiveness. The tool tracks site usage, pages viewed, time spent per page, search engines or other sites used to find your agency, keywords used to locate your site, and more. Tools like Web site Grader (www.Websitegrader.com) help you evaluate objectively your site’s effectiveness and provide constructive ways to improve.
The more sites that link to your agency site, the better. Sign up for local search on Google (www.google.com/local/add) and Yahoo (http://edit2.ls.sp2.yahoo.com/csubmit/). Have local partners and organizations—your local Chamber, church or business club—link to your site.
Relevant and fresh content on your agency Web site is critical. Keep things interesting for your clients and prospects. Consider using RSS feeds (automatic feeds of fresh news and content from another Web site) and add a blog on engaging consumer and community topics.
To leverage the time commitment required to maintain your social networking presence, consider a rotation schedule to tie it all together. On some frequency, update Facebook to share tips; use LinkedIn to keep up with reading, topics, trips and professional networking; and use Twitter to share pertinent updates. Use e-mail to send newsletters. And offer chat/text messaging capability. Each week, update your blog to add interesting stories and consumer tips. At least monthly, update your Web site to include news and events, and be sure to link to all of your social network sites to your site to complete the cycle.
Social networking and marketing put more tools in your toolbox and give you a broader market reach for very little expense. Use your Web site to supplement your physical office. Analyze your traffic and make upgrades to improve your close ratio. Use social networking as a virtual business card to expand community outreach, enhance networking presence, get more prospects and turn them into clients!
What do you mean you haven’t started using social networking to make your agency better? You need to jump right in. Ready... Set... Go!
Editor’s Note: Angelyn participated with other industry leaders in an excellent Internet Marketing panel at the ACT Special Event in September, 2009. A podcast, as well one on enhancing agency productivity, is available at www.independentagent.com/act.
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ASCnet member Angelyn Treutel is treasurer, vice president, and chief information officer of Treutel Insurance Agency, Bay St. Louis, Miss., and chair of the Agents Council for Technology (ACT). Angelyn can be reached at
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. This article was adapted from a syndicated piece she wrote for ACT.