Finding an internal employee to manage social media can be like hunting for wild game at a petting zoo. Agents, producers, CSRs or even insurance marketing people who’ve been on the job for a long time might simply not have the willingness, personality or experience with social media to make the transition from traditional to social networking.

When no one in the office is suited to handle the tasks of a social media manager, we must look outside the agency walls. Often the best option is to hire a socially savvy friend or relative of a current employee, as is the case with the most recent Insurance Marketing HQ, Changing Faces of the Industry, interview subject, Marissa from the Ross Insurance Agency in Holyoke, MA. The daughter of Ross’ longest active employee, Marissa was hired to manage all aspects of the agency’s social media program which includes blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and LinkedIn.

While it would be easy to classify her hiring as a case of nepotism or “knowing the right pers changing-faces-of-the-industry-ross-insurance-agency on,” Marissa actually has a marketing degree and years of experience engaging on social media networks. Beyond the knowledge, perhaps the most important aspect of her hiring was the sense of trust she walked in the door with because of her mother’s role with the company.

Strategic social networking thrives when the person responsible has a finger on the pulse of agency life and fellow employees appreciate the value of their contributions. If all agency employees saw Marissa’s contributions as, “She just plays on Facebook all day,” they’d be much less likely to share anything useful with her and may even harbor feelings of resentment.

However, because fellow employees know her mother and see that she’s dedicated to growing Ross’ community through the use of social media (while actually generating tangible results), they are much more open, and the social media activities thrive because of it.

While Marissa is a great example of how insurance agency’s can leverage young, non-industry talent to help their marketing efforts, an important point is the advantages that a close family member or friend can have when entering a position next to long-time employees. Not everyone will appreciate the role of a social media manager, but hiring the hard-working daughter, son, niece or nephew of a current employee can certainly help bridge the gap.

Still hunting for a wildebeast at the petting zoo? Ask around the agency, your social media manager could be closer than you think.

Many thanks are owed to Marissa and the folks from Ross Insurance Agency for their hospitality in welcoming the Insurance Marketing HQ team to their office. Please enjoy this “Changing Faces of the Industry,” video interview and excuse the flashy necklaces, we were celebrating a luau-themed end-of-summer party.

There are currently no insurance based chats, but we are exploring a couple options and  invite others to create twitter chats about insurance. For now the chats most beneficial to helping your insurance marketing efforts are:

1. #smchat: Exploring and driving the new social media paradigm.  Be ready for a discussion that’s sometimes technical but always lively.

Wednesdays 1-2:30pm

2. #smmeasure: This chat is all about measuring your social media efforts. Others share how they see their ROI and analytics.

Thursdays 12pm

3. #blogchat: This chat is all about BLOGGING. Get tips from professionals on how to make your blog better, and connect with people who have similar issues.

Sundays 8-9pm

4. #wpchat: A chat all about WordPress. Everyone has been frustrated with it before, get some quick tips and ideas!

Fridays 2pm

*All chats times are EST. See the full list of twitter chats.

Along with participating in Twitter chats, you can use #hashtags in your everyday tweets when discussing insurance, local events, or anything for that matter, and create a Twitter search to monitor the #hashtags. Likewise, by using these #hashtags, people will be able to see your tweet when searching for the terms.

You can also search for terms to make connections with like-minded Twitter users, or maybe even reach out to a prospect who is having a negative, insurance-related experience (tactfully). Geographic locations also make good #hashtags because they identify people in your area that are involved with local events or business.

Lastly, some people use hashtags to inject humor into the conversation. For example, one may tweet something like, “Listening to Backstreet Boys station on @Pandora_Radio #dontjudge,” or “Seasoned hunter mauled by bear…in his back yard #irony.”

Using multiple #hashtags in one tweet happens (#car #insurance), but it’s NOT advisable to load every single post with a bevy of #s. It gives the appearance of someone not concerned with making connections but only appearing in searches, cluttering your posts while likely driving followers away. Some popular #hashtags for the industry with no specific chat time are:

•       #insurance

•       #risk

•       #workerscomp (Every Wednesday follow and use this #hashtag along with  @WorkCompEdge for discussion of workers compensation)

•       #fraud

•       #actuary

•       #banking

•       #liability

•       #health (#insurance)

•       #car (#insurance)

•       #life (#insurance)

•       #homeowners

The sultan of social sites recently announced a new location-based application called Facebook Places that will further expand the network’s reach into our daily lives. The new feature allows users with a smartphone to post status updates on their daily meanderings, tag people they are with and even identify “People Here Now” by installing the free application or using the site http://touch.facebook.com.

(For a more complete assessment, check Mashable’s, A Field Guide to Using Facebook Places or the Facebook Places FAQ)

The service is not unique since Foursquare and Gowalla function much the same way, but Facebook’s 500 million+ users bring impactful attention to location-based social networks. Opportunistic and socially savvy insurance marketing minds can leverage these services in a number of ways:

• Claim your Agency/Business – Determine whether your business has a places page and click the link to claim ownership (check Foursquare too). While it’s not feasible to offer discounts or Everything-Must-Go Labor Day sales on insurance, you can offer first-time visitors a gift card or novelty item for letting you write their insurance. Plus, claiming your business ensures you’ll see what’s being said even if you choose not to participate.

• Build a positive Timeline – As part of the service, “Places” pages will exist as a timeline of people who checked in while providing any feedback they have to share. If you make people wait because your receptionist is too busy smoking a cigarette and texting her boyfriend to greet them, expect that to be communicated. However, if you have an overflowing candy bowl and the person is welcomed with a smile, coffee and new magazines, you may soon have hipsters and bloggers hanging out there just to be seen (OK, maybe not).

• Hang a Sign – Post a simple sign in your front window or lobby that says, “We’re on Facebook Places, Come Check-in” to show you’re plugged into the local social media community. At the very least, you may gain some new fan page likes or a curious bystander moseying in just from seeing the sign.

• Create your own Places Trail – Privacy is a big concern with location-based services because users are basically broadcasting where they are NOT (just ask PleaseRobMe.com). Facebook made the default setting so only friends will see the updates, but there’s reason to make them public, at least during business hours. If you’re on the road meeting with business insurance clients, showing the trail of visits is a good way to highlight the niches you’re involved with. You can also leave positive comments about your visits, perhaps recommending a favorite sandwich or highlighting a special deal that will appear on both your wall and the partner’s Places page.

• Use it as an Ice-Breaker – If meeting with a prospect, ask if they mind that you check-in on Facebook as a way to get the conversation flowing and to show your value as a marketing partner. Sell them on the fact that you want to help their business, not just sell insurance.

• Offer employee incentives – Since customers will never flock to your agency to get new insurance products, offer incentives to employees who earn the most agency or partner check-ins from setting up new prospect meetings. It works because it combines social media and insurance sales in a rewarding but not overly promotional kind of way, while providing the carrot on a stick for producers. Just be wary of the prospects privacy.

It would be absurd to say that Facebook places or any location-based network will be an insurance marketing game-changer, but it’s yet another tool that helps agents leave a footprint in the local community, something direct insurance writers will never be able to do.

SocialMediaToday.com covered the Facebook announcement and shared this from the closing statements:

(Chris) Cox, Facebook’s Vice President of Product shared a compelling and passionate closing statement citing Ray Oldenburg in The Great Good Place where Oldenburg describes the three most important places in the world:

Home: Where you eat and sleep, where your family is and where you go to digest and reflect.

Work: The core of economic society where we flex our brain muscle

“The Third Place”: The corner café, the local bar, the library, the newsstand, the place where people run-in to each other.

In his book, Oldenburg argues that we are in danger of destroying “The Third Place”.

For a long time people have repelled technology (many still do) for fear that instead of becoming connected, they actually disconnect. Cox explained that the hope for this technology is that instead of keeping us trapped on our couches in a bubble, it will actually become the force that pulls us out of our homes and back to the corner café.

Recently, the Insurance Marketing HQ team had the opportunity to visit the energetic and inspired team from Encharter Insurance’s Amherst office known locally as Blair, Cutting & Smith Insurance. Situated in the heart of the UMASS-Amherst community, the agency has a rich history dating back to 1879.

Our visit happened to coincide with a “theme” day the agency had planned as a part of an office morale initiative that keeps employees happy and productive. To honor the 53rd anniversary of American Bandstand, Encharter’s staff donned attire ranging from poodle skirts and pink cardigans to floor length flower dresses with begonias in their hair.

As a special treat we spoke to two Encharter employees who are shining bright as “Changing Faces of the Insurance Industry,” one a social media engineer and the other, a savvy receptionist turned CSR.

Social Media Engineer – Heidi

Wielding an English degree out of college, Heidi has been instrumental in building an internship program for Encharter by leveraging relationships with UMASS-Amherst and creating an atmosphere of learning. She’s also responsible for helping to oversee the agency’s social media  with a full on multimedia and social networking program.

Customer Service Representative – Katie

Stephanie started as a receptionist at Encharter before earning her license and becoming a CSR. Since then, she’s won multiple awards within the agency as a top producer based on a point system set up by the management team.

Previously, we discussed, Alligator wrangling on the rise in Florida: Over-development and drunk idiots to blame, discussing how there is approximately one alligator for every 12.5 humans and the insurance-related challenges this co-existence can create.

Moving further offshore, in honor of last week’s Discovery Channel, “Shark Week”, we’re exploring a health insurance related issue brought to life by one predator of the sea and its appetite for human arms. The high-profile ordeal of a vacationing Florida man recently brought a media feeding frenzy to the topic of sharks, traveling abroad and insurance.

Luis Hernandez was swimming off a boat in the Bahamas when he was attacked by a shark that shredded his arm to pieces. Blessed to be saved by his wife who pulled him safely onto the boat, the man literally had to sit and wait, bleeding in a large transport plane while his credit card was run for $7,500, covering the cost of the medical evacuation. Also using his credit card, the shark-bitten man was able to pay an additional $13,000 for Bahamian medical care and transportation to a specialized U.S. hospital, but all told, Luis was on the hook for close to $700,000 in medical costs for surgery and recovery.

Facing financial ruin and reduced mobility with his arm, Luis followed all the protocols of his insurance company, which were extensive, and was able to recuperate his medical expenses while gaining 70% of his arm strength. Despite the somewhat happy ending, this whole scenario raises many questions about health insurance coverage when travelling out of the country. The fact is, not all health insurance plans operate the same when you leave the country.

Fortunately, the government has taken steps to provide information for those travelling abroad by creating the Travel.State.gov website. On its homepage the site states the following:

Before going abroad, learn what medical services your health insurance will cover overseas. If your health insurance policy provides coverage outside the United States, REMEMBER to carry both your insurance policy identity card as proof of such insurance and a claim form. Although many health insurance companies will pay “customary and reasonable” hospital costs abroad, very few will pay for your medical evacuation back to the United States. Medical evacuation can easily cost $10,000 and up, depending on your location and medical condition.

Underscoring a message for retired or senior citizen travelers, the site makes it clear in ALL CAPS and bold that: THE SOCIAL SECURITY MEDICARE PROGRAM DOES NOT PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR HOSPITAL OR MEDICAL COSTS OUTSIDE THE U.S.A. Supplemental life insurance is available as a backup.

Additionally, Travel.State.gov offers additional resources for travelers going abroad including:

Air Ambulance/Med-Evac Companies

Doctors/Hospitals abroad

Avian Flu Fact Sheet

Foot and Mouth Disease Fact Sheet

Chemical/Biological Agents Fact Sheet

Responding to Radiological and Nuclear Incidents

Next time you or a customer plans an adventure vacation that involves diving with sharks, going on safari or a jungle expedition, it’s a good idea to review what IS and IS NOT covered by insurance,  just in case your arm ends up as a meal.

The Discovery Channel’s wildly popular “Shark Week” works hard to dispel myths about sharks being vicious killers hell-bent on devouring humans wherever they swim,

but who is doing that for insurance agents?

The majority of mainstream media attention heaped on the insurance industry involves fraud, excessive executive compensation or the multi-million dollar advertising campaigns of direct writers and other insurance companies.

On a local level, we hear about the house fire that displaced a family of five, but rarely about the local insurance agent who helped them find temporary residence and restore their lives when it seemed all was lost. Not to say that doing our jobs should bring us any special attention, but it’s certainly worthwhile to balance the negative with some positive, and that’s where we can be like the Discovery Channel.

Looking at some of the “Shark Week” programming, we see a Shark Attack Survival Guide (which ironically features Allstate advertisements) explaining what to do in 10 different shark attack scenarios from, “If a Shark Drags you Down,” to, “Aiding a Shark Attack Victim” which acknowledges the fact that sharks will attack, but mitigates with tips to survive and statistics that show how rarely it happens.

While insurance agencies don’t have full-time programming directors and production teams to create slick looking videos, we can present our industry knowledge in such a way that helps customers and insurance leads understand WHY they would benefit from doing business with a local agency.

How can this be done? You need only consult the Discovery Channel to see how they’re handling shark PR efforts and mimic in your insurance marketing and social media efforts.

Sharks at Georgia Aquarium = Our agency in the community

Saving the Sharks = Advantages of agencies over direct writers

Top 20 Shark Facts = Misconceptions about insurance policies and claims

Beyond weaving these messages into marketing materials and conversations, it’s important to acknowledge the perceptions of the insurance industry and address them head on. 30 years ago sharks were vicious, mindless, aggressive killers (thanks JAWS), and now they’re intelligent, graceful and misunderstood carnivores.

If we as insurance professionals are viewed as boring, sleazy, and lazy, we need to portray an image of fun, honest and hard-working, otherwise we risk becoming extinct.

Building a social media program from scratch, with no experience can be a daunting task. With all the networks, people and platforms, insurance agencies often struggle with where to start and how to proceed. Fortunately, one of the best ways to get up to speed quickly is to follow other prominent social media users from your industry, learn from them, and incorporate lessons into your own social web presence.

Below is an assemblage of 27 of my favorite insurance industry social media resources and people. If you’ve never read a blog, followed a twitter feed or created a Youtube video, here are 27 good places to start.

In no specific order of importance, here’s why social media is cool in the insurance industry:

Lastly, to take the marketing lesson a bit further, this post falls into a category which can be classified as Linkbait. Linkbait is not a bad thing, unless it is done disingenuously or coercively, but it’s useful for growing the presence of your blog.

For a definition of linkbait, we turn to web1marketing.com:

Link bait (or linkbait) refers to anything on a website that encourages links from other websites. It can include content, online tools, downloads, or anything else that another site owner might find compelling enough to link to. Link bait is important because most search engines use backlinks as a major factor in determining ranking.

Many thanks to everyone who’s helped grow the insurance industry’s social web presence. Obviously this list is not complete, so if you know another person or site that is helping to make social media cool in the insurance industry, please leave it in the comments section. Self-promotional plugs are not just OK, they are STRONGLY encouraged.

In the first post about millennia’s working in the insurance industry, I spoke with two friends who recently graduated and took jobs at large insurance companies, here is my follow-up to that post.

I have been using social media for insurance marketing for about two months now and I still get the same questions from the same friends, “So you work in insurance, that wasn’t your major?” or “So you go online and do stuff that has things to do with insurance?” but my favorite is “Wait you work for insurance, isn’t that really really boring for you?” My answer, no, no, and no.

Yes, their questions are not out of the ordinary, but I work with insurance not for insurance. Representing Astonish Results, I’m helping to oversee and interact with 300+ insurance agencies all in various stages of learning how to leverage digital marketing and social media. It’s funny because, even in my wildest dreams, I never thought my PR degree would have me working with insurance agencies that are blogging and tweeting and might just want to be your friend on Facebook.

I have even learned about the insurance industry. I now know that an annuity is an agreement to make periodic payments over a set period of time and that a premium is the price of insurance coverage to mitigate a certain risk over a certain amount of time. I know the difference between a captive and an independent and I even know how to go about getting my license if the itch ever comes necessary. It’s cool that at the same time many of our clients are learning social media and marketing lessons, I’m learning about the insurance industry, and we’re feeding off each other. And since everyone needs insurance, this knowledge will only help me in the future

Since a large number of agencies are utilizing social media for marketing campaigns, many will hire someone, usually a millennial, to help them best utilize the tools. Millennials understand the Internet, most of us have been using a computer since we could walk, so younger talent being attracted to a seemingly boring industry is not at all out of the ordinary, and will continue trending upwards.

In the previous millennial post, my insurance industry friends explained to me how it was not always where you worked but the people you work with that determines workplace contentment. I caught up with one of them over the weekend and asked how it was going.

My friend working at The Hartford maintains her position on enjoying her job. She explained to me that it is a business that will never go away, and since her work helps Americans, why not stay with the industry?

I then asked her the same question as the last time. Are there not a lot of older people in the office, don’t you feel out of place? She laughed and responded saying her company hires X amount of graduates every year so there are always fresh young faces, and having room to grow when someone new is hired is always a plus.

Then of course, still slightly having that college-minded like mentality, we ended up talking about money. I had to ask her what she was making. This was the college basketball player who I thought only enjoyed eating and going to the beach, so I figured she must be making a ton to be working in insurance.

“I like my salary but it’s probably not what you are thinking,” she said. “I really enjoy working where I do because of the people I work with and my main job satisfaction comes from my boss, he is always helpful and around for questions, and is open to hearing ideas and suggestions even though he is 30 years my senior.”

After she said that, it made sense. I feel the same way. I do not mind insurance marketing and speaking with clients from different agencies. The other day, while I was in the conference room, two employees stuck their heads in just to tell me I was doing a good job. The president of the company said he appreciates the work I do, and gets back to me directly when I have a question.

So the answer is still “No” to all the previous questions when my friends ask me about my job. Work is interesting, the people are cool, and like what I do – and that’s my recipe for success.

Let the bankers and librarians be bored, insurance is fun!

Everyone should have the good fortune of a mentor, or mentors. For me, there was an Algerian cook named Sayeed  who I worked with behind the line of a restaurant in Boston’s financial district. The guy must’ve worked 16 hours a day, seven days a week. He was never NOT there. The stories of his time as an Algerian soldier, days without eating, walking through desert heat, death around every corner, made a 116 hour work week at a place where food is never far away, seem like utopia.

While he wasn’t the most influential figure in my life, he did serve as an inspiration for work ethic and a priority authority. I will never forget the line he shared when I chided him about working so much, “Neek (Nick), until my family can be with me in this country, I’ll work 24 hours a day to make it comfortable when they are.”

There was also the concierge of an upscale resort in Newport, RI named Albert, whose unflappability in tense and confrontational situations made people think he was ½ robot and/or a master of transcendental meditation. I learned the value of patience and listening from seeing him routinely turn a disgruntled guest into a relaxed vacationer or productive business traveler, just by turning an open and receptive ear.

While neither one of these gentlemen tutored me through major life changes or decisions, they each instilled valuable life lessons that have followed me personally and professionally.

The Internet can serve a similar mentor role. A commitment to learning should be part of any social media strategy, and the nature of the social web embraces those who can act like a sponge and don’t just assert themselves as a thought-leader before understanding the community. Networks are evolving constantly, tools are introduced and a college curriculum’s worth of content is published daily.

Interestingly, a mentor in today’s society can educate and inspire without ever meeting the mentored. Thanks Internet! In the world of web and insurance marketing, there are countless social media gurus, masters, ninjas, Jedis, assassins, rebels, experts and others running the gamut of social web and marketing acumen. While  many use social media for the sole purpose of broadcasting to others that they are social media experts, in the hopes of being given the chance to actually prove themselves, there are a few sage veterans who I’ve stuck with since my PR agency days, and who will continue to shape the social web going forward.

Most of these suggestions are well-known (for good reason) and already listed on the IMHQ blogroll, but my favorite social media marketing mentors are as follows:

Individual mentors:

Brian Solis – (from the bio) Principal of FutureWorks, an award-winning New Media marketing and branding agency in Silicon Valley. Solis is globally recognized for his views and insights on the convergence of PR, Traditional Media and Social Media

Why I like: Brian looks at social media and marketing from a highly intellectual perspective and is a master at using case studies and analyst/research reports to back up his points. (also, his book Engage has been instrumental in developing recent Astonish Results strategy)

Chris Brogan – (from the bio) President of New Marketing Labs, a new media marketing agency. He works with large and mid-sized companies to improve online business communications like marketing and PR through the use of social software, community platforms, and other emerging web and mobile technologies.

Why I like: Chris has been around since the infancy of social media and has a genuine but incisive approach that makes him extremely approachable. He always seems to pull the best out of other people.

Seth Godin – (from the bio) Mr. Godin has written twelve books that have been translated into more than thirty languages. Every one has been a bestseller. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most of all, changing everything.

Why I like: He is the master of thought provocation. Seth’s brief, but always poignant blog entries and Twitter updates serve as inspiration for marketers across the web. Rarely does day pass where you don’t see quotes followed by “Godin” somewhere on the social web. My employer has 11 of his 12 books available to employees.

Olivier Blanchard – (from the bio) As BrandBuilder Marketing‘s principal and senior strategist, I help companies develop, build, integrate, manage and measure Social Media Programs. I also help companies manage their reputations online and offline, and establish leadership in their markets.

Why I like: He tells personal stories that all marketers can relate to and isn’t afraid to stir the pot when it needs to be stirred, sometimes thousands of words at a time.

Mentor Sites:

These sites are well-known to any experienced social media marketer and I would venture to say the constantly updated library of content on these sites far exceeds the knowledge shared in any college classroom over the course of a semester.

Mashable

Social Media Examiner

Outspoken Media blog

SearchEngineJournal

Hubspot Blog

Copyblogger

So that’s my collection of inspiring people and websites. No real shockers, but a solid list if you’re just getting started and want to learn from the true marketing thought leaders.

I’ve obviously done an injustice to hundreds of worthy people and sites, so if you have recommendations for an individual or website mentor, please share it in the comments…

Astonish Results visited Berry Insurance in Franklin, MA to speak with their newest hire Amanda about breaking the typical stereotype of the insurance industry. Amanda did not plan on going into the industry but she said once she met the people in the office and enjoyed the work she put out, she was happy with her decision.

Whether she is blogging, updating their twitter accounts, or meeting with clients for their partners’ page, Amanda has taken on Berry’s insurance marketing efforts for the long haul. She will continuously work with VP Kaitlyn Pintarich on Berry Insurance’s marketing and digital strategy and will be getting licensed in insurance later this year.

While at Berry Insurance we also interviewed Kaitlyn to hear her point of view on how social media has taken the agency into the digital age, and how working with Astonish Results has benefitted them greatly.

Catch up with the “Changing Faces of the Insurance Industry” with Episode One