The “Socialnomics” video created by best-selling author Eric Qualman, states that over 200 million blogs exist across the Internet. Blogs offer opinion, perspective, news, and original thought serving as one of the best information resources across all traditional and social media. Marketing is especially ripe for blogs because of the ongoing social media evolution and the emergence of new platforms. Blogs offer on-the-spot education and conjecture and the Internet would be a much different place without them.

In the insurance industry, a growing number of agents, carriers and vendors are using blogs to battle perceptions, educate and show the industry is filled with good people doing good things. Where are they you ask? The IMHQ blogroll is a nice place to start before heading over to the aptly named Insurance Blog Directory.

With this in mind, the team from Insurance Marketing HQ is proud to announce the second #INSchat set for 10/14 at 2p.m. EST which will focus 100% on blogging related topics. To be clear, you DON’T actually need to be a blogger to get value from the Twitter chat. We’ll discuss popular blogs with content that can foster professional development while touching on other social media tools and skills as well.

With help from the growing insurance community on Twitter, we’ll also delve into SEO best practices, blogging platforms, content strategy, making a blog social, and other areas that will help anyone become more accomplished in the art of bloggery.

Instructions for participating in #INSchat are the same as last time (just fill in the new dates), so bring an open mind and your blog questions, suggestions and advice.

We had an unbelievable response to the first social media best practices Twitter chat and look forward to growing #INSchat.

When you spend workdays explaining the joys, benefits and best practices of social media/networking to insurance agency employees, common questions emerge. One of the most frequent inquiries, How do I attract more fans to my Facebook fan page?

Sadly and surprisingly to some, there’s no magic bullet that will instantly flood your Facebook page with droves of relevant, prospect-worthy fans. Set it and forget it only works with rotisserie ovens.

However, a dedicated approach showing the agency does more than just provide quotes, write policies and service claims is the best strategy for picking up fans who matter, and ideally, turning them into insureds who become brand ambassadors. I understand this blog post has been written dozens of times (a couple favorites are a the bottom), but here are nine ways to help drive your insurance agency Facebook efforts.

Before getting to the last tip, one specific question that constantly pops up is the inability to comment on Facebook pages or profiles from an agency fan page. When posting on other walls directly, it always shows up from the personal profile.

9. Use the “@” Symbol to Appear on Other Fan Page Walls – After liking a fan page, use the “@” symbol before writing the name of a business/organization in your fan page status window. A dropdown will appear and you’ll be able to post an update that appears on both your wall and the wall of the business or person mentioned, with an internal Facebook link to both.

DO mention your favorite brands, carriers, local businesses, networking groups etc.

DON’T use for individuals who may not want their name blasted out for the world to see.

These ideas are not earth-shattering but the perspective given is aimed at agency owners and insurance marketing people committed to a well-rounded Facebook strategy.

As promised, here are a couple other like-minded articles to provide inspiration.

21 Creative Ways to Increase your Facebook Fan Base

15 Ways to Get More Facebook Fans

After day two of the Alliance of Insurance Agents and Brokers 2010 Conference, we take a step closer to realizing the true meaning and value of attending the largest western regional P&C trade show. A day full of energizing Astonish Results executive seminars, meandering the showroom floor, interviewing vendors, collecting goodies and networking with industry colleagues provided some valuable take-aways.

Lesson 1: Relationship building and relevance are boosted when you are employed by a “gold” sponsor. Not to say I couldn’t have forged relationships with board members, vendor presidents, agency owners and marketing executives otherwise, but every little bit helps.

Lesson 2: Despite the perception of insurance professionals being boring/sleazy/unfashionable, a great number of agents and other insurance professionals are well-groomed, style-conscious individuals with great stories and an altruistic mindset, especially when it comes to serving their clients and the communities they represent.

One particular encounter that impressed me was a random, 40-minute, in-between booth conversation with the 79 year-old, father of an agency owner, who’s been intimately involved with the web design and social networking for his 47 year-old daughter (the agency primary). Self-taught at the age of 73, this forward-thinking internet-savvy senior has been dabbling with SEO, web design and WordPress development since before Mashable and Twitter even mattered. I was floored by his knowledge of H1 N1 tags, keyword research tools and overall web acumen, even picking up a few helpful nuggets while attempting to match wits with a man whose shirt was fabricated before my original birthday. Well played Roger, we’ll certainly talk again.

Lesson 3: There are opposing camps when it comes to the value of social media and networking for insurance agencies. While most people are willing to admit its significance, there is still a way-too-prevalent mindset that insurance agencies are the LAST businesses on earth that should be engaging on social media, because of the perceptions stated previously. While I try to make it clear that social networking is not a silver bullet, nor is it an option for every agency, with the right person to manage and the right content/engagement strategy, there’s no reason social media shouldn’t play a role in branding, community building and marketing for insurance agencies.

Of course, for agencies with skeletons in the closet that can get re-hashed, it can be a tricky proposition, but the opportunity to turn antiquated negative perceptions into fresh, positive thoughts, is a risk worth taking. More than a few agencies I spoke to are dealing with this.

For those who’ve embraced social media, both vendors and agents share a similar feeling of, “We have a Facebook page (or blog or Twitter) but we don’t really know what we should be doing with it.” Despite acceptance, many of those responsible feel a disconnect between realizing the significance and understanding the best practices of social media. There’s pressure to maintain a presence and use it for marketing/communication purposes, but visions of how to execute remain unclear for many.

Lesson 4: Stress balls are the most popular form of swag when roaming the trade show floors. Maybe it’s the affordability of squishy foam, or the high-pressure/tension nature of the insurance industry, but half the exhibitors in attendance were giving away some sort of stress-relieving, squeezable tchachke.

Despite the prevalence of stress reducers, there was still some pretty cool free stuff being thrown out. The abundance was so impressive, that IMHQ decided to rate the top Alliance of Insurance Agents and Brokers 2010 Conference swag bag give-aways. With stiff competition for swag supremacy, it was a hotly contested battle, but we were able to narrow it down to a couple “Best Swag” runners up, a winner and a couple losers. Please enjoy the slideshow below for highlights.

Worst Swag Runner Up – Decapitated Bobble Head Pen

Worst Swag WINNER -Leaking Animal Kidney on a Stick (supposed to be some kind of Mexican candy, but looks more like the internal organ of some small creature impaled on a lollipop stick.)

Best Swag Runner Up 1 – Builders & Tradesmen’s Insurance Services Reusable Water Bottle

Best Swag Runner Up 2 – HealthCompare Sleeping Mask

Best Swag Runner Up 3 – G.J. Sullivan Co. Rearview Computer Mirror

Best Swag WINNER – 27 Piece Tool Tote (sadly the winning vendor DID NOT include any sort of branding on the tool tote so they don’t receive recognition for the generous give-away. The lesson – ALWAYS BRAND YOUR SWAG!)

Day 2 Conclusions

After two days, I’ve come to realize that a mass gathering of independent insurance agents and professionals is not unlike a college community. There’s learning, opportunistic vendors, imbibing and experimentation that not only solidifies relationships, but gives attendees a sense of purpose that goes beyond selling insurance. It’s easy to see how someone stuck in the ruts of day-to-day business could be refreshed by the perspectives, knowledge and emerging trends/services advanced by fellow colleagues in the insurance industry.

Tomorrow is supposedly the busiest day for #AIAB10, so we’ll be focusing on the agent’s perspective, including what attendees hope to accomplish and why these industry events matter in the overall realm of serving the modern consumer.

It’s midnight, the hip lobby bar still beckons with uproarious laughter and an overall clamor of excitement, but a 9 a.m. Social Networking 101 seminar has this IMHQ blogger focused on the surprising syndication of a Matlock re-run and seven hours of respite before the next caffeine injection.

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.

The topic of Errors and Omissions insurance as it relates to insurance agencies and specifically social media and technology, has been a hot one over the past few weeks.

Insurance Journal featured a comprehensive look at all risks associated with social media usage in, “The Growing Risks of Social Media,” while industry thought-leader Steve Anderson mentions E&O policies when discussing coverages needed to protect against the risk of data breaches, where personal information is stolen or made available accidentally.

To get a clear understanding of how Errors and Omissions policies are relevant to technology and social media, it’s important to first define E&O. According to BusinessDictionary.com, Errors and Omissions liability insurance is defined as:

Insurance coverage that protects professionals (such as accountants, architects, brokers, consultant, engineers, lawyers) against claims arising from their actual or perceived negligence, errors, and mistakes in the performance of service for others.

A slightly different explanation is offered on the International Risk Management Institute, Inc. (IRMC) website which defines E&O as:

An insurance form that protects the insured against liability for committing an error or omission in performance of professional duties. Generally, such policies are designed to cover financial losses rather than liability for bodily injury and property damage.

Understanding the types of coverages needed to mitigate the risk from your agency’s social media usage is not only good for your own protection, but valuable in determining how to protect business partners that are active on the social web, potentially opening up new streams for “rounding off” accounts.

Insurers have been slow to create policies that address social media usage specifically (they’re still learning how to use it). For this reason, knowledge from someone who has years of insurance and social media experience is more readily available than anything you can dig up from an insurance company. While they are few and far between, Leslie White, risk manager for SocialFish.org, wrote a groundbreaking post titled, Social Media, Liability and Insurance, in which she discusses the liabilities involved for any small business engaging on the social web.

I encourage you to read the entire piece, but in discussing Errors & Omissions coverage specifically, Ms. White states:

“Associations with extensive media activities should consider a media liability policy. However, if your association has an Errors & Omissions policy for its professional programs, the E&O policy can be modified to extend coverage for media exposures.

One advantage of a media liability policy is it can provide coverage for losses arising from the content of the publication. If the blog posting or article explains how to do or make something and someone gets hurt or suffers a financial loss, the association may be held liable. The policy can also be endorsed to cover claims arising from bodily injury or property damage arising from the content or subject matter.”

There is some gray area in defining the words “media” and “matter” so Ms. White encourages companies to make the definition as broad as possible to cover all web properties, electronic publications and even volunteers and authors.

As mentioned previously, data breaches are a concern, especially when sensitive information is available. Fortunately, most agencies will not have to worry about their websites, since the quote forms or other lead engines present only ask for very basic information. However, LOSS of data is a huge concern as operations become more digitized and CMS systems expand.

Aside from protecting data, bloggers and social media users always have to be aware of things like plagiarism, copyright infringement and defamation, which can all be easily avoided with some basic common sense training and a social media policy. Don’t badmouth the competition. Don’t steal other people’s work. Give credit where credit is due. Don’t post sensitive information about clients.

Benchmark-setting court cases and legislation is needed before a precedent can be set. Until then, it’s best to listen to the experts, formulate E&O coverages that protect your agency’s specific liabilities and apply a similar model when assessing the risks of clients active with social media and digital insurance marketing.

Since the insurance industry is playing catch-up in the social media marketing space, it may be some time before a forward-thinking insurer develops a specific coverage to address the risks faced by bloggers and social media practitioners.  But when it happens, it’s likely they’ll get plenty of attention from the people it matters to most.

(This is a guest post from Chris, Director of Marketing at Prostar Insurance in Washington.)

For an independent agent, the quality of a lead can make a huge difference in how much premium they quote, and how they build the relationship with their client. When dealing with unsolicited phone or Internet insurance leads, very little is known about the individual beyond their name and basic contact info, so it can be a challenge to qualify, especially if the person has been shopping multiple sites with tunnel vision on the lowest price.

That said, there are a few key areas that determine the quality of a lead, the first being their risk. Risk analysis is important to determine whether they will be a good client for you or not. Sometimes, high-risk people also are high-maintenance. They don’t make payments on time and can be a hassle to insure with a low chance of building any meaningful relationship. If the lead is a business owner, this usually means more business and WA liability insurance policies for the agent. Of course, the amount of insurance lines the agent is granted to quote in the first place determines the quality of the lead.

For Prostar Insurance, much of the business comes from the customer realizing that their personal and Washington business insurance premiums go down when they quote everything.

Ultimately, the quality of a lead is solely dependent upon the relationship you are able to establish with them. If a customer calls the agency for auto insurance, he or she might be inclined to take advantage of a discount and save money when partnering their homeowners insurance together with the auto. Then, we quote their business insurance and they save a thousand dollars a year on their general liability.

And only then, after being so excited from saving so much money, five of their closest family members catch wind of their incredible insurance experience (through word of mouth or Facebook) and call up Prostar the next day!

If the relationship is the cake, than referrals are most certainly the icing, and no one wants to eat cake without icing. The importance of referrals can’t be understated, and the easiest way to earn them is by forging the relationship first.

Beyond individual policy options and insurance needs, the more connections a converted lead can bring to the table, the better quality lead they are.  At Prostar Insurance, the relationship and subsequent referrals determine the quality of a lead.

What do you think, how do you rank the quality of your leads?