The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and it’s the ideal time to start a client e-mail campaign.  Summer holidays are some of the happiest times with the picnics, pool parties, family, and beautiful weather.  If you send your clients e-mails when they’re feeling great, they’ll probably think of you in a good context.  Whenever I think of Christmas, I am reminded of the first card I get each year — the one from my insurance agent!

There are many season-appropriate topics you can focus on with a summer e-mail campaign.  You might want to keep it simple and just wish your clients a happy and healthy Fourth of July, or you could remind them of the need for insurance during the summer months (that big bonfire they’re planning might be an excellent reason to increase their homeowners insurance!).  If you have mostly local clients, consider including a list of fun summer happenings in your area. Another option would be to send them summer tips, such as firework or pool safety.

E-mail campaigns are easy, effective, and important for a variety of reasons.  First of all, e-mails are quick and affordable!  You won’t have to spend hours handwriting letters or money to mail them out.  Plus, a template e-mail can be easily personalized to each client, so they feel as if you care about them as an individual rather than as a dollar sign.  An e-mail will also get your clients thinking about you.  If a client was contemplating increasing their insurance coverage, your e-mail might get them to follow-through.  Or maybe a friendly e-mail will prompt them to refer you when a friend needs coverage!

No matter what you decide to include in your summer e-mail campaign, it will definitely be beneficial to your business and help you to build a stronger relationship with your clients!

As an insurance agent in the age of evolving technology, you rely on many tools to help you stay organized. One of the main methods you most likely use to communicate besides the telephone is email. Email can be your best friend or worst enemy when it comes to communicating with your clients. Sending a quick message out is an easy way to create reminders, update clients, check in with them, and strengthen your insurance marketing strategy. However, email can also be a time-consuming burden for leaders.

Has your inbox reached hundreds of emails or more before? This can be a huge stress on you, especially if you miss out on a very important email. The key to dealing with your emails is trying your best to stay on top of them as they come in. The following is some insights on how you can control your email account and stay organized:

Taking these tips into account, you can strengthen the communication you have with your community as well as your insurance marketing strategy. Sending out friendly reminders or goings on in your agency will keep everyone in the loop. Taking control of your email account will help you feel more organized and closer to your customers than ever before!

As a leader for your company, you make small and big decisions on a daily basis. However, when it comes to your insurance internet marketing and your social media outlets, such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, the decision making process may involve aspects you aren’t used to. For example, how do you find your primary audience? What will they like to read about? What is the most effective way to find them? All of these questions may have arisen for you at one point or another.

In the beginning, it may have been just you and your partners, and you did every job. But now, you have others to help, so you can focus on building a social community. Being strategic about the people you want to participate in conversations with on your social media accounts is important. In addition, the content you post and voice you use should attract and engage them. To become an adaptive strategic leader, the kind who can thrive in even uncertain environments, do these three things well:

• Anticipate: Some leaders lack “peripheral vision.” To anticipate well, you must look for game-changing information in your industry and take advantage of it. Also, search beyond the current boundaries of your business, and finally, build wide networks to help you communicate with your clients better.

• Think Critically: Critical thinkers question everything. To master this skill, force yourself to reframe problems in order to get to the bottom of things, such as a customer complaint. Also, challenge current beliefs and mindsets, including your own. This will help you think from the perspective of your community.

• Decide: Many leaders over analyze information. You have to develop processes and enforce them, so that you arrive the solutions you want. To do that well, you have to balance your social media accounts while also making sure they include quality content. Also, take control of incomplete information and when others have diverse views.

Effective leaders combine experience and a strong decision process. This will force you to evaluate, listen, adjust, and learn from each decision. Having all of these important skills will allow you to analyze your insurance internet marketing strategy more closely as well as appeal to a wide range of followers on your social media sites. Engagement is key, and by being a strategic leader, you can make this happen!

1. Thou shalt not use ALL CAPS – Although the occasional use of capital letters can be a good way to show emphasis and enthusiasm, using all caps is never a good idea.  An e-mail written entirely in caps can make it look like you are yelling at your client.  SEE WHAT I MEAN?  Lower case letters are also generally more legible.  Forget Caps Lock and stick with the Shift Key!

2. Thou shalt not use Internet Slang – While everyone loves LOLCats, it’s inappropriate to use internet speak and acronyms in client e-mails.  It can make you appear uneducated and too informal.  It won’t take you much longer to write full sentences and spell out words, but it will make a huge difference in your professionalism.  K?  Tkx!  LOL!

3. Thou shalt use spell check - Misspellings can also make you seem uneducated.  Even if you were the 3rd grade spelling bee champion like me, you are going to misspell things once in a while.  I don’t know how many times I’ve written “insurnace” instead of insurance.  Most e-mail programs such as Outlook and Gmail have a built-in spell check program which will look over your e-mails when you hit send.  A quick check can definitely save you some “embareassment.”

4. Thou shalt only speak to clients from thy desk – Although we live in a time when everyone is a multi-tasker and it’s hard to sit still for too long, it’s a good idea to plan time to make client calls from your desk.  If your client hears your GPS or a honking horn in the background of your call, they will know you are not giving them your full attention.  And please, for the love of your client, NEVER make calls from a restroom!

5. Thou shalt not make threats – Although you are probably hoping for quick responses from your clients, making demands of them is not the best idea.  I couldn’t tell you how many sales e-mails I have gotten which have warned me that I only have “2 days left” to respond.  5 days later, when I still haven’t responded and I get another warning e-mail, my trust of that company has all but gone out the window.  Your client could be thinking about their options, talking with a spouse, or even sick or on vacation.  It’s great to reach out to your clients, but don’t lose a sale by being too aggressive.

6. Thou shalt follow the golden rule – The best way to attain and retain a customer base is to treat them well, and let them know you appreciate their business and loyalty.  Interact with your clients the way you would like sales people from companies you’re a client of to treat you.

You deal with customers in the office all the time. Your insurance agency is the place where your community should feel safe and trust that your services will be personalized to their needs. So don’t you think this should happen within your social media and blogging initiatives? Show your clients you care about their interests, questions, and more by creating an effective space for conversation.

In today’s fast-paced business world, customer satisfaction is pretty much required, and you can strengthen it through a variety of channels, such as your Facebook page, Twitter account, onsite blog, and of course, in person. However, the digital outlets allow you to focus on your audience in a way you could never do before. Customer service is evolving to match customers’ expectations and you must relate to them in order to attract their business.

Your clients are continuing to be deeply engaged with digital tools, which is why your agency should too. They will remain loyal to your services because of your comprehensive products and the quality of service that brings them back. So improve customer satisfaction by understanding these three main categories:

Understanding how strong customer relationships relate to the success of your agency is the key to customer satisfaction. Putting yourself in the clients’ shoes will give you a better grasp on evolving your insurance marketing strategy. Every interaction your community has with your company is an experience. Therefore, make it your responsibility to show them you care no matter what means of communication you use!

Every writer gets writers block sometimes. With all the great content out there today, how can you find creative ways to stand out? Blogging is a great insurance marketing strategy on the Internet and, i’ll tell you, one of the best ways to think of a topic is finding inspiration from the season we are currently in. Whether it’s, winter, spring, fall, or summer, there are always great ways to spin an idea through that thought process.
Whether you read local newspapers, Internet blogs, or you find inspiration from your everyday life, thinking about the time we are in is important. Using the seasons as a starting point for your idea takes a timely and immediate approach to your writing.

Some ideas to get you started:

Finding inspiration and topics to write about can be difficult, but put a little fun in your topics and you are more likely to be interested in what you are writing about. The change of seasons will give you a plethora of ideas to choose from.

Remember always write your ideas down as you think of them so you can use other topics in the future. All the topics above you will be able to relate in many ways to your readers and, it will give you a more timely approach to your writing which is very important.  So stop draining yourself by thinking too hard and take a seasonal approach to your writing today.

Link building plays a significant part in how high your website ranks in the search engines. There are a variety of different ways to get links back to your website, but one of the most effective methods is to step away from the computer and out in to your community.

1) Sponsor an Event. Nearly every city or town has a few popular events that happen every year – music festivals, 5k runs, county fairs and restaurant weeks. What better opportunity to get your name in front of a big chunk of the local population? Check to see if any of these events have websites and if so, whether or not they link to their sponsors. If you find an event that makes sense for your business to sponsor and it seems like they will link to your website, go for it.

2) Be a Speaker. If you have a special talent for public speaking, you may have some great link building opportunities. Investigate your options to speak at local and national conferences and events. Finding knowledgeable, charismatic orators can be a challenge, so jumping on board with a relevant conference will usually be a mutually beneficial relationship. Bonus points if you can get a gig speaking at a college or university; their .edu URL holds extra authority and link juice.

3) Host Your Own Networking Event. Everyone loves free food and good company, but not everyone likes to play host. Put together a small (or large, if you’re feeling ambitious) networking event and hold it at your office or a more spacious venue. You could invite local artists to display their work, plan to have a guest speaker or maybe offer some kind of door prize or raffle. Whatever you choose, you need to give the attendees a reason to show up. Once you have decided the logistics of the event, use social media to spread the news. Write a post for your blog, Tweet your Followers and update your Facebook Fans; hopefully, those who follow you will begin to re-purpose your content and alert their followers about the event as well. The goal is to not just throw a great party, but get a nice amount of back links in the process.

These are just a few ways to get started with link building in your community. Don’t be afraid to get out there and network in person – you never know what kind of back link you might be able to secure!

Are you thinking of creative ways to boost your insurance agencies internet marketing strategy? One word to live by- Twitter! Twitter is a popular social media site that allows you to build a community and is one of the best ways to get your brain stirring with creative blog topic ideas.

Twitter isn’t going to write a blog for you, but it will give you relevant and interesting ideas to start the brainstorming process.

The top 5 ways to get creative with Twitter:

When engaging your reader things you will want to remember when writing is, keep the information informative yet interesting and make sure your information is relevant for the times. Twitter keeps these things always in mind as is updated with information every second.

Along with these ways to gain ideas you will be able to pull relevant and credible links from twitter. People usually post information and then add a link. This is a great way to add informative outside sources to your blog post! Remember as an insurance agency you want to intrigue your audience so get creative! Reading your Twitter will keep you in the know while positively affect your blogging process.

Thinking outside the box and becoming more creative to generate leads is a great insurance marketing strategy for your insurance agency. Social media has become one of the leading ways to impact your community, generate interest, and draw in prospective clients. Whether you are heavily invested in Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, you have got to start somewhere.

All of these social media sites provide different opportunities for your agency to brand itself on. As a leader in the insurance industry, you will want to use social media to integrate fundraising and community service into your agency. This creative and humbling Internet marketing tactic will not only bring you leads, but it will build a stronger community for your agency.

Integrating fundraising and community service into your social media strategy:

Through Facebook, you are going to be able to optimize your experience by creating interesting posts that people want to interact with. Through Twitter, you are going to be able to promote good things going on with your event or service to provide real time updates. And through LinkedIn you can update your initiative through your professional networking groups.

Being involved on a day to day basis with your Facebook friends and potential clients is a great way to generate new leads through social media. Creating a fundraiser or community service event to bring the community together, will not only benefit the non-profit or business you are donating your proceeds to, but it will benefit the community, and even better your agency. Think outside the box and bring people together through social media, and you will be guaranteed to build a larger and more beneficial community surrounding your insurance agency.

As an insurance agent, it is a constant goal to attract and keep your customers. Having reliable products is one factor in being able to provide great services. However, one crucial component to reaching success may not be as obvious as you think. With social media on the rise, it is important to create quality content that not only engages customers, but encourages them to share.

According to Top Rank, a recent study by Exact Target found that 55% of Facebook users have “liked” a company and then later, decided they no longer wanted to see that company’s post. You don’t want this to happen on your social media outlets. Therefore, you must do everything you can to keep customers reading with relevant posts and provide content that can be easily shared. The following are tips on how to do so:

Tip #1 – Know Who You’re Talking To & Provide Relevant Information

A review of your social media accounts can help determine who your current followers are, what they tend to share information about, and the format in which they use to share socially. Once you see what your audience is sharing and “liking”, you can attract their attention by producing relevant content. In addition, by promoting your agency through contests, giving helpful information, and providing tips on safety, this will help increase your visibility.

Tip #2 – Think Outside The Marketing Box

In order to increase social shares, you need to place focus on your insurance social networking strategy. This can be done by updating your Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin around 1-3 times a day, but remembering to keep your content fresh and interesting. In addition, you can search for followers that you believe will be interested in your services. By building up your community, you can watch your agency grow in social success.

Tip #3 – Love Lists

Twitter lists are a great way to segment different types of followers, or recognize them as an expert in a particular field. By making the additional effort to organize your audience, share relevant content, and making information easy for others to share, you can see the benefits of your strategy in the numbers.

Once you develop an engaged audience, this will allow you to become a community leader on your social outlets. Consider social sharing a way to gain additional prospective clients, contributors, or employees that could inspire the growth of your business!