The world of Internet Marketing is always changing, so Astonish Results makes it a priority to provide employees with opportunities to educate themselves and stay on top of the latest trends. On April 2, I was lucky enough to attend Distilled’s LinkLove conference in Boston.

LinkLove is the ultimate gathering of the web’s top link builders. We met at the Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School (I like to think spending the day at Harvard made me smarter by osmosis) and had the honor of listening to nine speakers, each with their own area of expertise. The presenters were the best of the best in our field. If there was a king of SEO, Rand Fishkin from SEOmoz would be the reigning monarch…and he was there! Other presenters included Justin Briggs, Ross Hudgens, Rhea Drysdale, Wil Reynolds, John Doherty, Adam Audette, Colby Almond and Tom Critchlow – all AWESOME.

I learned a ton and look forward to implementing some things I learned in to Astonish’s link building tactics, but there are also some things I learned that are great for you as a business owner to keep in mind:

I want to thank Distilled for hosting such an outstanding conference and Astonish Results for giving me the opportunity to attend. I can’t wait to put all of the speakers’ great tips and tricks in to action for our clients!

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.

After one full day of insurance trade show enlightenment at the Alliance 2010 Convention & Expo,

there’s plenty to feel good about. Billed as the largest P&C agent trade show in the west, the first day began with a spirited golf tournament on the beautiful JW Marriot Resort’s onsite 18-hole golf course. Hackers wrapped up the tournament around lunchtime and awards were handed out for longest drive, closest to the pin, best group score and most drinks before noon (kidding).

After a satisfying meal from the veggie and hamburger buffet complimenting the tournament, a brief respite and on to Social Networking 101, the photo below a snapshot from the Thursday afternoon class.

While attendance suffered slightly because of late check-ins, the golf tournament and other offerings a Palm Springs resort supplies on arrival day, we were grateful for the turnout and positive response. Despite a demure demeanor, the audience was engaged and active in question and conversation, with handshakes and well-framed questions following. Two of the memorable questions…Better to have on or offsite blog? Isn’t it a waste of time if I can only contribute to social media minimally?

The next big adventure came in the form of a Texas Hold ‘em Tournament featuring close to 100 card sharks and, perhaps the highlight, delectable ahi tuna tacos, coconut prawns and fudge brownies. The tournament winner collected a $1000 gift card, while the runners up were rewarded with a full poker chip set (3rd) and a weekend vacation of some sort (2nd). All received handsome, engraved medals signifying their eternal significance.

The other highlight came in the form of the sobering band, with two members closely resembling musician and fried chicken purveyor, Kenny Rogers (also referred to as Kenny Loggins by several attendees), and chain-smoking, whiskey swilling comedian Ron White. Judge for yourself below.

As I write this, roars of excitement beckon from the lobby bar below, but the Alliance holds a deeper meaning that needs to be unearthed. Tomorrow, the trade show floor, with all its vendor and carrier splendor is the environment of exploration.

Rousing before 12 p.m. may be tough for some, but not for the intrepid IMHQ. We’ll be there for the opening bell with on-the-spot coverage of what’s shaking in the largest P&C trade show the west has to offer.