During the recent #Inschat the discussion surrounded the topic of blogging. Insurance Marketing chat contributor @NicoleYeary shared a great statistic at the end of the chat showing that 14,409 people were reached by #Inschat tweets!

The conversation discussed blogging content, SEO, commenting, and more. Check below for the #Inschat round-up where we have grabbed some of the key tweets that contributed to the conversation. Full transcript available at the bottom.

Question #1—What are some good ways to promote your blog?

@ReyInsurance:
absolutely on your website! twitter is fun too (of course), monthly newsletters, facebook, linkedin #inschat

@RitaAtNCLife:
Yes definitely RT @Astonish_Kelly: Q1: URLs & “teaser” messages in Tweets & Fbook Status are an easy way! #inschat

@BravuraLeads:
Q1. I try to link to it as much as possible. In my emails, by commenting on other blogs, through SM i.e. Twitter & Linkedin #INSchat

@LloydProGrp:
He have all our social media sources linked to our blog or updates. Facebook link, twitter, website, linked in… #inschat

@IIABNY:
We use links to our fan page, Twitter account and LinkedIn group at the bottom of all marketing e-mails #inschat

@maia_melissa:
Just did the same as of 1/1 @GarryInsurance Q1: links in e-mail signature as well as links on our social networking sites #INSchat #inschat

Question #2—Do you have a blog commenting strategy?

@doubleicf: Yes! I keep a running list of sites I hit weekly RT @LloydProGrp: Dont forget to bookmark everything and your other friends too! #inschat

@BrownstoneInsur: A2 – No strategy per say. I simply have a few key blogs I regularly read and offer further insight or interaction. #INSchat

@Berrys_Amanda: RT @Astonish_Kelly: Q2: I have a network of other #bloggers that I follow; I always try to comment on their posts ASAP after I post to generate convo #INSchat

@astonish_alicia: Q2: Finding relevant posts and posting a genuine comment and link! #Inschat

@IIABNY: Q2. No formal strategy on commenting, but I find comments are most helpful when they expand a point or introduce a new perspective #inschat

Question #3—Where do you look when you are stuck for content ideas?

@GarryInsurance: Q3: I try to use experiences like a few weeks ago I put my car in the ditch & used Roadside Assistance – So I blogged about it! #INSchat

@kellydavis226: Q3: my google reader – I subscribe to relevant blogs and there’s always new stuff to read, all in one place. Great inspiration! #INSchat

@maia_melissa: Q3: I rummage thru the search engine terms that brought people to the blog to begin with. #inschat

@iWebHound: Q3 – Take notes if you exhibit at tradeshows. We did a blog post about FAQ we heard. Seemed to get a lot of curious people clicking #INSchat

@AskTim: @maia_melissa @ReyInsurance I just did a blog post this morning based on a client question. #inschat

Question #4—What is the best way to optimize a blog post?

@PRnick: A4L: Write posts with SEO keywords, use keyword as links to relevant pages, SEO plugin, intriguing titles (w/ keywords of course) #inschat

@GarryInsurance: Q4: Using the same back link terms from post to post to keep it consistent #INSchat

@Astonish_Kelly: Q4 I try to optimize all images too! putting keywords in the ALT text & captions of photos in your post is an easy way to start! #INSchat

@ReyInsurance: hyperlink content to other sites? RT @InsuranceMHQ: Q4: What are the best ways to optimize a blog post? #seo #inschat

Question #5—Lets share blog links for networking!

@InsuranceMHQ: http://insurancemarketinghq.com / http://www.theinsuranceblogger.com(Coming soon!)

@iWebhound: http://iwebhound.wordpress.com/

@Bravuraleads: http://www.bravuraleads.com/news

@RitaatNCLife: http://blog.nclife.com/

@ReyInsurance: http://www.equifax.com/blog/insurance/en_ff

@IIABNY: http://www.iiaba.net

@Maia_melissa: http://massagent.wordpress.com

@Berrys_Amanda: http://www.mainsurancejuice.com

@Lloydprogroup: www.atlantainsurancetips.com / http://www.lloydprogroup.com/blog/

@KellyDavis226: http://blog.blisspr.com/

@GarryInsurance: http://garryinsurancenterblog.com/

@NicoleYeary: http://nicoleyeary.com / http://aelloluxe.com

@FCSBulletins: http://www.propertycasualty360.com

@JimKinmartin: http://jimkinmartin.com

@AskTim: http://insurancegeek.typepad.com.

@BrownstoneInsur: www.brownstoneinsurance.com/blog

@Carrie_AGINS: http://www.insurancegoddess.com/

Thank you to everyone who participated. If you were part of #Inschat and we forgot to add your blog just let us know! The next insurance marketing chat will take place next month; time and topic to be determined.

View the entire #Inschat transcript here.

After a month off for the holidays it is time for the next Insurance Marketing Twitter Chat (#INSchat). The next #INSchat will be taking place this Friday at 2 p.m. EST. The second #INSchat featured questions on blogging; such as how to gett started and how to effectively build a community around your blog. The upcoming Insurance Twitter Chat is going to continue the conversation. Blogging is such a large topic that we have decided to discuss it again in more depth.

The definition of a blog according to dictionary.com is:

“a journal written online  and accessible to users of the internet”

But we all know it is much more than that. A blog is a way to communicate with your industry, community, and the others on web. Most bloggers blog about specific topics which are usually assocuated with their interests or involves their line of work. Some companies blog about what is going on inside the walls of their office and offer advice based on their industry knowledge.  Blogging is sharing your knowledge and ideas with others and creating a community within itself.

On Friday’s #INSchat we will be discussing all things blogging in the insurance industry. Discussion will range from content ideas to how to encourage comments, where you should be linking, and how to grow your blog’s readership.

If you have never participated in a twitter chat check out the post on how to participate in #INSchat and join us at 2:00 p.m. EST this Friday the 28th! If anyone has any great questions ideas for Friday let us know. You can email myself at acollins@astonishresults.com or send a tweet over to @InsuranceMHQ.

It’s true; social media appears to be changing almost every day; the latest networking initiative—location-based services.

We have seen location-based marketing tools such as Foursquare, Gowalla and now Facebook Places and Deals take the retail industry by storm. Stores are leveraging the power of mobile marketing to attract new customers and keep their current spenders coming back for more. So how can insurance agencies take advantage of these new applications?

The third ever #INSchat focused on the evolution and importance of location-based services and how agencies can adopt and adapt thee platforms to help strengthen their social marketing strategy.

The Insurance Marketing HQ team commends all of those who participated in the fast-paced discussion; here you will find a transcript with some of the most influential questions and highlights. A copy of the full transcript is also available below:

Question 1: What LBS social media platforms are a must for agency marketers? #INSchat

@Berry_Insurance: #Foursquare #GooglePlaces #FacebookPlaces #INSchat

@PRnick: Yelp and AngiesList aren’t LBS by definition, but ppl need to be aware since customers can leave comments/reviews in real time. #INSchat

@cbanksindy: @PRnick Yelp just added checking in option to their app… #INSchat

@InsuranceMHQ: Facebook Places, foursquare and gowalla are popular ones! #INSchat

@BravuraLeads: I’m going to bet on Facebook Places to become more and more relevant #INSchat

Question 2: What is the best way to use Foursquare for your agency?

@melnazar: Get your agency employees to check in whenever they are at local events, locations, etc. #INSchat

@javerlin74: tough to offer specials for agency. Partner with client. Check in at Tim Hortons and Agency get a quote and receive free coffee. #INSchat

@PRnick: Leaving a roadmap of where we’ve been and which client’s we’ve visited. Show niches, leave tips and highlight customers. #INSchat

@InsuranceMHQ: @javerlin74 Great idea! Checking into partner venues, need to be careful with offering quotes and deals together! #INSchat

@Astonish_Kelly: Agencies have to set clear goals for #Foursquare; check out what other small businesses are doing: http://bit.ly/fxHwEq #INSchat

@EricLeist: A tip-oriented 4sq campaign works for home & auto agencies. Check into a local car dealer/real estate; get a tip from an ins agent #INSchat

@marshberrywest: be on the lookout to create your own badge when the capability becomes available #INSchat

@RitaAtNClife: Definitely RT @IWCPKevin: Checking in at your business clients and/or shout about their services. Help make your clients money! #INSchat

Question 3: How can your agency leverage Facebook deals?

@EricLeist: Fb Deals could be huge to reach GenY esp. when combined w/ Fb ads. Could give away anything just to get them in the door. #INSchat

@InsuranceMHQ: @maia_melissa Offering coffee or pizza (without mentioning quote) will get foot traffic, then pitch will be your part. #INSchat

@greggweiss: “Special Nearby” is the best way to bring someone in the door for a small biz. @InsuranceMHQ @foursquare #INSchat

@ReyInsurance: i have found, unfortunately, non-insurance related topics drive the most response/engagement. contests w/a prize w/i state regs #INSchat

Question 5: What type of information should an agency provide on these network listings?

@Berry_Insurance: website, telephone, contact person. #INSchat

@InsuranceMHQ: Customize! Different networks have different options but it?s important that you do as much as you can to build out your listing. #INSchat

Question 6: How much do you push customer reviews on your local listings (such as Google Local)?

@Berrys_Amanda: ask customers for testimonials; send them the link in an email, so they know exactly where to go! #INSchat

@astonish_alicia: Don’t put fake reviews! #INSchat Q6: How do you push customer reviews on your local listings?

@GarryInsurance: We have found that just asking works the best. Why wouldn’t we, when we know we have helped them & provided top notch service #INSchat

Eager for more insight regarding location-based services—view the full #INSchat transcript here!

Recently we held the second insurance marketing twitter chat. One of the last questions that came up was “What advice would you give to a new blogger or social media intern?” Especially in the insurance industry having the right approach at your social media strategy is an important first step. I have included some of the #INSchat comments along with some of my own tips for social media gurus in training.

1) Don’t be overwhelmed.

Leading the social media efforts at your agency can seem overwhelming at first. Social media is meant to be interactive and fun so don’t worry about having too much on your plate. Blogging, tweeting, tagging, it is all progressive. From the point about five months ago when I started until now I have learned an immense amount of knowledge about online marketing and different social media platforms. It takes time to learn everything, so don’t be overwhelmed just have a confident attitude and dive in!

2) Brand Yourself.

This is one of the most important points. No one wants to chat with an insurance agency on Facebook or twitter. If a friend suggested that I “like” an agency on Facebook and they have a picture of their logo and only tweet about how they can give me the best quote, I probably wouldn’t accept. Your job is to represent the agency as a thought leader. Showcase some of your own interests, whether you like football, fishing, or french fries, showing your personality keeps it interesting, makes it more fun for you, and allows others to see there is more to your social media efforts than generating leads. Lets face it. No one wants to hear about insurance unless they need a quote or have a question. So representing your agency as a person not just someone who is trying to sell something is key.

3) Read!

This one probably seems like a no brainer, but reading is important for content ideas and keeping up to date with the latest trends. There is so much information out there about social media, marketing strategy, and technology, so read it! The Alltop social media page is a great resource for finding the trending stories each day. If you have a question, someone has probably answered it in a blog post. The only way to learn about social media besides experience is to immerse yourself in the culture.

Things to keep in mind:

• Be sincere and authentic.
• Posts never go away, think long-term.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Many people on social networking sites, especially twitter, are more than happy to answer a question you may have.
• Get SOCIAL! Having good content is a positive but it isn’t the main source that will drive traffic to your post.

Blogging lets individuals or companies have a voice on the Internet that is all their own and not limited to 140 characters or status updating rules. When done well, blogs reflect the thoughts, beliefs and expertise of each individual blogger, providing a genuine, humanizing look that serves to build trust and establish the writer as a thought-leader on a given topic, whether it’s insurance, mothering, gadgets or food.

The second ever #INSchat focused on the topic of blogging and brought out a number of industry bloggers and other social media users, all chiming in on a number of questions related to building, growing and maintaining an effective blog presence. By the numbers, the October #INSchat featured a total of 65 contributors who produced over 687 Tweets (according to http://wthashtag.com/Inschat) growing the number of #INSchat-related  tweets by over 140 as compared to the first chat.

A huge thanks is owed to all who dropped blogging knowledge, below is a transcript with questions and some of the highlights. A full transcript can be found here.

Question 1: What is the purpose of your blog (or any blog)? #INSchat

@Berry_Insurance: To inform/educate on ins. news, community events, social media trends…really, whatever will be valuable to our readers

@InsuranceMHQ: Earn peoples trust by showing thought leadership, community awareness and sharing resources #INSchat

@AlbanyInsurance: The purpose of my blog is create a more Informed Insurance Consumer… And build trust, community, & communication

@BrownstoneInsur: I regularly post tips on how to protect themselves against the top causes of insurance claims; i.e. fires, water damage etc

@MattByers: And sharing your own personality! It humanizes the insurance business since it is a relationship business after all!

@Bravuraleads @BillBateman1 Monetizing that “lead” from a blog is tough, I think it’s more about brand building and thought leadership

@InsuranceMHQ: People Differentiate against competition by creating content that makes people love and need/want you

@astonish_alicia: Blogging is to make confusing information (#Insurance) more clear & readable for everyday people!

@mcibelli: I like to connect things relevant to the industry to current trends or happening. I.E. silly bandz as a networking tool.

@ GarryInsurance: It is about showing readers that there is a face behind the computer who is interested in their well-being as well

Question 2: Q2: Do you have a blog ?content strategy?? If yes, what is included?

@ Lara_John: from a PR standpoint, there should always be a strategy, but depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

@MattByers: Working on it now. Part Insurance, Part Social Marketing Info, Part local resources.

@InsuranceMHQ: Strategy – Blog yourself out of the agency and into prospect meetings. I know @albanyinsurance touts this

@Berry_Insurance: We find content through industry and community news. But we blog about whatever moves us, makes us more real. We also have a culture that encourages staff to submit blog ideas to our writers.

@katieherbst: A good start for a blog content strategy is to brainstorm with your agency, collect actual customer Qs & list of tips for topics.

@Insurance_Maven: I use current events like Fire Prevention month, 9/11, and Life Ins awareness month.

@BrownstoneInsur: I save interesting articles, newsletters or any content that I find moving/interesting and use them as they relate to recent events

Question 3: What steps do you take to make your blog & individual posts more SEO friendly?

@katieherbst: For blog SEO, make sure your headline is keyword-rich! Also, lists are popular, for ex, Top 3 Ways to …

@Berry_Insurance: Good titles, easy to read content and relevant keyword tags. Also use Analytics and WonderWheel to check relevant search terms #INSchat

@maia_melissa: Link whenever reasonable, use the full name of any legislation that effects consumers

@jenmitch: Use keywords, but don’t write for robots. Good content will be shared and found regardless of keyword use.

@mcibelli: Regular updates. Use of keywords. Tags. Links. SEO really is no magic trick- just provide solid, regularly updated content.

@InsuranceMHQ: Keyword backlinks from blog to agency’s website are critical & the more geographically/keyword specific the better

@RiskMgmt: We have a “meta-headline” that we make more cookie-cutter/search friendly if we get poetical with the real title.

@InsuranceMHQ: Pop culture/human interest tends to grab more eyeballs than dry insurance content. Find a way to marry them

@iWebHound: Being a search engine for agents, we always tell MGA?s/wholesalers to have as many links to their site on other sites as they can.

Question 4 – How can you build a community around a blog?

@jenmitch: Participate in the communities of others too. Don’t assume everyone will come to you. Participate/Engage and people will come.

@BrownstoneInsur: This should always be taken into consideration. Don’t post blogs or tweets just for the heck of it. It’s spammish.

@AlbanyInsurance: Commenting on the Blogs of your clients or future clients is a great way to engage them

@greggweiss: The #1 way to build community around a blog is to not turn commenting off! 1-way blogs defeat the purpose.

@katieherbst: To build community around your blog, you MUST participate actively on the social web – and focus on bringing VALUE.

@BrownstoneInsur: I try to focus on issues/events that I know are actually affecting the community we’re located in as often as possible.

@jimkinmartin: I try to share my blog link in my email signatures, etc. to expose it more in hopes people will visit and follow

@maia_melissa: Respond to the comments made in your blog. Try not to let them sit there unattended. Engage right away.

@Zywave: Create valuable content w/in your niche. Encourage interaction and don’t forget to be interactive yourself!

@NicoleYeary: Using a tool like @gist will help you find and connect social media to your existing email clients

@ReyInsurance: find followers you think you can relate to…then stalk the hell out of them! Haha

Question 5: What blogs do you read consistently to stay in the know? Insurance, marketing and news-related.

@Berry_Insurance: Insurance Journal, Mashable Consumer Reports, InsuranceMHQ, local blogs, there are so many!

@NicoleYeary: Best blogs are source blogs – the tools/platforms – subscribe to the source content, get it first.

@astonish_alicia: Subscribing to daily emails such as insurance networking news, #comments and Smart Brief, highlight top stories!

@BillBateman1: google’s blog search is great for me – I’m too ADD to follow a single blog consistently

@katieherbst: GREAT blog on all aspects of content marketing, a must-read, is @pr2020 blog, pr2020.com/blog

@jenmitch: Mashable, Brian Solis, Chris Brogan, Danny Sullivan, Agent&Broker, Insurance Journal. (And many more.) I read on mobile.

@mcibelli: Mediabistro is great for marketing info, prbreakfastclub.com, mashable.com, and of course, InsuranceMHQ. Also, just for general ideas- creatosity.com, workawesome.com and lifehacker.com.

@InsuranceMHQ: Media blogs: riskmanagementmonitor.com, agentforchange.com, nusamsoapbox.com, ijacademy.com/blog/, insurancenetworking.com/blogs/

@NicoleYeary: Risk & Insurance, Senior Advisor, SellingPower, FastCompany, NAHU’s pub & more!

Question 6: What is your greatest blog success story from a networking and/or sales perspective?

@Berry_Insurance: We wrote about a new law and contractor certification and received at least a dozen calls in the week following!

@Brownstoneinsur: We got tons of emails/calls about adding earthquake coverage to policies.

@InsuranceMHQ: Other client reviews restaurants he visits on blog & sends email link 2 owner. Done 10+ times, written 3 pieces of new biz.

@alysondelpaggio: RT @ReyInsurance RT @carrie_AGIns I think what this convo shows is we have a group of true professionals who hone their craft evday.

@Nicoleyeary: @carrie_AGIns and Carrie knows how to utilize @foursquare as a geoloc tool to meet new prospects! #4sq #insurancegoddess.

@maia_melissa: great success story RT @AlbanyInsurance: I got to present with @thechrisjordan at the Big “I” Leadership Institute in SF.

Question 7: How do you make your blog more social?

@Brownstoneinsur: Allowing commenting/interaction is important. Posting pictures, holding contests and announcing winner via blog are good too.

@Greggweiss: RT @InsuranceMHQ: A7: I love answering the question, ?Why don?t I get any comments?? with ?How many have you left??

@jenmitch: Q7: You can’t expect your readers to be social if you aren’t social. Don’t just broadcast. Listen too. Agree with call to action.

@Insurance_maven: Since we’re talking blogs, Rick Morgan (@rickjmiv) started a FB discussion to link their blogs:http://on.fb.me/djLyWx.

@BillBateman1: RT @NicoleYeary: RT @InsuranceMHQ: A7: Cite other peoples blog content w/ backlinks and make sure they know about it.

Question 8: What advice do you have for a blogger just starting off?

@insurancemhq: A8: Write for your own enjoyment with the reader’s needs in mind.

@Mcibelli: Don’t be afraid to incorporate your personality. That’s what makes people come back.

@Lara_John: agreed! RT @jenmitch: Q8: Best advice I ever got -from an influencer level blogger- Blog. Just do it. No excuses. No fear.

@BillBateman1: RT @Lara_John: Q8 – remember blogs are for personality and info, not sales pitches. Add some humor, the rest will come.

View the entire second #INSchat transcript here.

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.

Twitter chats show the best side of the micro-blogging network. Aside from getting people focused and discussing singular topics, chats cut out much of the clutter that plagues Twitter because discussions are devoid of bots, ninjas, linkjackers, people promising 10,000 followers a day or whiter teeth and Justin Bieber fans.

Before recapping the insurance industry’s first official Twitter chat (#INSchat) , a debt of gratitude is owed to all who contributed to the discussion. Ideas were exchanged between insurance agency owners, agents, vendors, trade media and marketing professionals, all with a common goal of sharing best practices, inspiring and expanding networks. Special thanks to my colleague @astonish_alicia who helped launch the idea, execute the chat and keep me on schedule with questions and posts.

A full transcript of all posts can be found on the Insurance Marketing HQ #INSchat page.

#INSchat By the Numbers

The inaugural #INSchat, had 66 contributors and produced a total of 547 tweets (stats provided by http://wthashtag.com/Inschat).  There were six questions posed and participants were encouraged to dialogue with each other over questions, retweet posts they like and follow other Twitter users contributing to the chat.

Highlights from the first chat are below.

Question 1: How can social media be used to change negative perceptions of the industry? #INSchat

@Jenmitch:  Agents can control their own messaging, build relationships, & dispel incorrect info in a constructive way

@FCSbulletins:  Educate consumers – how coverage works, how to prepare for and avoid losses

@GarryInsurance:  Social media gives us a new platform to converse with customers & prospects to answer questions and educate them

@BrownstoneInsur:  By showcasing stories of situations in which insurance really saved a client following a disaster etc.

@mgather:  Moves monolithic, faceless industry to neighbor status

@SawyerPhillips:  By being there after the sale to service, help and be a part of the community

@Lmazztoops:  it’s important to keep transparency in mind with social media — people don’t want to be “sold”

@cfluent:  I think there is a life cycle – set up profile, post, get comments (like Paradiso) there is a maturity progression to SM

@PSFinc: We are able to get that personal and emotional connection we desire our client to have with our brand.

Question 2: Specifically, what social media activities/messages can be used to build trust and avoid the perception of sales message? #INSchat

@paradisoins:  We give them our number afterwards so we can talk to them instead of trying to give info through fb

@BrownstoneInsur:  Every effort should offer the consumer something, whether it’s breaking news, local events info, insurance law changes etc.

@AlbanyInsurance:  We should not be conducting business over SM… But communication, relationship building, branding, helping, referring…

@ LloydProGrp:  I think it’s good to show the people that we are not just the typical insurance agency that they used to think they knew

@Encharter:  encouraging interaction instead of just putting info out there, also “re-interacting”!

@jimkinmartin: Sharing your industry knowledge in simple terms to your insured’s through blogs and Twitter links

@Berry_insurance:  Reposting events on behalf of followers is a great way to gain trust too. They see you want to help them.

@nicoleYeary:  forget talking about insurance – it’s boring & likely cutting into breaking some reg agency laws/rules; have fun

@doubleicf:  Examples of community involvement and support! Photos of volunteer work, stories illustrating giving back.

@gillmanins:  we like to highlight the business that we insure and they seem to love it!

@Zywave:  Position yourself as a go-to resource for questions, concerns – build trust, share knowledge, be available. #inschat

@InsuranceMHQ:  Sure, making someone smile goes a long way towards earning their trust

Question 3: What are the best tools/strategies for connecting with social media users in your area? #INSchat

@stevebuckfl:  Existing clients and friends!

@astonish_alicia: Twellowhood and twitter lists!

@nicoleyeary: When you are reading industry news, post it to your stream- track clicks; this will tell you what people are reading in your stream

@ Berry_Insurance:  Just Ask! Spread awareness of SM through your email sig, newsletters, etc. and encourge people to connect!

@AlbanyInsurance:  I don’t “DO” business on SocMed… I make connections… then some of those turn into clients…

@BrownstoneInsur:  Constant Contact has some great webinars and tools to help you better understand what your customers are reading and clicking

@Berry_Insurance:  Partners program totally brings legitimacy to everything we want to do to help the community! Thank you Astonish!

@ PSFinc:  Another great tool for tracking SM and Press is #Gist. Very innovative product. http://bit.ly/a973yf

@ChrisBeeler:  One of the most successful community events we host is a monthly charity car wash for a local organization

@iWebHound:  Insurance is a relationship business; nothing replaces face-to-face. But social media can certainly spark the relationship

Question 4: The agency owner always wants to know: How can social media be used to generate leads? #INSchat

@LeDouxInsurance:  I’m still learning the leads we haven’t got many leads but the questions to ask is how can we afford to not get involved now?

@paradisoins:  If you have good connections with clients on fb, the leads follow.

@InsuranceMHQ:  Use social media 2 get out of the agency. Spend 15 mins relationship building online 2 get out of office for prospect meetings.

@Berry_Insurance:  Our agency owner created a FB account to get in on the action! He’s a believer. You need your owner to be a believer too.

@iWebHound:  People are more likely to interact on FB, Twitter, LinkedIn when you ask a question. Engage them – don’t pitch

@FargoInsurance:  I think it’s more community involvement than lead generation.

@ LeDouxInsurance:  Q4: Leads, maybe not many, but loyal customers yes, and then word of mouth referrals!

@kldonahue: How about friending prospects on facebook what better way to stay in touch!

@Berrys_Amanda:  Once you build relationships & brand the company, The rest will follow! Be patient, but most important be real! It will happen!

@ Paradisoins:  We did a picture contest. We had ppl submit their summer photos and a lot were involved. Got over 40 responses in a matter weeks

@LloydProGrp:  Most people don’t expect their insurance agency to “get” SM…Keeps us relevant.

Question 5: More Logistical – Do you have a Twitter/Social media schedule or just used periodically throughout the day? #INSchat

@Lmazztoops:  As I come across anything interesting to readers and/or their customers

@javerlin74:  right now off and on. Need to schedule. If not it can consume your life!

@astonish_alicia:  I know @MarkRaganCEO schedules his tweets, I feel real time interaction is key as well though #inschat

@doubleicf:  We use a combo. We have a set media calendar, but also post interesting links as we come across them.

@ PSFinc:  I have times that I check-in, but does not mean I am actively posting during those times. I post when I have something to say.

@cfluent:  monitor rss, email alerts, etc and aggregate info – sit down 4 times/week and post something somewhere (FB, blog, Twitter, website)

@IWCPKevin:  @TweetDeck has a good scheduling function.

@McMahonAgency:  I try to limit the time spent to 1st thing in am, post lunch & schedule what I can

@BravuraLeads:  Timed, canned tweets seem spammy. I agree @lloydprogrp quality content as it comes up

@paradisoins:  you can ruin social presence with too much activity

@PSFinc:  You can also ruin it by not enough activity.

@GarryInsurance:  We have an SM manager who is in charge of updating, we ask our agents to provide that manager with useful info for SM

Question 6 – What advice do you have for insurance agency pros who may be using Twitter/social media for the first time? #INSchat

@mcibelli:  Don’t be scared! Listen (a lot) at first.

@FargoInsurance:  don’t get discouraged at not having an immediate growth spurt.

@Lmazztoops:  Don’t forget to have fun — authenticity is key!

@BrownstoneInsur:  Take advantage of any SM webinars that may come up. Read a lot about the subject to learn what to do/not to do.

@Encharter:  Don’t let it intimidate you! It’s supposed to be fun!

@jenmitch:  Listen. Be relevant. Engage. Don’t jump in everywhere at once. Start w/ 1 network & do it well, be consistant.

@obobME:  Observe for a bit. Watch how your community behaves. Better than to jump in and make a bad impression! Be authentic!

@jimkinmartin:  Be yourself, don’t hide behind a corporate identity. Allow people to get to know you

@FCSBulletins:  find some interesting folks to follow-helps you learn the ropes

@InsuranceMHQ: Promote/endorse others over self when getting started

When: September 15, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. EST

Topic: The Benefits of Social Media for the Insurance Industry

Reasons to join:

• Discuss social media tactics and strategies for insurance agencies
• Network with other insurance industry professionals
• Ask questions about social media to your peers
• Learn about new social media platforms and how to use them
• Have fun interacting on twitter and gain  followers!

How to join the chat:

• Around 1:55 pm EST on Wednesday the 15th go to the URL Tweetchat.com. Once on the site, you can login using your twitter handle and password:

• Once logged in, type the appropriate hashtag (in this case #inschat) in the space provided:

• Click GO.
• Real time results will show up for who is using #inschat

The chat:

• @InsuranceMHQ will be the chat moderator. He will post the first question by tweeting Q1: ( with the question following)
• To answer the question just tweet back Q1: (and your answer or comment here)
• Feel free to Re-tweet other users in the chat of comment to them
• Chat, ask, tweet about the current question until Question two (Q2:). Do not feel rushed, it is not a quiz, it is more of a conversation builder around each question.
• When using tweetchat.com there is no need to enter #inschat at the end of every tweet you send. The program will automatically enter it after what you type in the comment box.
• Your tweet will take a second or two to show up so do not worry if it does not show up right away.

If tweetchat does not work, you visit http://twebevent.com/inschat and sign in with twitter to follow and participate in the chat.

We hope to build off this chat by creating a monthly discussion on relevant topics that will help agencies create a more fulfilling and fruitful social media presence.

If you have questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or privately via our contact form.