We recently received an invitation to preview the brand new Insurance Journal website. Thanks to the IJ team for choosing us to be one of the very first to preview it!

Although their current site is well-organized and professional, the new site is much more intuitive, interactive and sleek.

Improvements include:

- Online database of past articles from the print edition so you can bookmark and/or share with others.

- Topic centers allow you to focus on one specific topic like top news, agent/broker info, pricing, etc.

- Forums where you can discuss industry news, issues and insight with fellow insurance pros.

- Twitter feeds pulled from insurance agencies, insurance companies, insurance associations and more. (This is my favorite feature!)

- Comment areas so you can comment on your favorite (or not-so-favorite) article.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. They have several other improvements, but you’ll just have to wait. They haven’t given the launch date, so bookmark their site (if you haven’t already) and stay tuned here for more insurance news and insurance business-building tips!

When a new insurance customer or prospect visits your website or blog, there’s a good chance s/he will look for your “Bio” page or your “About us” section to learn more about who you are as a professional. This little page has the power to convert a prospect into a life-long client or deter him or her from ever thinking about doing business with you, so how you represent yourself here is extremely important.

One of my favorite business/marketing bloggers is Seth Godin. In his recent post “Five rules for your About page“, Godin shares his top tips for making a lasting, genuine impression:

1) Talk like a human. Don’t use industry terms that only other insurance agents understand.

2) Use a professional headshot. Don’t use a generic stock photo you found online.

3) Be reachable and available. Don’t offer contact information that doesn’t work.

4) Own your story. Offer a true, genuine narrative that others connect with.

5) Use real testimonials from real people.

How does your About page align with this criteria?

If you’re not following Seth Godin’s blog, I highly recommend clicking here to bookmark his RSS feed so you don’t miss a post!

According to a recent Mashable article, 1 in 4 U.S. adults use mobile apps. That’s pretty significant growth for a technology that launched just over 2 years ago. There’s no doubt mobile applications will continue to grow in popularity.

Treutel Insurance in Mississippi has seized the world of mobile apps by creating the first-ever iPhone application for an insurance agency. According to Steve Anderson, this application allows users to quickly and easily contact Treutel Insurance should a claim arise, request insurance quotes and contact the agency by email or phone.

Here is a screenshot of the Treutel Insurance iPhone app:

Click here to seen more screenshots of the application from Apple. How is your insurance business leveraging mobile technology?

We’ve been talking quite a bit about blogging for your insurance business. If you’ve never written a blog post or read many blogs, you may be wondering what you should write about. Never fear! The possibilities are endless.

What’s important is that what you write is unique and interesting – so Google will send readers to your blog and so readers will stick around and read what you have to say. You can write about:

1. Why you decided to become an insurance agent.
2. What makes you unique from other insurance agents.
3. The insurance industry.
4. Special discounts for certain insurance products.
5. Consumer insurance tips.
6. Commentary about current news events that have an impact on insurance.
7. Things people can do to save money on insurance.
8. Consumer safety tips.
9. Why everyone needs insurance.
10. What one should do if s/he is in an accident.
11. How to file an insurance claim.
12. The basic components of an insurance policy.

So you have 12 insurance-related topics to jump start your writing for your insurance blog. We’ll have more insurance agency blogging tips and suggestions coming soon! Happy blogging and happy Friday too!

If your answer to that question is no, you may want to rethink your online marketing plan.

According to a recent survey regarding blogs by Lee Odden over at the Online Marketing Blog, 95% of survey respondents indicated they incorporate blogs as part of their search engine optimization efforts. Approximately 94% of those bloggers reported seeing measurable SEO benefits from blogging within 12 months.

How does blogging help you, the insurance professional? Well, let’s say you’re an insurance agent in Rock Springs, Wyoming, as an example. People in your community are likely going online and searching for insurance quotes in Rock Springs, Wyoming. If you are regularly posting information about your insurance business, the insurance industry, insurance tips, etc., there’s a good chance the people in your area will find your blog. Many people who blog regularly are viewed as subject experts and gain instant credibility. That could be you! How much easier is it to close a sale when the prospect found you online, liked what they found on your blog and contacted you for an insurance quote?

If you’ve started a blog, but gave up after a short time, I recommend giving it another try. There’s minimal cost involved, but you must remain committed to see results. Odden’s survey respondents indicated positive results over a one year period. It’s likely those respondents were blogging regularly 3+ times per week. Not sure what to talk about on your insurance blog? Stay tuned for recommendations.

(Image Credit)

For those unfamiliar with the term “cluetrain”, I’m referring to The Cluetrain Manifesto. This book was originally published a decade ago and is still very relevant to today’s marketplace. The authors examine the impact of the Internet on customer/company interactions and relationships. Their basic premise is that organizations that are not genuinely trying to relate with consumers on a one-on-one, human level will not succeed in the new Web 2.0 marketplace, which involves:

Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Blogs
and more.

Over the past year, we’ve talked quite a bit about social media, online marketing and about building more authentic relationships and communities around your insurance business. How are these efforts coming along for you?

If you’re not yielding any results, perhaps it’s time to read The Cluetrain Manifesto and also re-examine your purpose for starting your Twitter feed, Facebook page, insurance blog, etc.

If you’re not on board the cluetrain…time is ticking. Now is the perfect time to craft a plan and start off 2010 with a bang!