On Thursday, March 17th at 2pm CST, join us for the first in a series of presentations about leveraging social media for your insurance business.

In this presentation, Krista Dial (who is the personality behind HometownQuotes’ PR and social media) will walk you through setting up a Facebook fan page, explain the differences between Facebook profiles and pages and share strategies for building a strong base of raving fans for your insurance business.

Make sure you stick around for our popular Q&A session after the webinar. Insurance industry veteran Hunter Ingram will be on hand to answer questions and offer insight as an insurance agent and former agency owner.

We hope you won’t miss this opportunity to learn how social media offers valuable tactics for prospecting and retaining insurance clients.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Best Regards,
The HometownQuotes Team

As an insurance agent you have many roles to fill – particularly if you’re an agency owner. You are your own secretary, HR person, janitor, trainer…and in the case of this post, you are also your own marketer.

We know some people just don’t have the time, talent, money or desire to personally do what it takes to succeed in marketing your insurance business online.

That’s why we’re here! We also know that we’re not the end all, be all. A successful insurance agent must implement a handful of marketing strategies to close more sales and make those goals skyrocket.

We’ve shared how blogging, social media tactics and email marketing should be a part of your insurance marketing plan. Whether you do it, or you pay someone to do it, it needs to be done. Your competition is putting these things in place.

Insurance agent Ryan Hanley recommends hiring a ghostwriter to ease the burden. There are also some great DIY marketing tips on Mashable.

As always, if there’s something we’re not doing, tell us! Our goal is to empower you and your insurance business. We always want to hear where we can improve or what we can add to our services to make your experience even better.

Have a great Friday!

Whether you’re purchasing Internet insurance leads from us, another lead provider or generating your own leads through Facebook or your own website, implementing a lead follow-up strategy is key to closing more sales. Here are a few tips for staying in touch with your insurance prospects:

1) Determine your next touchpoint. Will you call him/her back in another 2 weeks? Have you added their email address to your monthly email newletter? Plan your next step so this lead doesn’t get caught in limbo…

2) Schedule time in your calendar for prospecting. Just like any other critical business activity, if you don’t plot out time in advance, there’s a good chance it won’t happen. Most importantly, follow through on these prospecting appointments with yourself. If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to get distracted. Not to mention, you may experience a reluctance to pick up the phone. If it’s on your schedule ahead of time, however, you’re more likely to complete the action.

3) Take good notes. We all know the insurance business is a relationship business. If you’re not staying on top of what’s new in the lives of your prospects, you may be missing out on business. Always document your conversations as they happen or immediately following the conversation.

If your insurance business has a fan page on Facebook, you may have noticed some recent changes that were launched this past week. My favorite feature is the “login as page” feature, meaning if you manage a certain page, you can can post and comment as “your page” on other pages. Previously, you were limited to posting as an individual, using your personal Facebook profile.

To learn more about these changes, check out the article on Mashable.

Are you a fan of the HometownQuotes Facebook fan page? Stay up to date with our latest news, business-building tips and special offers by “liking” our page today!

Seth Godin regularly posts nuggets of wisdom on his blog. We highly recommend bookmarking it if you haven’t already! Yesterday’s post was highly applicable to insurance agents like yourself:

“What if you define “best customer” as the person who brings you new insurance customers through frequent referrals, and who sticks with you through thick and thin? That customer, I think, is worth far more than what she might pay you in any one transaction. In fact, if you think of that customer as your best marketer instead, it might change everything.”

I completely agree. At HometownQuotes, we value and empower every customer…regardless of how much or how little they spend with us. Whether you’re a captive insurance pro or an independent insurance agent, our marketing solutions will help you take your insurance business to the next level. How can we empower you?

We all know the customer is king. Offering top-notch customer service is vital to the growth and well-being of your insurance business. The folks over at AgencyIQ recently shared their “keys to delivering great customer service“.

- Empowering your staff
- Turn problems into opportunities
- Anticipate and plan for change

Head over to the AgencyIQ blog to read further.

And if you’re not familiar with AgencyIQ, they offer a wonderful insurance lead management system. We’re an approved vendor, so our leads feed directly into their system meaning less work and more productivity for you!

As you reflect back on 2010, what significant contributions did you and your insurance business make in your local community? Did you sponsor any events? Did you volunteer with a local non-profit? How about offering an educational seminar about choosing the best insurance coverage?

Giving back to your local community is a great way to build trust, get the word out about what you do, genuinely connect with more people and, most importantly, make a difference in the lives of those around you.

Here are some things to keep in mind when you or your insurance agency staff are representing your insurance business in community:

- Participate with an organization you are passionate about. If you don’t have a true interest in the volunteer work you do, it will show. When you’re passionate about a cause, your positivity and excitement will engage those around you.

- Don’t be afraid to build your network. It’s likely other volunteers will be local business owners or area leaders, so get to know them in genuine, meaningful ways. You never know where a referral could come from.

- DO NOT wear your sales hat. When you’re volunteering, the focus is on the volunteer work, not your insurance business. It’s okay to share what you do, but don’t open every conversation with a sales pitch.

Community involvement is important regardless of your industry. It’s a great way to meet others, have fellowship with your agency staff and contribute to a larger cause. How are you making a difference?

One of my favorite insurance agent blogs to follow is Confessions of an Insurance Goddess. If you’re not following this feed, you’re missing some valuable insurance agency insight. Throughout this blog, Carrie (aka The Insurance Goddess) chronicles the day-to-day happenings and unique experiences she encounters while working with clients at the Alan Galvez Insurance Agency.

One of her more recent posts is titled “Our customer tweeted a claim & we responded!” Thank to Twitter, Carrie was able to quickly respond to a claim situation and expedite the whole claims process for an insured.

How is your insurance business connecting with customers? While many think social media is “just for fun”, Carrie and her team are putting online tools to good use for business. Read more about the Insurance Goddess over at her blog.

Greetings! We hope 2010 has been a bountiful year for your insurance business.
As we move toward this holiday season, we want to say thank you to our customers and for your continued input for how we can better serve you.

Please note that our offices will be closed on Thursday, November 25 & Friday, November 26 in observance of the Thanksgiving holidays.

“Being Thankful” – author unknown

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary, because it means you’ve made an effort.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they will become your blessings.

Your friends at HometownQuotes