Showing posts with label social networking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social networking. Show all posts

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Gaining Followers

Here's another presentation in  our Masters of Marketing webinar. This presentation discusses how to use social media marketing to gain followers for your brand. If you would like to join us every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. CST when we discuss marketing tips, you can register here.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Don't Know What to Tweet? 11 Ideas For When You Have Writer's Block

One of my biggest pet peeves about businesses on Twitter is when they make it all about themselves. The beauty of Twitter is how easy it is to have conversations with brands as consumers that we couldn’t have before. Twitter is not a broadcast medium and shouldn’t be treated as such. Otherwise, you will be spinning your wheels instead of gaining traction as you try to build relationships and position yourself as an insurance expert.

A good rule of thumb for brands on Twitter is the 1:10 ratio. Meaning for every one tweet  you share about your agency, you need to have 10 that are about other topics. 

So what do you tweet  about if you aren't supposed to tweet about yourself? Read more

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Follow Their Rules or You Might Lose Your Facebook Page

You created a Facebook page for your agency. Looks great. It would be a waste if it disappeared suddenly...

Sound intimidating? It should. If your page violates the Terms of Service, your agency's page could get kicked off Facebook. It would be absurd to lose all of your hard work and time you put into building a following and engaging with your audience.

Facebook means business when it comes to their Terms of Service. If your agency's page is removed for ignoring or or not understanding the policies for business use, the consequences are substantial and permanent. You will no longer be allowed to use that email address to create another page.

Now that the social media giant is public, it is quite possible that Facebook will be taking a closer look and checking for compliance. If you're not sure if your agency's page follows the guidelines, check it now before it's too late.

These are three of the most common Terms of Service violations that could cost your agency your Facebook page and your audience.

1. Profile vs. Page

Profiles are for individual people to use as their personal space. Pages are for businesses to create a Facebook presence for the company and/or individual products. What Facebook has to say about Pages: "By leveraging the real connections between friends on Facebook, a Page lets Fans become brand advocates. Posts by the Page will start to appear in News Feed, giving Pages a stronger voice to reach their Fans.” Basically, the activity from your agency page will appear in the news feeds of people who have liked your page just as if you were posting from your personal profile. But using your personal profile for business purposes violates the rules. There are more reasons why you want to create a page for your agency and not a profile:
  • A page can have an unlimited number of followers, while personal profiles are limited to 5,000 friends.
  • You can customize tabs and apps for special marketing campaigns.
  • Analytical tools are available to help you determine the effectiveness of your Facebook activities.
  • You can connect your page with your other social media profiles.
2. Timeline Cover Photos

With the roll out of Timeline to business pages, came the cover photo (that large photo at the top of your page right above your profile picture). But there are rules regarding what you cannot include in this image. Did you know you are not allowed to put contact information, URLs or any kind of marketing promotion in your cover photo? Also forbidden: calls to action and any effort to get people to like or share your page. (Our blog post about setting up Timeline included these rules.)

3. Promotions Based on Facebook Features

Contests and promotions that include sharing or liking are not allowed. It’s okay to build likes and shares by offering fantastic content. You can also have contests, drawings and other promotional games. They just can’t be based on actions that involve Facebook’s proprietary functions, such as Like and Share. Next to using a personal profile for your agency, this is possibly the easiest way to lose your agency's page.

Facebook can be a fun way to engage with your customers and build awareness for your agency online. But to avoid losing all that time and effort, check to see if your agency page complies with the Terms of Service.

And if you haven't already, Like our Facebook Page for Insurance Website Builder for the latest news from ITC and Insurance Website Builder, marketing tips and an occasional look behind the scenes here at ITC.

Monday, May 14, 2012

The Recipe for Insurance Agency Social Media Success

Social media is an important part of any online marketing plan. Why? Because more than 80% of all Americans use social media. Consumers use social media as part of their research process and to ask for recommendations on products and services. Including insurance. Here are some tweets I found in a Twitter search for "recommend insurance" last week:




As you can see, people really do use social media to find insurance.

Social media is not difficult. Once you start using it, you quickly figure out what kind of information your audience wants, and you can adapt your posts accordingly. Here's our recipe for Social Media Success to get you started.

Recipe for Insurance Agency Social Media Success
Total time: Consistent Use | Serves: One insurance agency | Level: Easy

An Awesome Social Media Profile
Ingredients:
   Basic information - the who, what, where
   Website URL and other contact information
   Pictures and graphics

Directions:
  1. Pick which social networks to join. There are so many that it would be impossible to be successful on them all. So decide which few make the most sense for you and your agency, and concentrate your social media efforts on that handful.
  2. Fill in your profile as much as possible. Use every character, every field that is available to you to describe your agency and what you do. It is also a good idea to tell prospective followers what kind of information they can expect to see if they follow you whether it's promotions, educational information or a combination of both. Use keywords where possible.
  3. Add as many pictures and graphics as you can. 

Insurance Agency Social Media Success
Ingredients:
   One Awesome Social Media Profile
   Interesting Content
   Audience Engagement
   Promotion
   Fun

Directions:
  1. Once your Awesome Social Media Profile is complete, start sharing content daily. There are many different kinds of content. You can share general posts about insurance meant to encourage your audience to contact you for more information. For example, "Every season has its own liability risks for homeowners, drivers and businesses. Contact us to find out how you can be ready for each season." You can also share your blog posts if you're blogging or different pages of your insurance website that provide information and tips like your free reports, customer service forms or insurance glossary. And there's also content curation, which is sharing content you didn't write, and community news and events.
  2. After you find daily routine of posting and sharing, start engaging with your audience. Thank people who follow you. When someone shares good news, congratulate them. If someone asks a question, if you know the answer or can provide a recommendation, do so. Even if it's not about insurance. This is where your skills in customer service and building relationships can come in handy. Just as you would engage with someone in the real world to start a relationship, so you should online. Ask questions, talk to people, join in the discussion. Remember our examples from above? If they were in your target area, answering their questions would be a perfect example of an opportunity to engage with someone through social media.
  3. Add just a pinch of promotion to season your social media efforts. The hard sell does not work on social media. People are immediately turned off when you try to sell them. Keep a good ratio of promotional posts with non-promotional posts. A good rule of thumb for social networks where posting several times throughout the day is common, like Twitter, would be for every 1 promotional post, you should share 9 that are non-promotional. For social networks where posting once a day is more common, like Facebook or LinkedIn, the ratio is more like 1 in 4. Don't forget to add social media buttons to your email signature, your website, brochures, etc. to make it easy for your customers and prospects to follow you.
  4. Sprinkle some fun into your social media efforts. Share funny videos, pictures or jokes. Show you and your staff having fun with what you do. Social media is an ideal place to let your hair down, not be so serious and share why you love what you do.

Friday, April 27, 2012

How to Share Interesting Content on Social Media

There are countless articles online about social media, how to use it for business, how to engage your audience on social media, etc. etc. Almost always one of the tips include sharing content on social media your audience will find interesting. But how do you know what content to share?

Sharing content that you didn't write is called content curation. It can be a great way to be seen as knowledgeable and to build your social media audience.

Here are 4 tips to help you decide what content to share with your audience:

1. Be curious.

If you are curious about the same things your audience is curious about, posting articles that share in that knowledge and curiosity will be interesting and engaging.

2. Make the connections for them.

Ever see an article that is not directly about insurance, but you see how it could apply to insurance? Post it. There is no reason why you can't share seemingly unrelated content. Just make sure you make the connection for your audience when sharing.

3. Get excited.

When you get excited about an article, it shows when you share it with your audience. Your audience will respond to your enthusiasm. So if that article you found made you excited, share away!

4. Think about your audience.

Share content that is of interest to your audience. Strive for a balance of articles that you like with articles your audience will find interesting.

Monday, March 19, 2012

How to Create a LinkedIn Page for Your Insurance Agency

By now you probably have a personal LinkedIn profile. But what about your agency? LinkedIn is growing and adding features to company pages. Not many agencies are using LinkedIn company pages so there is little competition for attention. If your agency has a lot of business relationships, you might consider creating a LinkedIn company page.

Here are some tips on how to create and promote a LinkedIn company page for your agency.

Overview tab: Describe your ideal customer and how you serve them in the company description section. When you're writing your description, be sure to put the most important information at the beginning as only the top portion is visible. Include your lines of business in the specialties section. If you have a blog, insert your blog's RSS feed for your blog posts to appear in your company profile.

Products tab: Create a page for each line of business you write. You can include an image, description, landing page URL that directs people to your website. If you do any special events or promotions, you can link to it. You can even embed a YouTube video. If you've got it, share it.

Followers: Just like you work to get followers on Facebook and Twitter, you'll have to work to build your LinkedIn followers. Otherwise no one will see your status updates. Ask your employees to share the status updates of your agency page with their connections. Follow the company pages of your business relationships and ask them to follow yours in return. Put a LinkedIn button on your website that links to your agency's LinkedIn page.

Status updates: Just like on Facebook and Twitter, you can post status updates from your agency's LinkedIn page. But don't make it all about you. Share links and information that will be interesting to your followers. Establish your agency as an insurance expert. Try to get your connections talking by posting updates that will encourage comments.

Product recommendations: When someone recommends your product on LinkedIn, his connections are notified and the recommendation lives on your page. You can use LinkedIn's Request Recommendations module to ask your best customers to recommend your products.

What do you think about LinkedIn company pages?

Thursday, March 15, 2012

How to Set Up Your Business Facebook Page with the New Timeline

Facebook is the biggest social network today and it is about time you get started with a Facebook Page for your business. Previously, we showed you 5 Reasons why your business should have a Facebook Page and now we would like to go over the steps to set up a good Facebook Page with the new Timeline.  It may be really simple for the tech-savvy, but some others may have some trouble. 

1.       Get started by setting up your Facebook Page

If you already have a personal account, you can click on the “Create a Page” link at the bottom of your news feed or you could go directly to “Create a Facebook Page” if you don’t have a personal account. 

2.       Choose the type of Facebook Page

You can select a type of business or category and depending on your selection, you may also have to choose a subcategory. There are 6 main categories to select:




After you have selected the category, you will be required to name the Facebook Page and if you selected “Local business or place”, you need to add address, city, postal code and phone number. Agree to the Facebook Pages Terms and hit the Get Started button.

3.       Add a logo or picture


Upload/import from a website your logo or picture that represents your business or organization. This picture will show on different parts of Facebook, like in news feed and your Timeline when you post an update. If you don’t have a picture, don’t worry you can upload it in the future. Click the Save photo or Skip button.


 

4.       Tell  the world what your page is about


Provide a basic description of the page or your business. Add your website and related links (Blog, Twitter, Linkedin, Yelp, etc.). This step is very important for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You can also modify or add this information in the future. Click the Save info button.

 

5.       Choose your unique Facebook web address (URL)

Choosing your unique web address will make your URL www.facebook.com/yourbusinessnamehere. You can’t modify this information in the future, but can choose it in the future by going to the Username page.

 

YOUR PAGE HAS BEEN CREATED

Now your Facebook Page is almost ready, you just need to add the cover photo that is available with the new Timeline design, add applications and add other information that you skipped before (profile picture, about information, links, URL).  Go to manage and edit page to modify, add information or manage permissions. You can add business hours, and more information related to your business in the “Basic Information” on the left. You can select the option of letting anyone post on your Timeline or select if anyone can add photos/videos to your Timeline (Manage permissions menu).

6.       Set your cover photo

Select the “Add a Cover” menu on the right hand side and upload a photo. The cover photo dimensions are 851 x 315 pixels. Choose a photo that is representative to your brand. You can change it as often as you wish and don’t be afraid to be creative with it. Keep in mind that you need to adhere to Facebook’s policies regarding cover photos, which states that cover photos cannot include:
  • Price or purchase information, such as “30% off” or “Download it at our website”
  • Contact information such as website address, email, phone number, mailing address, or information that should go in the “about” section
  • References to Facebook actions or features, such as “Like” or “Share” or any other Facebook site feature
  • Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends” 


 7.       Organize your views & Facebook apps

Timeline, the new design of Facebook features photos, likes, map and apps at the top of your page below your cover photo. Photos are automatically featured in the first spot, but page admins can rearrange the other to feature the most important one first. Some apps will require that the user clicks the dropdown arrow.


8.       Fill up your Facebook Timelime

Start by adding the date that your business was founded or opened. You can even add a location and pictures. 

YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE IS READY


9.       Invite friends

The admin panel at the top of your page (for you admins) will show you notifications, messages, likes, insights and tips. Select the “Invite friends” link and select your friends.



10.   Start posting updates and like us on Facebook

Now you can start sharing you website’s content and information that can be useful for your fans. Remember to Like us on our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/InsuranceWebsiteBuilder.

Our SEO team at Insurance Website Builder can help you optimize your insurance websites as well as your Facebook Page. Call us today at 1-800-383-3482 for more information.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Keeping It Fresh

One of the biggest challenges for today’s websites is keeping Google happy and interested. It’s not that it’s difficult. It’s simply time-consuming (when done correctly) and overwhelming if you don’t have a strategy setup to guide you.

As the saying goes, ‘Content is King,’ and it’s fresh content that keeps visitors engaged, because really, who wants to read about your Christmas Contest in March? Unfortunately, more than half of business owners fail to update their site even once a month. To put it in perspective:

– Sites that update their content  5 times a month receive 300% more traffic
– Businesses that utilize social media marketing receive 400% more site hits


4 Easy Types of Content to Make Google Happy

Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging and the other various social media sites attract millions of people every single day. News articles, helpful tips, or special events posted on Facebook, or even a 140-character tweet about new products on Twitter all have search engine optimization advantages. Since social media content is essentially the epitome of fresh & relevant content, it is the most likely to be picked up by Google.

Press Releases
By definition, a press release is the announcement of something new. This makes it another type of content that search engines favor. Press releases can target your SEO keywords, improve your brand-association, and in the end, be posted to your social media accounts. Benefits like that should never be ignored.

User Generated Content
As an insurance agent, your business can rely heavily on the comments and reviews of your customers. This can be a double-edged sword, but the rewards definitely outweigh the risks. Invite people to comment on your blogs or your Facebook wall. Direct them to reviews on your Google business listing. Many consumers rely on the experiences and evaluations of others to determine the quality and value of your services. Search engines take into account how people interact with your site, so to gain new visitors, be sure those returning visitors are making their satisfaction known. Most importantly, you can also combine these efforts with your social media platform.

Marketing Automation Content
Lastly, this overlooked, yet important tool is essential to your website’s overall optimization and relevance. If you have helpful information that’s industry specific and appeals to your audience, post it on your site! Use it to gain more information about your visitors. With this focused content, people will not only want to gain access, but the content itself will help build relevancy for your target keywords. An example of this is to offer free reports for download off of your site in exchange for a Name & E-mail address. It’s a win-win-win for all parties involved. Consumers gain free information, Businesses gain leads, and search engines gain helpful data.

Gain access to even more tips, help, guidance, and strategy for your Insurance Website today!

Monday, March 5, 2012

5 Reasons Why Your Business Should Use Twitter


Facebook is the biggest social network in the world and many business owners have understood how useful Facebook could be for business. Twitter, however is also another important network that could be useful for your business.

Twitter reached 500 million registered users just a couple of days ago and you can find a good mixture of comments, connections, content, images, videos, people and news that are presented in real time within your niche. Twitter is a platform that updates really quick, breaks worldwide news, influences major brands and allows small businesses to promote their brand just like the big companies.

There are many reasons why you should consider Twitter for your business and we would like you to understand the top 5 reasons:

1. Real Time News

Many of the most important worldwide news have been shared in Twitter before any other media in the world. Its simplicity is a key element that allows us to share something within seconds from a cellphone, computer, tablet o any device connected to the Internet. If you want to know what is happening about a specific topic, you can use Twitter as a search engine to get really good information related to this topic.

2. Share Your Knowledge and Drive Traffic to Your Website or Blog

Twitter is one of the best platforms to share information and your knowledge. Posting tweets related to specific or different topics can help you increase the number of followers and sharing good content will help you drive traffic to your website or blog. Twitter can also help you increase the number of fans or likes that you have on your Facebook page.

3. Build Your Brand

Many people are on Twitter and it provides another channel to build your companies brand. People could recognize your brand later If you customize your Twitter profile, with a picture, a unique background that coincide with the feel and look of your brand, a link to your website and a bio that explains who you are or what you could offer.

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Links shared on Twitter have a direct impact on search engine rankings and many have tried to use this information to improve search rankings. Remember to include keywords as well as a link to your website in your profile.

5. Build a Community

People are sharing and commenting in real-time and you can build loyalty, commitment and sense of belonging to a topic. Many people are looking to connect with different communities on Twitter.

Are you or your business taking advantage of Twitter? Our SEO team at Insurance Website Builder can help you optimize your insurance websites as well as your Twitter account. Call us today at 1-800-383-3482 for more information.



Friday, March 2, 2012

From Jocks to Geeks--Happy Friday!

Whether you were Captain of the Football Team, Class President, both, or nothing at all, there's a social media site out there that complemented your social circle. Or lack thereof.

Even more so now, there's a social media site for everybody. Each with its own, unique personality. It's these personalities that can determine their popularity, their use, and most importantly, which one you feel most comfortable using. The different sites reach different audiences, so take a look and see how your favorite social media fares in the public forum...if social media were a highschool.


Thursday, February 23, 2012

Twitter Reaches 500 Million Registered Users


Twitter exceeded 500 million users registered and keeps growing with 10 new users per second, according to the tracking website TwopCharts.com.

Even though Twitter has not yet confirmed the number, Twopcharts.com has been using Twitter’s data to calculate the number of registered users the social network has. The third party site looks at ID numbers associated with each account, which are unique and appear to be sequential, starting with number 1 in 2006 when the micro blogging site started.

It is expected that Twitter will reach 600 million registered users in mid-June 2012.



While Twitter has a little bit over half a billion users, Facebook is expected to reach the 1 billion mark in the next couple of months. Google+ has more than 100 million users.

Are you or your business taking advantage of Twitter? Our SEO team at Insurance Website Builder can help you optimize your insurance websites as well as your Twitter account. Call us today at 1-800-383-3482 for more information.






Wednesday, February 15, 2012

5 Reasons Why Your Business Should Have a Facebook Page

Many people start using Facebook to connect with old friends, but business owners have wondered why they should create a Facebook Page and many times they don’t realize that Facebook gives them access to millions of people on a daily basis in one place.

Many researchers have shown how influential Facebook has become in our lives. Having a personal profile is great and it helps you to keep connected with different people, but a Facebook Page has also tremendous benefits. Below you will find 5 vital reasons why your business needs to be involved with Facebook: 

1. Online Visibility

With more than 150 million active users in the U.S. alone, having a Facebook Page provides you with a platform to engage with an increasingly social audience.  

2. Engagement

Facebook allows you to share news, comments, videos, and photos, but also allows you to create contest, surveys and more. These functionalities are visible to users in their newsfeed, right on their Facebook homepage. You can also engage with the users by answering questions and comments they have, or showing your appreciation for being a part of your Facebook Page. 

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Facebook Pages have a great SEO benefit as they show up very high in search results. Facebook has a page rank of #2 according to Alexa and its profiles and pages are indexed really quickly for optimal search engine positioning.   

4. Drive Traffic to Your Website

Sharing you blogs, news, information and products on your Facebook page will help you increase visits as it is essentially an extension of your website. With many links back to your website, your Facebook Page becomes another route through which potential customers can find your website. 

5. Online Reputation & Branding

Facebook, similar to Twitter, can be used as a customer service platform. You can show publicly that you care about your audience or customers. You can provide solutions and show that your business is not behind in the digital world. 

Are you or your business taking advantage of Facebook? Our SEO team at Insurance Website Builder can help you optimize your insurance websites as well as your Facebook Page. Call us today at 1-800-383-3482 for more information.




Like us on Facebook! ITC Insurance Website Builder
 

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

To Blog or Not to Blog

A blog, originally called a "web log", is a chronological online journal.  In a business setting, blogs are best used to provide valuable information to consumers on subjects relevant to the product being offered.  For instance, an auto insurance agent could use a blog to offer safety tips to drivers, what to do in the event of an accident, and so on.

By providing information that is directly relevant to your agency's services and products, you are providing keywords to search engines that potential customers search for when shopping for your services.  In addition, keeping fresh content on your website is one of the most effective ways to increase your page ranking with search engines.

How to Start a Blog
Blogs are another way to brand your agency.  Therefore, to receive the most benefit from a blog, it should be integrated within your website.  The blog should have the same domain name and the same look and feel as your current website.

There are several blog products available.  There are very elaborate blog software packages available, however, initially you may want to sign up for a free blog through a service such as Word Press or Google. While your abilities will be limited with a free blog service, they are a cost-effective way to get your feet wet.

Our Gold plan members that subscribe to our Insurance Website Builder package enjoy built-in blogging capabilities with enhanced features on their websites. 

What to Blog About?
The subjects available to an insurance agent are endless.  Take a moment and think about all of the questions you are asked on a daily basis.
  • Is anyone covered to drive my vehicle?
  • Do I have a grace period?
  • What can I do to lower my premium?
  • Replacement Cost vs Actual Cash Value
  • Does Homeowner's Insurance Cover Flood?
You are answering these questions consistently.  Now all that is required is to sit down and write out those answers.

Advertise Your Blog
Let people know you have a blog.  Tell your customers, your companies, casual contacts, etc.  Advertising your blog can be as easy as including a link in your email signature, a note in letters sent to customers, or mentioning it in your on-hold message.  Also, using social media venues, such as Facebook and Twitter, to advertise your blog and blog posts is a very effective way to increase traffic to your website.

Initially creating a blog can appear to be an overwhelming and time consuming task, but it doesn't have to be.  Share the responsibility among your staff.  What better way is there to learn then to have to prepare to teach?  Assign each staff member a topic and give them time to research the topic.  There will be staff that are reluctant because they lack confidence in their writing abilities.  Writing is perfected with practice and blogging is the perfect opportunity to practice those skills.

Having an blog for your agency offers a list of benefits - increases your website traffic, develops loyalty and trust with customers and prospects, and expands your knowledge as you and your staff research topics.  The time you invest on your blog will offer great returns.

Additional Resources:

Friday, October 15, 2010

Link Your Facebook to Your Twitter

Social Networking is one of the best, and now easiest ways to reach potential clients and customers directly. Follow these easy step-by-step instructions on how to link your Facebook Page to your Twitter Feed so you can share everything you publish with everyone you know.
  1. Go to http://www.facebook.com/twitter/
  2. Login, then select the button reading "Link a Page to Twitter"
  3. Your available pages should be listed with a button to the right that reads "Link to Twitter"
  4. Select the button corresponding to the page you wish to link
  5. You will be redirected to a Twitter page asking for your Twitter Username & Password
  6. Enter your login information and select the button that reads "Allow"
  7. You will be redirected back to Facebook and a list of Settings to Edit will be visible
  8. You can choose to share any or all of the choices that include Status Updates, Photos, Video, Links, Notes, and Events.
  9. Feel free to leave all the selections chosen
  10. Select "Save Changes" and you are now connected!
You are now more connected to social networking and will easily generate twice as many postings.

Additional Resources

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

How to Create a Facebook Business Page

Social networking in this day and age is essential to businesses. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to create a business page on the new Facebook.
  1. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
  2. Select Local Business and choose the type of local business. Insurance agencies can select Professional Service.
  3. Enter the name of the Agency. It's best to enter the name of the Agency rather than a slogan or catchphrase, it makes it better for branding in the long run.
  4. Review the Facebook Terms and check the box to agree.
  5. Click Create Official Page
  6. Select whether or not you have a personal Facebook page. It is more advantageous if you have a personal page, as Facebook allows a lot more capabilities for Page Administrators who have personal accounts.
  7. If you do have a personal page, you will be asked to login.
  8. If you do not have a personal page then type in your email address.
  9. Enter your password.
  10. Enter your date of birth.
  11. Enter the Captcha form – to make sure you’re human.
  12. Review the Facebook Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and check the box to agree.
  13. Click Sign up Now!
  14. Facebook asks that you confirm your email address. Login to your email and click on the link to complete registration.
  15. Your page has been created!
Now that you have completed the basics, it’s time to customize your page. It’s crucial that you fill out as much information as you can to gain trust from your customers. Fill in the Basic and Detailed Info, as well as adding pictures to your profile. This can be a picture of yourself or your agents. A people picture is more favorable to a logo or storefront, as this builds trust with the potential customer and makes your agency more accessible and personable.  Be sure to add a succinct description in the box under the profile picture.

For Advanced Users
Add the Static FBML application. It stands for Facebook Markup Language which is Facebook’s version of HTML. Unfortunately you can only add the application if you have a personal page. Click on the link to Add to My Page. You will be able to add simple formatting like bold and italics, and you can also add anchor text.

And there you have it, a comprehensive guide to creating a Facebook page.

Additional Resources

Friday, April 23, 2010

Setting up Twitter on your Website

Twitter is a very powerful social networking platform that can significantly increase the number of visitors to your website, if used correctly. IWB websites have the capability to automatically tweet with appropriate web addresses, any changes made to the website, e.g. updating pages, posting blogs, adding content. This is great for busy agents like yourselves.
  1. Set up a Twitter account. Go to http://twitter.com and sign up for a account. Your user name should be your company name rather than your main keyword phrase (kp). A company name is better in the long run, as you will be changing out your main kp in a few months, and you would have to start your campaign all over again.
  2. Make it look nice. Customize your account with your main kp as best as you can. The bio line should include your main kp. Make sure to include your website address in the profile settings. Your background and link colors should match your home site. If possible make your image a 72 pixel by 72 pixel version of your company logo. Nothing turns away a visitor faster than a default-looking, no-customization page.
  3. Network with your website. Log in to the Admin Console, under Communication Settings, click on Social Networking Settings. Enter your user name and password and make sure to check the box that says Enable Twitter Posting. Now every time you make a change to your website, Twitter will know about it. 
Twitter is a great way to communicate with current and potential customers. Even though the website automatically tweets for you, don't let that be the only thing your feed is about. Integrate community news and events, current affairs, insurance news, and company news and promotions, to make your status updates more interesting. Happy tweeting!

Additional Resources:

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Twitter for Businesses

With Twitter releasing their new business model "Promoted Tweets" more businesses may want to look at creating a Twitter account. Check out Twitter 101 - a Special Guide for Businesses thinking about tweeting.

http://business.twitter.com/

Learn how to automatically Tweet from your IWB website.

Learn about Social Media and the Insurance Industry.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Show up Your Competition and Generate Online Referrals

73% of insurance consumers used the internet to research auto insurance last year. Therefore, increasing your ability to be found online is a critical component to compete in today’s environment.  One of the primary drivers to increase your online visibility is to increase your ranking with the search engines, such as Google and Yahoo. A heavily weighed factor used by search engines to determine your placement on a search results page is the number of external websites that refer back to your site. These links from other websites to yours are called backlinks or are also referred to as inbound links.

Explore who is referring online visitors to your competitor's website.   Visit https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com, type in your competitor's website address and click on "Explore URL".  By default, Yahoo will provide a list of all of the pages that are included on your competitor's site.  To get a list of referring websites, click on "Inlinks" and then under the drop down box "Show Inlinks" select "Except from this domain". Be sure to check out who is referring your website while you are there.

Just as you receive credibility when someone refers business to your agency, your website receives credibility with the search engines when an external website refers to it. Backlinks improve your rankings on search engines and also entice visitors to come to your website.

5 Tips to Get Free Referrals (backlinks) to Your Website.

1. Forum Posting.   There are several forums online where consumers post their insurance-related questions. These forums offer a great opportunity for insurance agents to get online exposure by posting answers to their questions. More importantly though, many of these forums allow you to include a link back to your website in the signature line included with your answer. A great example of such a forum is ampminsure.org.

2. Article Marketing. Submitting short insurance-related articles to sites, such as Ezine Articles, is another very effective way to get quality backlinks. Joining EZine is free, however, they do uphold strict guidelines that prevent people from spamming their sites with sales ads. Keep the article informative and educational to show that you are an expert in your field. For example, write a short article on why it is important to carry renters insurance or outline the criteria involved in determining a rate for auto insurance. When submitting the article, be sure to include your link as part of your signature.

3. Social Networking Sites.  Including an informative blog on your website meets another demand of search engines by keeping your website full of fresh and relevant content.  Insurance related blog posts will be chalked full of keywords that your prospects search for when looking for insurance. To get the maximum benefit of your website blog posts, use social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn to refer your followers back to your blog.  Social media sites are a great way to develop a loyal following as well as get quality backlinks.

4. Industry Association Backlinks. Industry associations are typically a great place to network and share ideas with other colleagues. Contact your industry association and ask if they accept short articles or blog posts from members.  Again, always be sure to include your website address in your signature.

5. Company Backlinks. Company backlinks are probably the easiest to obtain. Most companies include a “Find an Agent” section on their website. Check these sections and make sure they are listing your website next to your agency name.

Friday, April 2, 2010

How Facebook boosts Rankings

Facebook, and indeed all social networking sites form an integral part of SEO. One of the advantages of signing up for a Facebook profile is creating backlinks from a highly ranked website (PageRank 9/10), but also building a network among like-minded people.

These articles show how to get the most out of Facebook: