According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there were approximately 28.2 million small businesses operating in the United States in 2011, and this number likely has grown since that time. This market presents an incredible opportunity for insurance companies, and you may be looking for a way to tap into that market. After all, while the...

Since the early 1990s, email has become a fact of modern life. However, much like the paper-based mail that inspired it, most people have an overflowing inbox. Some of the emails are “junk” or “spam” sent to take advantage of the unsuspecting. However, other emails that are potentially of value to the recipient are ignored because they do not...

Making a website for your insurance agency can feel overwhelming. It’s the virtual storefront for your business, and it is one of the best avenues for getting new leads. Naturally, you want to make a good first impression while also convincing visitors to ultimately do business with you. To help make the process simpler, here are five points to...

Life as an insurance agent can be good. There is a large degree of independence offered, and the residual income is attractive. But getting started in the insurance business isn’t always easy. Many new producers quit in their first year. How can you make it and build your sales as a new agent? Here are four tips. Be Willing To Work Hard In The...

Video marketing for insurance agents can help you to reach new customers. In less than a minute, you can give a quick overview of your services. It also helps consumers to get a feel for your personality, helping you to connect with people who are the best fit for your agency. Videos posted on your website can also greatly increase your response...

Are you overlooking email marketing? Many independent insurance brokers and agents are focusing on social media and local SEO, but email marketing still maintains impressive results. In fact, email has some of the highest ROI rates of any online marketing channel. Consider the following statistics: About half of an email list will either open or...

The ever-changing digital marketing landscape can be overwhelming for independent insurance agents. What works and what doesn’t? Where should you spend your limited resources? Perhaps the best method is to allocate some energy across the fundamental online marketing channels. By doing so, you can reach clients and prospects in a variety of ways,...

Like most independent Insurance agents, you now have more tools and avenues than ever to market your business. At the same time, you may have an overwhelming amount of new email contacts and social media relationships to keep track of and nurture. While all of these new marketing technologies are helpful, it can also dilute your focus, spread you...

With the advent of online reviews and social networks, independent insurance agents need to be proactive in maintaining and building a great reputation online. Most professionals and businesses will have an issue with a customer at some point. While it’s ideal to resolve the issue before it becomes a potential online reputation problem, this...

Online marketing doesn’t have to involve large advertising costs. It’s very possible to grow your insurance agency with “earned media,” including local search optimization, blogging, and social media. Local Search Claim and Optimize your Google Local Page As we discussed in a previous blog post, claiming and optimizing your Google places page is...

Claiming your own online local business listings is at the core of any successful digital insurance marketing presence. If you follow the best practices, you’ll see increased referral traffic to your website – and even phone calls - from your listings at these sites. What Are Local Business Listing Pages? Local business directories contain your...

Protecting your business so that it will and can continue to thrive over the years should be a huge part of your business plan. Ask yourself this question, “What would you do if you lost one of your major clients?” Many small business owners rely on a few large clients to maintain their business. This happens because when times are good, there is...

Blogging is one of the most powerful and cost effective marketing tools encountered in business. Blogging can help your insurance agency increase its website visibility. When preparing to start a blog for your agency there are a few tips you should consider. To gain the most from your writing: Write a blog every other day; assign each agent the...

During the recent Self Storage Association Executive Ski Workshop, self-storage industry professionals provided updates about the ongoing uptick in development within the industry. After a devastating recession and long recovery period, the economy is improving, occupancy levels are on the rise, and a sense of optimism has returned to the...

When social media was created, the like button was just for pictures and personal postings. Now days, social media is being used as a marketing tool in every type of industry. Companies have incorporated social media as part of their annual operational budgets. Value is there if you put the work into it. Results will come over time, not...

Have you thought about the difference between an estimate and a proposal? How could this affect a potential client buying decision? You are an insurance agent, meeting with a new client for the first time and they tell you to send them an estimate of the cost of coverage for their new business. After going over their needs, you send them a one...

Social media has grown so quickly that it can be hard to remember when it wasn’t part of our daily lives. Self-storage businesses can reap many benefits from promoting themselves on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and other sites. Such interaction helps your business to stay relevant, provides free access to a large audience of potential...

Do you know what Twitter is or how to use it? Do you use a social media platform to market your business? Twitter can be a great marketing tool when looking to increase the knowledge of your brand. There are many reasons someone would want to follow a person or a brand on Twitter. This tool can help them stay in the loop with events, ideas and or...

Self-storage business owners are all likely to agree that excellent facility managers can be a deciding factor in the success of an operation. The industry abounds with talented, skilled, dedicated managers who are passionate about customer service and building the business. How do we provide oversight to support that quality manager and remove...

What do you do as an insurance agent to go above the norm for your clients? What steps do you take to see that your clients are satisfied with the service you provide? One fact in any industry is great customer service can be rewarded with referrals. Referrals are one of the best types of advertising methods in marketing – and it’s free! Here are...