Recent News

Recent News

To keep you informed with the latest news and insurance tips, we will be posting weekly. We hope you enjoy your Recent News section.

  • D-Day Remembrance

     D-Day - Do not ever forget the thousands of Americans that rest on the shores of Normandy. To those men that are still with us - we owe them our thanks. They were among the bravest men alive and deserve our remembrance. [read more]

  • Indoor Easter Egg Hunt

     An indoor Easter egg hunt can be a fun and creative way to celebrate the holiday, especially if the weather outside isn’t conducive to an outdoor hunt. Here’s a guide to organizing an indoor Easter egg hunt: [read more]

  • Water Safety Tips

     Every 10 minutes someone dies from drowning.  One out of every five drowning victims is a child  With the Summer here, it is a great time to send along safety tips to your clients and prospects. [read more]

  • Announcing Preparis

     Announcing Solution Managers’ Agility Recorvery product Preparis - Business Continuity Tailored to Your Business Needs.  This software solution helps businesses plan for, respond to, and recover from any type of business interruption.  [read more]

  • Time to Get Targeted

     If you are like most agencies, you send out client emails to your entire database.  Then, you are surprised when clients opt out.  [read more]

  • Valentine's Day

     Don’t forget to send an agency email to your clients on Valentine’s Day reminding them to call you to insure jewelry given.  Include the need for an up-to-date appraisal and jewelry replacement.  [read more]

  • Cyber RX

     Cyber rates are skyrocketing and underwriters are investigating businesses to insure they have the right preventions, training, and systems, to help prevent cyber attacks. [read more]

  • The strength of a hand-written note

     When was the last time you wrote a hand-written note of thanks to a client.  Most of us focus on text messages, voicemails, or emails, but the power of a hand-written note is immeasurable.  Clients will remember your thoughtfulness long after the electronic blasts.  Get in the habit of writing a few notes of thanks to your clients every day. [read more]

  • Emergency Go Bag

     With all the inclement weather across the US, sending a blast to your clients with the items to create a Go Bag for their vehicles.  US-95 is a perfect example for why they  need to be prepared.  There are also great sites to buy these bags as well as ready.gov for terrific information. [read more]

  • Happy New Year!

     2022 - Happy New Year - start off with a clear strategic plan.  Once designed, then carefully work the plan during the course of the year.  Don’t forget all the media that you can use to get your messages out there.  Don’t rely solely on email marketing.  Mix it up. [read more]

  • Happy 4th of July

    Don’t forget the 4th of July messaging - patriotic blasts, barbecue recipes and firework and food safety tips.  It’s a great time to communicate with your clients and wish them a fabulous holiday weekend. [read more]

  • June Weddings

     June is the most popular month to get married, simply because of the mild weather.  There is a saying that “for those who marry in June, you’re a bride all your life.”  Here some facts about June weddings: [read more]

  • Summer Marketing

     Summertime is terrific for keeping in touch with your clients by focusing on key events and seasonal activities. [read more]

  • AgenciesOnline Adds a New Partner

     AgenciesOnline is pleased to announce a new solution partner, Podium, the number one messaging platform.  It connects with your website traffic, gets reviews, collects payments, and more by sending a quick message. [read more]

  • Add Public Relations to Your Marketing Plans

     We live, we work, and we play in our communities.  However, how much do our communities know about our insurance agencies?  Sure, they know we have a sign with the name of our agency in front of a building; but do they know what we do, what services we provide, or how active we are in our communities? [read more]

  • Business Continuity Review

     With so many situations affecting our businesses this past year, such as COVID-19, lock downs, and remote employees,  it is important to review annually your procedures to restore critical business functions in the event of an unplanned disaster.  These disasters could include natural disasters, security breaches, service outages, and other potential threats. [read more]

  • AgenciesOnline Receives Award

     AgenciesOnline Awarded Best Insurance Marketing Firm, 2021- USA by the 2021 Global Excellence Awards. We are both pleased and proud of this recognition and look to provide the very best in marketing and communications to our clients.Find out what we can do for your agency, call us for an appointment. [read more]

  • Benefits of Client Surveys

     When was the last time that you contacted your client to ask about their experience with your agency?  This valuable feedback can help you determine your agency priorities, understand what is of interest to them,  and obtain valuable referrals. [read more]

  • Online or In-Person Quotes

     If you’re an independent insurance agent wondering whether an online quote generator can replace you, breathe a sigh of relief. While it’s true that nearly a quarter of all insurance sales now take place online, many more sales only start online. Convenient digital tools like quote estimators allow consumers to take control of their insurance portfolio, but when they’re ready to convert, most want the option of a friendly agent to help guide decision-making. [read more]

  • 3 Actionable Data Points Every Agent Should Know

     As an insurance agent, you have access to a mountain of marketing data. Each time a customer visits your website, downloads your lead magnet, requests a quote, shares your social media post, or opens your monthly newsletter, you learn something new about your target market and about your agency. But not all data is created equal.  [read more]

  • Marketing to Caregivers and Children of Aging Adults

     As the population of the United States ages, unpaid caregiving is on the rise. In fact, a 2019 report by AARP revealed that 41 million caregivers were providing nearly $470 billion in unpaid assistance to elderly family members. In addition to helping with daily living activities (ADLs), these caregivers spend hours every month researching medical problems, financial issues, healthcare providers, and insurance-related issues. As such, they wield significant authority when it comes to making healthcare decisions, communicating with medical professionals and insurance providers, and advocating on behalf of their elderly loved ones. [read more]

  • Reaching Your Target Market at Different Steps in the Client Journey

     Every policyholder you have today came to you via a journey from awareness to conversion. If you’ve successfully nurtured your clients, they may have even moved from convert to champion, advocating for your agency whenever they make a referral. Understanding the client journey ensures that each touchpoint along their path to policyholder is optimized for conversion. Successful insurance marketing campaigns take into account each stage of the client journey to maximize marketing spend and minimize prospects’ objections. [read more]

  • Why TV isn't the only option for insurance marketing

     Over the last two decades, large insurance companies like Geico and Allstate have dedicated increasingly more of their marketing spend on television advertising. The catchy and cost-prohibitive commercials run frequently during the early morning hours and continue through the afternoon when target markets are more likely to be watching. They pop up often during syndicated talk shows, local news programs, and even during primetime events. [read more]

  • 5 Tips for developing an insurance blog that people will read

     You’ve heard it all before. It’s not breaking news that blogs are good for business. But is it possible to build an insurance blog that actually tempts your prospects to read on? Of course it is. It may take a little more work and imagination to make insurance as interesting to your readers as it is to you, but who better to take on the challenge than you? Try these five tips to make your blog one that people will read. [read more]

  • How social media supports niche marketing efforts

     Enterprising insurance agents have begun to explore niche markets as a way to differentiate themselves from a crowded market. From insuring international adoptions to inland marine coverage, specialty markets offer independent insurance agencies an opportunity to build unique expertise and unparalleled market expansion. If your agency is dipping into a niche market, social media can play a powerful role in supporting your efforts. [read more]

  • 5 Marketing Directives Shared by Successful Insurance Agencies

     Each independent insurance agency has its own unique mission. One agency may focus on giving clients access to top-of-the-line healthcare. Another may make their main priority securing local businesses against risk. Whatever the charge, the most successful agencies rely on these five marketing directives to achieve their goal.   [read more]

  • How to retarget and convert your insurance prospects online

     To convert a person is to change their direction, and conversion is the goal of all marketing efforts. You’re attempting to convert website visitors or Facebook users into policyholders with your insurance agency. That makes conversion rates a critical measure of a campaign’s success. [read more]

  • Should Independent agents integrate traditional advertising into their marketing strategy?

     As consumers have adopted new technologies to simplify their lives, marketers have followed suit. Marketing teams have shifted their focus from traditional advertising forms such as mailers and radio ads to digital media like email and social media marketing. However, it would be a mistake to think that traditional forms have become obsolete or ineffectual. In fact, research indicates that a combination of traditional and digital media offers the most comprehensive marketing approach for independent agents who want to drive insurance sales. [read more]

  • Using Segmented Data to Optimize Your Insurance Marketing Campaigns

     A Millennial, a Gen Xer, and a Baby Boomer walk into an insurance agency. It may sound like the beginning of a timeworn joke, but each and every day, people from all walks of life are making choices about insurance. Some are looking for an affordable homeowners policy. Others need coverage for their home-based business. Still others are looking for a travel policy to cover a big trip. The most successful insurance agencies use these differences to segment marketing efforts for more precise, effective messaging and improved ROI. [read more]

  • Understanding the insurance policyholder's customer lifecycle

     According to a recent Forrester’s survey, 6 in 10 of insurance customers say that all insurance companies are basically the same. While it’s true that all insurance companies provide the same basic services and products, no agency wants to be just another generic brand. To stand apart from the competition, however, it’s necessary to understand how consumers come to know your agency in the first place. In marketing terms, we call the journey from prospect to policyholder the customer lifecycle. Understanding where consumers are on their journey provides insights into how to best distinguish your agency in meeting their needs at each stage of the journey. [read more]

  • What are you doing to support your producers/agents with marketing materials?

     While marketing and sales are often used as interchangeable terms, they’re actually two different tasks. Marketing is the strategy devised to attract new prospects to your agency and to nurture leads. Sales is the act of converting those leads. Understanding the difference makes it clear why a comprehensive marketing plan is in the best interest of your producers. When you support your agents with a marketing plan, you afford them the opportunity to focus on closing.  [read more]

  • How an agency website can facilitate post-emergency recovery

     The annual number of natural disasters has rapidly increased in recent years. During 2018 alone, U.S. citizens were impacted by 14 separate billion-dollar disasters: two tropical cyclones, eight severe storms, two winter storms, droughts, and wildfires. When your policyholders are in the path of one of these events, your independent insurance agency’s website can prepare them for the worst and streamline their recovery in the aftermath. [read more]

  • How to create greater value for affluent clients

     Most independent insurance agencies will find it hard to compete with their larger competitors when price point is the deciding factor. Corporate giants have the advantage of bargaining in bulk and keeping overhead much lower through advanced technology and operational efficiencies. That makes it critical for small agencies to provide more than monetary value to their prospects. [read more]

  • What the data says about texting with your clients

     Recently, the techies at ZipWhip released a report on the state of texting in business environments. In addition to confirming the fact that texting is now an expectation among consumers, it provided specific insights on how businesses like independent insurance agencies can capitalize on the technology. [read more]

  • Supporting Agent Professional Development

     In their 2018 Labor Day Survey, the business think tank The Conference Board found that the greatest source of disappointment for most American employees is a lack of professional development opportunities in their career field. TCB warns that this is “a warning signal for any organization looking to attract and retain talent in today’s tight labor market.” [read more]

  • What Messaging Platforms Should Agents Focus On Now that Facebook is Losing Ground?

     Survey data from the Pew Research Center in mid-2018 showed that 42 percent of Facebook users have significantly reduced their time spent on the platform. Later in the year, Pew found that 26 percent of users had deleted the Facebook app from their phone. Several surveys have indicated that once loyal users had begun to lose trust in the social media giant, and less engagement translates to less effective advertising for insurance agents invested in the platform. [read more]

  • SMS Marketing

     The average American consumer spends upwards of four hours per day on their cell phones, and more than half of global consumers feel anxious when they don’t have their cell phone ready at hand, according to a study by Nielsen. In other words, if you want to have direct contact with your clients, reach for your phone.  [read more]

  • 5 Trends That Will Impact Independent Agencies in 2019

     A new year is already unfolding, and with it, new opportunities are opening up for independent insurance agencies to differentiate themselves. These five trends are going to have an impact on insurance in 2019. Capitalize on them to make this your best year yet. [read more]

  • 5 Ways to Use Technology to Cross-Sell Insurance Products

     With the recent Black Friday, everyone’s mind is on sales. But for an insurance agent, sales is a year-round concern. Your agency’s profits rely on strategies that generate steady sales. Few tactics are as effective as cross-sells. Not only does cross-selling give your agency’s income a boost, it also increases the satisfaction of client’s looking for greater personalization in their insurance agency’s offerings.  [read more]

  • Annual Reviews to Connect to Clients

     Why do clients leave insurance agencies? Most of the time, it has less to do with rates and more to do with responsiveness. According to a survey conducted by Rocket Referrals, 8 out of 10 clients defect because they lack “regular and meaningful communication from the business.” [read more]

  • Building a comprehensive insurance marketing campaign

     Springtime isn’t just perfect for weddings and graduations. It’s also a great time to run a focused insurance marketing campaign. People are re-energized by the fresh air and the longer days, and they’re itching to get their lives organized. That means they’ve got the bandwidth to consider housekeeping tasks like assessing their insurance needs.  [read more]

  • Spring Clean Your LinkedIn Profile to Entice More Business Connections

     Spring is in the air, and most of us are feeling energized to clean up, organize, and make forward progress after a winter of being cooped up and cowed by cold weather. That makes April a perfect time to assess and improve your LinkedIn profile to capture more leads. Use these actionable insights to make your profile sing for summer! [read more]

  • How Insurance Agencies Can Get The Most Bang for Their Marketing Budgets

     According to Gartner’s 2017 CMO Spend Survey, we can expect marketing budgets to continue receding in 2018. If that’s true of corporations with an office reserved for a Chief Marketing Officer, it’s doubly true of smaller independent insurance agencies. A limited budget doesn’t have to limit your agency’s growth, however. By using data effectively, a tight marketing budget can deliver a robust return on investment. [read more]

  • To woo Millennials, insurance agencies need to think outside the white picket fence

     From casual dining chains to the diamond market, Millennials are faulted with delivering the death blow to dozens of traditional business models. The insurance industry is just the latest to be hobbled by these apparently cold-blooded consumers, but that doesn’t mean Millennials are here to end insurance agencies (or any other businesses) for good. They just want industries to keep up with their changing needs and goals. [read more]

  • February is Insurance Career Month

     Have you considered a career in insurance?  It’s more than a job, it’s more than “selling” – it’s about working with a client to provide them with the very best insurance coverage to meet their needs and mitigate their risks. It’s a rewarding career.  [read more]

  • What do modern consumers want from the insurance industry?

     Andrew Kucheriavy, founder and CEO of the pioneering insurtech firm Intechnic, attended this year’s Web Summit, the world’s largest tech conference. While on the scene, he spoke with leaders from insurance companies, banks, tech firms and disruptive startups to learn what insurance agencies can expect in 2018. What he learned should come as no surprise to independent agencies who have been paying attention to the concerns and demands of 21st century insurance clients. [read more]