Using Social Media to build trusted relationships and increase sales! Social Media and the independent insurance agent. Wednesday Webinars February 6 th, :00 PM EASTERN PETER GOLDFINE MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR ALLIANCE GROUP

Using Social Media to build trusted relationships and increase sales! Social Media and the independent insurance agent. FOCUS ON FEBRUARY

Social media

LEVELED PLAYING FIELD Social media

Networking isn’t new…however, the tools are. “43 percent of people buy financial services as a result of recommendations via social networking friends.” --LIMRA

WHAT’S HOT / TIMELY???

About 88% of women think buying life insurance that names a loved one as the beneficiary is a good way to express love for that loved one.

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN Each year during February, the LIFE Foundation coordinates the Insure Your Love campaign. It's an industry-wide public education campaign that reminds Americans of the need to protect the ones they love through proper life insurance planning. The campaign is built around the simple concept that people buy life insurance because they love those close to them and want to protect them financially. To help with your marketing and outreach efforts, LIFE has created this e-Kit filled with the resources you need to easily pull together an effective Insure Your Love campaign. Simply changing the way your client looks at his or her financial life — which, although vital, is not very exciting — can make it fun. Helping your clients establish this habit will ensure they and their loved ones are doing the right and necessary things now to provide a financially worry-free future.

(E-KIT)

Imagery to Share and Post on Social-Media Study after study shows that creative and interesting photos/images are engaged with the most on several social-media platforms. Use these infographics to engage with your friends, fans and followers.

Can’t think of anything?? Piggy Back!

A Legacy of Love GREAT EXAMPLE

What else is out there?? February is American Heart Month. You may want to post an article that has heart health tips or possibly your own blog that you have written (blogging and social media go hand-in-hand!) February 10 th is National Umbrella Day – post a picture of an umbrella and possibly a link to your website…”We’ve got you covered…” Risk Awareness Week is February 7-14 th … great for an insurance-related post. February 24 th : OSCARS. Ask a question or post a poll…? Whether you are at a loss for a post or simply strapped for time, these topics are here for you. Enjoy and stay social! Be in LOVE with social media this February! 2/17: Random acts of kindness day 2/20: CHERRY PIE DAY SHARE RECIPES!

Opening Up New Opportunities  Essential tool for communication  Customer engagement  Lead generation  Immediate customer contact  Customer service  Customer interaction  Relationship building

Consumers Increasingly Rely on the Internet for Life Insurance, with 77% of Consumers Researching the Topic Online Last Year Compared to 69% in NUMBERS NEVER LIE!

MORE GOOD NEWS!!! The most common way of purchasing offline after quoting online is through a local agent in person.

The advent of social media has opened the lines of communication between producer and consumer. Marketing is no longer a one-way street. Now everyone is talking to everyone else. Producers to consumers. Consumers to producers. Consumers to consumers (about producers).

Engaging with customers + Sharing news about your company Find new clients / recruits Search engine results Increase visibility

Tools for Getting Started Facebook’s popularity means that many of your prospects and customers already use facebook to keep in touch - not only with family and friends, but also companies.  Business / Fan Pages  Ads – Sponsored Stories, Newsfeed, etc.  HIGHLY TARGETED Over a BILLION Users can’t be wrong.

Twitter asks the question, "What are you doing?” Agents can tweet company announcements, ask for feedback, answer customer questions or share relevant website page links. Tools for Getting Started LinkedIn is a social network for business professionals.  Groups  Q&A Video can be a very effective way for an agent to deliver a message and strengthen their online brand… Pinterest is GROWING in popularity. It’s the HOTTEST new network - people LOVE Images. They invoke emotions… With Google+, you can put customers into different groups or "circles" (by geography, by age, by interest) and then easily communicate with each circle separately, or with multiple circles at the same time.

A Blog is a website with regular entries of commentary, news, opinion or other material such as links, photographs or video.  Consistency is more important the frequency  Keep posts short  Let personality show through - speak in first person  A mix of personal and professional Tools for Getting Started

Announce Product / Company News Discuss CURRENT EVENTS (try not to offend) Build Rapport / Authority with Audience Brand Awareness – Get the message out Educate the customer Establish yourself as a thought leader Establish yourself as a community specialist ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BLOG ABOUT! Keep in mind….The thoughts DO not have to be your own. You can re-post articles that interest you and articles that you feel will engage your target audience!

Final Thoughts & Common themes  Speak in the first person and be yourself  Be thoughtful and respectful of employees and others – respond to ideas not people.  Add value – be interesting, innovative and informative.  Listen – listen to what others are saying, what they mean and what they like and dislike  Educate customers on insurance and allow them to share feedback  Develop communities for targeting customer segments  Enhance your brand and marketing message.

 Listen Listen Listen  Pay Attention to the Metrics  Creativity & Personality Trump Big Budget TAKE THE PLUNGE!!!!

Be Ubiquitous Be Social Be Interesting Be Remarkable Be Yourself FINALLY…

Peter Goldfine o / m Peter Goldfine, Alliance Group 1424 N. Brown Road, Suite 200 Lawrenceville, GA NSure4Life facebook.com/AllianceForLife Linkedin.com/company/alliance-group