Launching an email marketing campaign can be tough, and can feel easy to make mistakes in this new and ever-evolving field. However, independent insurance agents can’t afford to give up this valuable source of insurance leads. Rest assured that if you stay away from the basic "don’ts," you will reap the rewards of email marketing with little trouble.

How to use LinkedIn well is the subject of whole libraries, but it’s harder to find information on how not to use the professional social networking site. Yet when you’re just starting out, that’s sometimes the more useful approach. Below are the five worst things independent insurance agents can do on LinkedIn; avoid them, and you’ll be fine.

We all like variety. Although independent insurance agents routinely need to attract the same kinds of customers to the same kinds of products, that doesn’t mean you can’t vary your email marketing approaches to keep them interested. Using these email subject lines will put an extra kick in your email campaign, earning higher open rates and preventing them from sending you to the trash. Plus, it may just help keep your customers’ and prospects’ inboxes from becoming dull.

Good reviews have always been crucial for any business, but in the digital age, they are more important than ever. Now, when customers search for independent insurance agents, they’re likely to scan the results of that search. If they see anything negative (usually limited to the first or second page), then boom: They’re probably going to move on. This makes it crucial to have lots of good reviews to push down any possible negative press.

Eleven years have passed since Florida suffered from the devastation of Hurricane Charley, the last really big hurricane to hit the state. This news might be a major relief, but according to an article in the Washington Post, this just means that the state is overdue. Nobody wants to see another big hurricane destroy property and threaten safety, but it probably isn't realistic to assume that it won't happen just because it hasn't happened for over a decade. And most long-time Floridians know that these storms tend to strike in waves.

In addition, the population and property value in the paths of potential storms has only increased since 2004. In fact, the state's population has grown by one million people since Wilma, a 2005 hurricane. This means that future storms have the potential to damage more property than previous ones.

While many consumers are tempted to shop for Florida homeowners insurance solely by price, independent insurance agents understand that the cheapest coverage won't really help their clients if it does not provide the right coverage or come from a company with a commitment to their clients. Consider these 5 important considerations for quoting homeowners insurance in Florida.

Because of the Internet, today's Florida homeowners insurance agents have access to hundreds of resources that were not available a decade or so ago. However, the World Wide Web has become so vast that it can be tough to know which information or services are truly useful. In that spirit, these are 10 truly useful online tools and sources of information that can help agents grow their business.

Homeowners insurance is an old-school profession, used to relying heavily on face-to-face communication, handshakes, flyers, and referrals to generate insurance leads. And while these are still great business strategies for the independent insurance agent, many of your customers have moved online, so it benefits you to follow them. Most likely you’re already on Facebook, but may be confused about the best ways to turn your fans into lifelong, repeat customers. We’re here to help with five of the simplest strategies for generating revenue with Facebook.

1. Tell a Story

Social media marketing should be a big part of any Florida homeowners insurance company's marketing plan.  And a big part of that focus should be on having social media pages that are visually appealing.  Use this guide to keep track of the optimal sizes for all of your social media graphics and generate insurance leads from your social fans.  Also, if you're interested in social media marketing for your homeowners insurance agency, download our free eBook: Using Social Media to Generate Revenue - A Simple Guide for Insurance Agents.

LinkedIn is the place to put a business presence out onto social media. Although generating insurance leads and revenue on LinkedIn may not happen overnight, it is more than possible with a well-curated profile, a developed network, and a thorough understanding of how to use the platform to generate future profits. These seven tips will help Florida homeowners insurance agents up your efforts at small business marketing with LinkedIn.