Like the rest of Florida in 2017, Southern Oak Insurance was glued to the screen for Hurricane Irma updates. We prioritized keeping our customers informed and safe with a strategic disaster plan. In addition to supporting our customers, our plan helped us successfully cope with the increase in insurance claims that followed Hurricane Irma.

When it comes to your customers, nothing makes a better impression then a personal relationship. According to a Nielsen study, 70% of consumers trust online reviews more than any other form of marketing. Businesses that stay connected with their customers typically garner more positive reviews than those that are out of the loop, and technology has put multiple tools right at the fingertips of today's independent insurance agents. Consider these 10 ways to stay connected with established and potential clients on the Internet.

"Please add me to your LinkedIn network."

When we see that inviting phrase in our email inbox, we are immediately curious, flattered, and hopeful. If you're like many insurance agents who use social media to identify insurance leads, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool to help identify prospective clients, build relationships, and close sales. To use your LinkedIn profile to its fullest advantage, it must reflect positively on you and your professional position as an insurance expert and local resource.

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 an independent insurance agency, 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 good reviews to push down any possible negative press.

Good reviews serve another purpose too: good SEO (Search Engine Optimization). When your business name is linked with industry keywords as well as praise on multiple sites, a search for your goods or services is more likely to pop up. This means a campaign to garner lots of great reviews is well worth it for independent insurance agents, so get going with the five easy, cost-effective tips below. 

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.

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.

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.

Google+, as one of the newest players on the social media scene, poses a quandary for many independent insurance agents: you know you ought to use it, but you’re not quite sure how. This can result in anxiety, analysis paralysis, and a lack of forward progress that hinders your business. Well, no longer. Generating insurance leads and revenue from Google+ is surprisingly easy, once you get the basics down. Here are four tips to get you started today.