Consultant says benefits of Facebook, Twitter, etc., greatly outweigh risks.

According to a recent article by Stephanie K. Jones on InsuranceJournal.com, one of the main reasons why insurance agents aren’t more active in social media is that they just aren’t sure of the best way to get started.

Pat Alexander, a Texas-based consultant/social media coach, recently presented at an agency management seminar hosted by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas. She said there is a good bit of resistance to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging, and the like, because many agents see them as fad, or they fear the risk of errors and omissions in those media. Around 81 percent of insurance agencies have websites, but only about 23 percent have a social media presence like Facebook or Twitter, Alexander said. Nearly half of agencies use some form of e-mail marketing, but only 6 percent use blogs, which can be an effective tool for communicating an agency’s particular expertise or passion.

She advises, while agents should be aware of the possibility for errors, that fear should not discourage them from trying social media. She says agents should consider all the phone calls and e-mails that go out of the typical insurance agency every day. Can the agency control every conversation or every word and comma that appears in all those calls and e-mail messages? If you have the right social media tools and policies for your agency, you can actually control the results, Alexander said.

She also reminds agents that cell phones, e-mail, electronic files, direct bill and online rating were all considered to be “fads” when they first came on the scene. Staying current in all your skills, including current technology, remains important to staying in business and thriving.

Deni Townsend, vice president of Billy Greaves Insurance Agency in San Antonio, Texas, said she believes all agencies should have a website at the very least, and one that reflects who they are and what they do.

“When I look up a business, that’s the first thing I do,” Townsend said. “When I have a new client I go to their website immediately. I want to see what’s on there. It does make a big difference. I want to see where they are located. All of those things are important.”

To read Jones’ complete article, click here.

Source: www.insurancejournal.com