Posts tagged as:

Creativity

Social Media for Insurance Agencies

by admin on March 6, 2010

This post was initially written for insurance agents and agency owners, but actually applies to all businesses both large and small.

Over the last few months I have spent a considerable amount of time “enhancing the web presence” of one of my businesses in Texas.  Much of this time has been spent on the intricacies of getting our website, www.spinstx.com, to move up in the rankings of the search engines.  I have done this by registering with various local search sites, industry specific sites, blogging, updating content, and the list goes on and on.  Through this process, I delved more deeply into the “Social Media/Networking” arena and have learned a few things in the process.

MULTIPLE ENTRY POINTS

Since there are multiple entry points for potential clients, it is necessary for an insurance agency to be multiple places on the web.  For instance, many agencies have a Facebook page, a Twitter account or a web page.  That is great.  You actually need all three (and many more) due to the fact that all of your potential clients aren’t pursuing the exact same interests in their social media participation.  For instance, some customers and potential clients may utilize Facebook as a “friend” networking site only, and may not be interested in finding an insurance agent, or pizza place, or BBQ joint.  At the same time,  this exact same person (also known as a potential client) may be interested in reading your Tweets to determine if you are an expert.

I would recommend that you choose one or two and focus on getting them going in the right direction.  For instance, I have chosen Twitter(@collin_harbour) Follow collin_harbour on Twitter, our website (www.spinstx.com) and my insurance blog (www.keeptexasinsured.com).  I started a Facebook page, too, but I was overwhelmed by all that I needed to maintained so that page was taken down, but will be up and running again soon.   

BE FLEXIBLE AND CREATIVE

It is important for any business owner to be flexible and creative.  Through my Twitter experience, I have discovered various agents and agencies trying to achieve the same goals as me.  One of the most creative ones I have come upon is  www.atlantainsurancelive.com.  Chris Jordan has taken his passion for insurance and customer service and brought it to his blog through video blogging.  You should check it out as it is creative and (for lack of a better term) innovative.

Because most of this is still so new, it is understandable that a business owner or those responsible for growing a business can be overwhelmed with determining the best strategy.  There are many consultants out there such as myself who can assist your  business in choosing the right strategy for your agency or other business.  Fill out the “Contact Me” form at the top of this page if you would like for me to reach out to you. 

collinharbour.com

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Things I Learned This Week (don’t delete your twitter account)

by admin on February 27, 2010

I am 38 years old.  That’s not too old, and it’s not too young.  My quest to learn is relentless.  I want to learn about new ideas and people.  I want to learn about different cultures.  I want to learn Spanish.  This week (and mostly today), I learned quite a few things and I hope they will help me as I move forward in my pursuit of knowledge and ideas.

1.  If You Delete  A Twitter Account, It Can Not Be Reinstated:  This one really blew my mind.  I had two Twitter accounts, one for a business and another for personal.  I decided it was too much to keep up with so I decided to delete my personal account:  OOPS!  You see what I mean, it was incredibly confusing.  I got the pop up box that told me it could not be restored (though I’m not sure I believed it), but I wanted to delete my account.  I just deleted the wrong one.  I urgently researched the web and emailed Twitter, but to no avail.  The account was gone.  I lost all of my followers . . . rookie mistake.

2. It’s Better To Be Safe Than Sorry (most of the time):  For most of today, we all waited.  We watched T.V., we had live Hawaii-cams on our computers going just to watch the big event . . . the anticipated Tsunami.  Many of the beaches were evacuated and people in the hotels were told to go above 3 floors.  We waited and waited.  We knew exactly when the Tsunami would hit.  Relief was felt as the waves were much less intense than anticipated.  (We are now waiting to see what impact Tsunami may have on Northern Japan).  The people of Hawaii are safe.  They may be upset that they spent the day above three floors or driving inland, but they are not sorry.

3.  We Can Not Control Mother Nature:  Last night, millions of people went to sleep in Chile, only to be awakened by an 8.8 Earthquake.  This one is big.  As mentioned above, Tsunami warnings were sent up in many countries.  All of these comes just a few weeks after the devastating earthquake in Haiti.  Regardless of what we try to do, we can not control Mother Nature.  Keep that in mind.

4.  The World Gets Smaller Every Minute: I am reminded of this each time I log onto Twitter and discover a new follower that I have never met.  I have a couple of followers from other countries.  And on the above mentioned points, within hours of the Chile Earthquake, people were Tweeting to loved ones, lists of missing people were created to help identify the survivors.  I know this is cliche, but it is true and everyone better get used to it because the speed with which we are getting closer is increasing.

Each and every day we have an opportunity to learn something new.  It is difficult sometimes, but people should not be afraid to stretch their limits.  I have over the last few weeks and I am enjoying every minute of it.  You can start today. If you don’t have a Twitter account, start one and follow me at the button listed below.  If you do have a Twitter account and we are not connected, reach out to me and I’ll follow you back. 

Follow keeptxinsured on Twitter

Collin W. Harbour

collinharbour.com

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Dealing With Blogger’s Block

February 25, 2010

No, it’s not a cop out. I have blogger’s block. I was extremely happy when I realized that this was my issue this evening, especially since I thougth I had discovered a new term. Of course, I was incredibly upset upon Googleing “Blogger’s Block” and discovering that I am not alone. And of course, there is the text book (Urban Dictionary) definition: Inability to think of anything to blog about.

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Being at the Right Place at the Right Time

February 23, 2010

I know people who always seem to have good things happen to them.  They always seem to be in the right place at the right time.  I was watching an old re-run of Seinfeld last night and saw a perfect example of this (watch the first minute and a half for the illustration and the whole thing if [...]

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Social Media Marketing for Nonprofits

February 21, 2010

Social media marketing and networking is a necessity for non profits. As a business, you are subject to the same competitive rules as for profit businesses. As a non profit, you have more limited resources than many businesses and you need to find a way to efficiently market your non profit. There are only so many resources to go around and you are competing with other businesses and interestes for these resources. Social Media is one of the methods that business of all sizes, including non profit businesses can achieve these goals effectively and effeciently.

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Social Media as a Small Business Strategy

February 18, 2010

Social Media is a big deal. If you don’t believe it, you are living in a dream world. Millions of people flock to social media sites each day. As a small business owner, you need to develop a small business strategy that fits your business, your time and your needs. As a definition of small business, I will focus on companies with 10 or fewer employees here, though I know that small business encompasses a much broader range.

Social Media/Networking is growing exponentially at this time. You’ve heard of Facebook and Twitter and you’ve probably heard of LinkedIn. But have you heard of Plaxo, Ning, Fast Pitch, Merchant Circle or Biznik? I have, and I have spent a vast amount of time in each of these networks. Social Media is a way for you to participate in the conversation related to your interests and industry. It is a way for you to network with others and advertise your business. I have read many places where “social media is free.” Let me dispel that notion immediately. This is not the case as some social media sites require a premium for some of their services. Even so, the dollar cost of social media is essentially nothing for the basic services.

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The Goblins Took Your Hair

February 14, 2010

After years of pondering, I know where my hair went. This morning as we were getting ready for church, my daughter asked me, “Collin (yes, she calls me by my first name), who took your hair?” After a few seconds of deliberation, I decided it was best to just level with her so I told her that God took it. Who can argue with that, right? Apparently, she did not like the answer, but she offered an alternative. “Collin, I think the goblins took it one day when you were walking in the woods.”

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