State Auto Digital Agent

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2014 issue of SA Today . TCI Insurance is an example of an agency doing the right things to build an online presence that is simply an extension of who they are as a team. TCI’s approach is to focus on quality— of the content, people, and interactions— rather than checking social media off a list. Founded in 1985, TCI Insurance is headquartered in West Fargo, N.D., with two branch locations and nearly 20 staff members. The agency has been working for over a year to activate an online presence, including an email newsletter, blog, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. We talked with Steve Huber , vice president and sales manager, and Stephanie Blair , marketing/sales, to learn how they’re making social media work for TCI. Blair came to the agency with a P&C and financial advisor background. Her interest in social media led to the opportunity to make that part of her role at the agency. Today, managing the agency’s online presence is ...

This is the third post in a series about creating your social media response plan. We've covered Step 1 - Who Will Respond? and Step 2 - When to Respond . Imagine you have completed steps 1 and 2 of your Social Media Response Plan.  You have two trusted members of your agency staff who are monitoring the web for mentions of your agency. They have some practice responding to positive comments and questions posted on your Facebook page. Now imagine a client posts a complaint about your service on your insurance agency's Facebook page. You know you need to respond quickly. What should you say?  It helps to know your goals for the interaction. Don’t fall victim to the mindset that you must prove your point.  You may never be able to satisfy the person making the complaint.  Think about the people who will read this interaction now or in the future. First, maintain your professionalism. Second, get the conversation offline as quickly as possible.   S...

This is the second post in a series about creating your social media response plan. In the first post, "How to Create a Social Media Response Plan," we covered Step 1 - Who Will Respond? Knowing when to respond is just as important as determining what you will say. If you see a negative post about your insurance agency, it can be tempting to jump to your own defense. Part of being prepared to respond is determining in advance which types of situations warrant a response. Step 2: When Will You Respond? Situations When You Should Respond Someone asks for your help. They may post this directly on your Facebook page, or this might be a call for help on a blog or website that isn't associated with you. Regardless of where they post it, if they mention your agency and ask for assistance, you will likely need to respond. Someone says something directly to you. When someone   directs a post to your agency, you must respond, and quickly. This might be a mention on Tw...

Your response plan is so important; we didn't want to squeeze the details into one blog post.  This is the first post in a series that will walk you through the steps of creating your social media response plan. Social media is a megaphone.  With little time and no cost, people can voice their opinions and share their thoughts about anything.  If someone feels they have been treated unfairly, they are more likely to want to tell other people about it.  This means that anything you do or say to a customer can be shared.  If you treat someone poorly, expect to hear about it in your monitoring.  Assuming you always do the right thing and treat everyone fairly, you still may end up receiving undue negativity.  That is human nature – you can’t make everyone happy all of the time.  The first step is listening.  If you don’t know someone is talking about you, you can’t possibly respond. Creating Your Social Media Response Plan ...

Ask yourself this, "when is the last time I saw client X?" Now imagine someone asking client X, "when is the last time you saw your agent?" The answer is probably the same, "I can't remember." As much as we'd like to meet face to face with every client we work with or hope to represent, it just isn't always possible. However, just because it isn't possible to meet in person, there is no reason why your clients shouldn't feel like they just saw you. In today's business world marketing options are plentiful, but none may be more effective than simply marketing your face. During one of my very first sales calls, I met with an ex-captive agent who worked for a large insurance company. We discussed one of the company's studies which compared two separate captive agencies. One of the agents used a traditional business card and the other had all the same traditional information, but included ...

Are your clients expecting that you will communicate with them on social media and through text messages? As digital communication methods continue to evolve, people are becoming more depending on technology to interact with service providers.  The topic of managing errors and omissions concerns while using new methods of communication was discussed at the Midwestern Region Agency Advisory Council meeting this year. To provide resources and guidance in this area, the State Auto team conducted interviews with leading technology experts in the insurance industry and researched tips for managing your E&O exposure in today’s digital environment.  The bottom line: Agents should evaluate their agency workflow and procedures and plan to evolve along with changing client needs. If implemented successfully, your process will contribute to better customer service in addition to managing your E&O and compliance needs.  Tips for Managing E&O with Digital Com...

There’s something special about waking up on a cool, Fall Sunday morning and wrapping my hands around that first cup of warm coffee, preparing for a relaxing day of watching NFL football. I settle on the couch and turn on the TV to watch my favorite team, the Kansas City Chiefs.  The thought of relaxing is replaced with panic as I flip through the channels, searching for the game. Living in Ohio as a Chiefs fan means that the games are rarely on TV, unless they’re playing the Browns or Bengals.  Feeling defeated, I quickly search online to look for alternatives. I happily discover I could listen to the game and other features online – via a live podcast – through the NFL.com or Chiefs online radio network! Crisis averted! The benefits of creating podcasts for your clients Podcasts are audio files/segments that are available for download through the Internet. Think of hosting your very own radio show where you can provide quick, archivable snippets of information to ...