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Latest ACT Articles & Reports
How Consumers, Businesses and Agencies will Change
This report was developed by ACT's Agencies of the Future Work Group PDF
Attributes of Successful Independent Agencies of the Future
This report was developed by ACT's Agencies of the Future Work Group PDF
Mobile Strategies for Independent Agencies & Their Clients
This discussion document was developed by ACT's Mobile Strategies Work Group PDF
Replacing the Password Morass with Federated Identities
Learn more about the industry's new ID Federation, Inc. that is striving to put a Trust Framework in place to enable federated identities in the Independent Agency System. This would allow agents to logon once to an Identity Provider and then access multiple carriers using a federated identity rather than separate Ids and passwords for each carrier. Click here for the ID Federation's presentation at the ACT meeting on February 16, 2012.
Social Media & Online Marketing Survey Results
This survey, conducted in late 2011 by the agency consulting firm B.H. Burke & Co., provides excellent data on the mix of independent agency traditional and nontraditional marketing approaches, including the extent to which they are using particular types of social media, have coordinated marketing plans and are measuring their marketing R.0.I..
Agency Opportunities in a Time of Profound Change
This article discusses some of the future oriented issues that ACT is addressing and the types of opportunities and challenges they create for independent agents. We are living through a period where several major transitions are occurring simultaneously involving consumers, agencies, agent-carrier interfaces, agency management and other areas. These changes are giving agencies more choices regarding how they organize, the technologies they decide to utilize, and whether they outsource or not. The attributes of the agency managers of the future will have to evolve as well to succeed in this changed world.
Independent Agencies Prefer Real Time Over Carrier Portals
This statement by the industry's Real Time/Download Campaign describes the progress the industry has made with Real Time over the past five years, citing the results of its recent survey of over 3,100 agencies. It also states that carrier portals should not be seen as a substitute for implementing Real Time transactions for the many agencies which prefer to work through their agency management systems and comparative raters. The Campaign also outlines what it intends to do going forward to continue to increase real-time implementations by agencies and carriers and to improve the functionality that is provided.
Expand Your Marketing Strategy Online:
Three Digital Parallels to Traditional Tactics
This article, authored by Matt Marko of Progressive Insurance, discusses three powerful online marketing strategies agencies can move to as a logical extension of the traditional marketing approaches they have used for years. These strategies are to use Local Search (to complement or replace Yellow Pages), Online Reviews (to expand word-of-mouth referrals), and Tile Ads (to supplement print ads).
This report, developed by the Agency Real-Time Experience Work Group of the Real Time/Download Campaign, will provide a very useful roadmap for carriers and vendors whether they are implementing real-time transactions for the first time or enhancing and expanding their current real-time capabilities. This implementation tool spells out the "best practice" real-time workflows which agencies would like to have and which some carriers are already delivering. For real-time implementation to continue to grow among agencies, we need to achieve more consistency in the real-time transactions that are offered to agencies across carriers and lines of business coupled with better performance from those transactions.
Three Tools for Maximizing Your Agency’s Facebook Reach
How does your agency extend its reach on Facebook beyond current fans? This article by Progressive's Kevin Ament explains step by step how you can use the Tagging, Questioning and Contests tools to create new potential business and individual prospects on Facebook.
Enhancing Disaster Communications with Social Media
Rick Morgan discusses how numerous agencies, carriers and associations used social media & e-newsletters to keep their clients and members well informed during the recent series of disasters in the East.
Recent research offers invaluable insights about what drives personal lines consumers to choose particular providers for insurance, what’s important to them in making their decisions and how they want their insurance providers to interact with them. This article outlines how independent agencies might use this data to enhance their personal lines operations and strategies to attract and retain today’s changing consumer and compete effectively with the direct carriers and others.
The Independent Agents’ Opportunity to Take Back Personal Lines
Independent agents can provide the online auto insurance shopper with a better value proposition than the direct carriers and thereby take personal lines business from them. Independent agents now have the technology tools available to write personal lines profitably and to increase their visibility online so that they can be found by online shoppers. Recent consumer research also bolsters the opportunity independent agents have to attract and keep online shoppers.
Maintaining Policies Locally in Today’s Agency and Emailing Policies to Clients Which policies should I continue to store locally vs. accessing them on the carrier website? Should I email policies to willing clients rather than sending paper copies? How can carriers and vendors to assist their agents in these areas by providing new functionality.
Combat Cybercrime and Protect Your Agency with Simple Security Steps
Keyloggers secretly installed on your computer can steal your agency's passwords and wipe out your bank account. This article recommends several steps for agencies to take to protect themselves by keeping a wary eye and practicing proactive online security techniques and policies.
ACT Prototype Agency Information Security Plan & Companion Article
Click here for the ACT article,"ACT Releases Prototype Agency Information Security Plan"
Click here for the ACT Prototype Agency Information Security Plan (Best to save this Word document to your desktop to avoid prompt for a password. If you "open" the document, click "cancel" when you get the password prompt to open it.)
E&O Considerations for the Automated Agent
Keidel, Weldon & Cunningham, LLP, writes about how agencies can use their technology most effectively to protect against E&O exposure.
Don't Get Caught in the Web!
Discusses managing agency website E&O exposures; also includes sample website disclaimers.
A Balanced Approach to Agency Marketing
Steve Anderson provides a compelling vision and the key elements for a successful agency marketing strategy built on processes that are both high-touch and high-tech. He provides a great framework for agents to use in designing their own marketing plans for the long haul.
The Best Web Marketing Strategy You've Never Heard
Provides practical tips on how agents can get the most out of “local search” tools and directories to increase their visibility on the Web.
Social Media Time-Savers
Matt Marko outlines three levels of involvement for agencies with social media, depending upon the agency’s objectives and the amount of time it wants to dedicate and includes time-savers for each level.
A Discussion of Agency Website and Social Media “Best Practices”
MORE Articles & Reports...
Also see "Quick Links" at left for a full listing of ACT articles & reports by subject area
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Upcoming Events & Recorded Webinars
May 14, 2012 ACT Meeting (Orlando, FL)
Rosen Shingle Creek Resort
May 14 (afternoon)--ACT Meeting
May 15 (morning)--AUGIE Meeting
May 15-17--ACORD LOMA Conference
Click here for additional upcoming in-person ACT Meetings and Events
Recorded Webinars, Podcasts & Sessions
Facebook for Insurance Professionals
Recorded webinar (August 9, 2011)
Cindy Donaldson, Director of Marketing & Personal & Commercial Lines Sales at Founders Insurance Group, and consultant Rick Morgan, present the ins and outs of using Facebook effectively as an independent agent. The session covered how to set up a Fan Page, utilize Facebook to increase your brand awareness and market share, understand how Facebook Ads work, and connect with clients and prospects.
Click here to view the recorded webinar.
LinkedIn for Insurance Professionals -- how to increase your brand, your sales and recruit top performers via LinkedIn
Recorded Webinar (May 5, 2011)
This webinar was presented by Cindy Donaldson and Rick Morgan and provided independent agents with scores of tips on how to use LinkedIn and how to get the most out of it.
Click here to access the recording and a PDF of the PowerPoint, along with additional resources related to social media.
Implementing an Effective Information Security Program in your Agency
Recorded webinar (Jan 13, 2011)
The session outlined how federal and state law, as well as good risk management practice, have made it mandatory for agencies to implement an information security program that is anchored by a written security plan. The program covered the security risks agencies face, practical steps to take to manage these risks, and the free tools and articles that ACT has produced to assist agencies with their security program-- including a prototype agency information security plan.
To view recorded session, click here
To view PDF of presentation, click here
The Social Web and Insurance--Finding Success & Lessons Learned
Click title for recorded webinar featuring agents Claudia McClain & Angelyn Treutel and consultants Rick Morgan & Mike Wise discussing their experiences using social media.
Click here for PDF of PowerPoint
Successful Agency Techniques to Build, Integrate and Manage your Blog, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube Click for recorded webinar featuring Ryan Hanley, Chris Jordan & Rick Morgan.
Agency E&O Considerations when Social Networking (Click for more details, Webinar recording & PowerPoint)
Formulating a Social Web Strategy & Policy for Your Agency (Click for more details, Webinar Recording & PowerPoint)
For information on upcoming live webinars, please click here (none currently scheduled)
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