 Insurance Shopping Around
I’m currently shopping around for a better rate on my auto, home and umbrella policies. I requested a copy of all of my declaration pages from my “big” captive insurance company where I’ve been a customer for over 25 years. My rates just went up on my auto policy so I decided to shop around. I chose my agent years ago because of the company’s reputation and the local agent’s proximity to my house. I’ve stayed with them because I felt loyal to the company. My loyalty has since subsided. They sent me the dec pages I requested and the email salutation said, “Dear Policyholder”. How cold. Now I’m working with one of AccuAgency’s Georgia agents to find a better rate. He’s been fantastic. He said he will be there to fight for me if ever there is a claim. That really means a lot. I’ve called on my big captive company agent over the years and I’ve never heard them say they would fight for me. As a matter of fact, I’ve never heard them take a personal interest in any of my insurance needs for all of these years. I just get a tiny plastic business card sized calendar in the mail every December. So I’m going independent insurance agent. I’m confident I’ve found the right insurance agent who can save me money and find the protection I need. I feel like I’m going from just another number or just another policy to an agent who cares about my family and my insurance and financial needs and goals. If a customer calls or emails and requests a copy of all of their dec pages, does that throw up a red flag at your agency? Do you oblige and send it without question or do you dig and find out more. Why do they need the dec pages? What can you do to help them?
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 How To Use Facebook Live Would you like to increase the number of likes and followers you have on your insurance agency’s Facebook page? Would you like more exposure for your insurance agency? Mark Zuckerberg introduced Facebook Live videos on April 6, 2016. He said, “Facebook Live is like having a TV camera in your pocket.” He noted, “When you interact live you feel connected in a more personal way. This is a big shift in how we communicate, and it's going to create new opportunities for people to come together.” Video is growing fast. Really fast. 500 million people are watching videos on Facebook every day and 45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week. Consider using Facebook Live video. You might try one of the following:
It’s easy to go live on Facebook. If you want to be mobile, log into Facebook from your phone. If you have a webcam on your computer, use the Google Chrome web browser. You’re limited to a single view on your computer’s webcam. For the suggestions above, use your mobile phone and access Facebook Live. To go live:
That’s the easiest and fastest way to go live. For the Best Practices visit the Facebook Live “Tips for using Facebook Live” page. Get tips on how to tell people you’re going live ahead of your broadcast, broadcasting from a strong connection and writing a great description before you go live. You’ll find a bunch of examples of Facebook Live videos to check out.  Employee Spotlight - Alex Velez, Technical Support
Today we’re talking to Alex, as many of you have called in for support or chatted online and talked to Alex. Many of you might know he's one of the nicest guys you'll ever talk to and he's great at solving your technical support issues. But did you know he plays the ocarina? Let’s get to know Alex a little better. How long have you worked at AccuAgency? I've worked at AccuAgency for 6 years. What do you love about your job? There is always something new. Whether it is troubleshooting a new issue, learning something new while testing bugs, or finding more efficient ways of doing an existing job. There is always some new surprise that can be found. What is something about you that would surprise people? I am an avid musician. I've been playing saxophone for more than 12 years. On top of that, I’m always looking to learn new instruments. I already have considerable experience with saxophone, oboe, and ocarina; I'm currently working on guitar. Others on the list are accordion, piano, theremin, trumpet, and the drumset. What is one of your guilty pleasures? I love watching Twitch, especially E-Sports. From Starcraft and Dota to Hearthstone and Quake, I could watch those for hours. What is something you would like to learn to do? I’ve always wanted to learn more languages. I’m currently learning German, but Japanese is the one I’ve always wanted to learn the most. Also, learning to do visual arts such as drawing and painting better. What is the best piece of advice you ever got? My brother Santiago told me the best way to change is to be uncomfortable. It has helped me push myself to do more and to find what things I can improve in my life.  Time To Write The Blog
Your independent insurance agency should have a website and if you have a website you should have a blog page you post to weekly, if not more often. A blog is a way to share information. You aren’t promoting your insurance products and services, you’re stimulating interest in your agency and the insurance products and services you offer. Drive More Traffic and Get More Leads You may ask, how does blogging benefit my agency? Bottom-line, blogging drives more traffic to your website. How often do you update and refresh your website content? Probably not often. When you blog you’re updating your website and adding more content. Search engines like Google like to see that you are actively updating your website. When they see updates, they index these updates and it improves your search engine visibility. More organic search engine visibility means more website traffic and therefore more leads. Here are 15 blog topics you might consider writing about:
Writing your blog: Publish at least one blog a week every week. It can be overwhelming and time consuming to write a blog but your efforts will really pay off. Once you start writing and publishing you’ll be on a roll. You’ll see things in the news and online and get inspiration. Follow other insurance blogs for ideas. Images: Use images to make your blog look more professional. Set up a stock photo account and purchase images that will make your blog stand out. Make sure you have the rights to the images you are posting on your blog. Share! Always share your blogs on your insurance agency social pages (Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn and Google+).   This month we’re spotlighting Ken McFeeters, Agent and Owner of PAC Insurance Agency, Inc. PAC Insurance has locations in Hoover, Roebuck and Bessemer, Alabama.
PAC Insurance Agency, Inc. was incorporated in 1981. By focusing their efforts and caring about their customers they have become one of the largest personal lines insurance agencies in Alabama. How many years have you been an insurance agent? 36 years What is your favorite thing about being an agent? Working with and helping people. Ken really likes helping people with issues or problems that might occur and feels his experience can help him better serve his customers when they have trouble. He also likes working with the Alabama State Legislation and the Big I legislative committee to help the insurance industry. Ken helped with the electronic verification bill and the agent's fee bill in Alabama. What advice would you give someone wanting to be an insurance agent? Be patient. Building an agency takes time and renewals are the key to longevity. What is one of your guilty pleasures? Ken enjoys adventure boat trips. Recent trips include taking his boat from Destin to Fort Lauderdale and another trip from Destin to Key West. What is something about you that would surprise people? Ken recently adopted a 2 year old German Shepherd (pictured above) from the local shelter. He named her Carlee. Carlee is now a regular at his office in Bessemer, Alabama. |
AuthorVikki Thomas has been working in the insurance industry since 1995. Vikki has worked for several carriers in customer service, quality assurance, underwriting, product management and marketing. Vikki has worked at AccuAgency since 2008. Archives
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