Why culture needs to be part of your agency business strategy...

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Here’s a good article on the decline of the insurance industry’s fast-follower technology theory. 

Click here.

Short version: the pace of technology change is increasing, to the point that insurers are starting to move faster on new technologies and new approaches. The old theory of watching what works well for peers, then trying to replicate it is in jeopardy.

Why? -- differentiation, competitive advantage - the keys to successful business strategies. Insurers are learning from other industries that making it work first gives you an advantage. Playing catch-up isn’t as easy as it used to be.

Timely lesson.

Okay, agents - fast-followers, or early adapters?

Progressive's latest tech offering is mobile quoting and selling capabilities for its 35,000 independent agents. iPads for now, other tablets to follow.

Nice move.

Who's next?

Lee Gientke's recent article on insurance agency blogs is a crisp set of guidelines. Worth the read...

In 2011, online advertising become the #2 media choice of marketers, based on dollars spent. Who got bumped? - print and radio. Television beware...

According to the results of a recent PIA study, independent agents have the strengths consumers are looking for:

expert advice/counseling

personal attention

ability to offer tailored protection

relationship-based customer service

Google latest search algorithm update (Panda) puts more emphasis on recently updated web content. Web sites that are rarely updated are going to have going to have a tough time showing up in queries.

One way for businesses to meet the new freshness test is to create and frequently update a business blog. Blogs have always scored well with SEO and Google’s latest change emphasizes the value of publishing quality content regularly.

According to HiveFive, content marketing is steadily climbing to the top of the marketing strategy ladder, with 82% of B2B businesses using it to generate leads, enhance brand visibility, and display a company's expertise and thought leadership.

Content marketing is the creation and publishing of original, valuable content for company web pages, blog posts, case studies, white papers, and videos.

Click here for full article.

According to Mashable.com, the two-way aspect of the Internet has changed the way consumers find, buy, and research products. Now, social media, engaging web content, blogs, podcasts, and white pagers are having more impact than billboards, TV spots, and print promotions.

Consider this:

44% of direct mail is never opened.

86% of TV viewers skip through the commercials

84% of 25-24  year olds have clicked out of a website because of an intrusive ad

Why this matters to insurance agents…

Too many independent agents are still using product-focused, outbound marketing tactics. If Mashable is right, these tactics are going to have minimal impact - because consumers simply aren’t paying attention.

Here’s the call to action…

In the 21st century, independent agents need to develop much better inbound marketing skills. That means new strategies, more engaging content, and Internet marketing software.

We can help with all three.

In case you missed it, Mark Ruquet's article is a good read. He discusses how three agencies are using apps as part of their internet marketing efforts, and branding themselves as tech-savy in the process.

You can download the article here.

Mark writes for the National Underwriter.