Creating Opportunities in the “technological coliseum that is 21st-century communications.”

Understanding the Challenges of Web 2.0 for Insurance Professionals

Does this Describe

a Business Social

Network or a Benefits

Consulting Firm…

Or Both?

Benefits Consulting Firm

=

What Do Clients Want From their Brokerage Firm ?

“Size Doesn’t Matter”

How can your firm meet

your clients technology

needs and expectations?

Let’s explore ways you can

And now they expect your team

to “leverage technology”

connections on their behalf….

Not surprisingly clients and

prospects still want the local

people connections that are

the hallmark of our industry:

Culture

Knowledge

Accessibility

Competence

Responsiveness

People and Relationships…

“In Selecting a Broker,

Size Doesn't Matter”

7/20/2009 Issue

What Matters to Clients (Survey)

“Any consulting firm we choose will of

course have access to the markets we need,

that is a given. Most importantly its

organizational culture will have created a

team of knowledgeable professionals who

are responsive and readily accessible.

Our broker will know how to leverage

technology to assist us and build the type of

strong relationships we need so that their

team can serve as an extension of our

organization in the risk, HR or employee

benefits areas.”

Or a client might say

it this way…

1. “depth and quality of services,”

2. “knowledge and expertise” …people

3. “the right people” …accessible

4. “access to insurance markets”

5. “culture and relationship”

6. “serve …extension of the risk dept.”

7. “leverage technology”

The Communication Challenge in a Web 2.0 World

ShareMobile

View

Subscribe

Today all of us, including our customers and prospects,

are using many new channels, devices and social media

tools to access the ever growing resources of the web.

stay informed and do their own

research on the products, services and

service providers they need on their own

terms.

Employers increasingly are

relying on tools like Google

and the other search engines

to find the news they need to

As a result Employers expect more today,

just like the BI survey revealed.

Yet most firms only online

channel - their website - is

more often than not virtually

invisible online and lacks

the type of tools required

to engage with their more

savvy and demanding

customers and prospects.

Your business is built on relationships and your team

interacts with your customers to meet their employee

benefits, HR, retirement and business insurance needs.

To succeed in this Web 2.0 world your firm needs to

master and implement 2 basic but intertwined concepts:

• Engagement

• Googleability

The good news is that you already have a leg up in

this new world . Your brokerage/consulting business,

is actually a “business social network”.

The good news is that everything

you do for one reinforces the other

and adds value for your customers.

Google handles 600 Million+ queries annually related to:

• Employee Benefits

• Health Insurance, HSA, CDHP

• Insurance Brokers, Agents

• Benefits Consulting, Advisors

• Group Insurance

• Disability, LTD, STD

• Group Life, Vision, Dental

• Voluntary, Worksite, Pet, Cancer

• Retirement Plans, 401K

• Long Term Care Insurance, LTCi

• Risk Management and more

Most firms are

focused only on

the “tip of the

iceberg” - how

their site looks

to visitors.

They have

neglected “the

hidden iceberg”

and making it

readable for the

search engine

robots.

The „Bots don‟t care what

a site looks like. Their job

is to catalogue the web.

They focus on html code called “Tags”:o

• Title

• Description

• Keywords

And on:

• Where you are – Key for local search

• Who links to you

• “Anchor Text” - reinforcing phrases

“The propensity of specific information to be found in an Internet

search, especially as it pertains to individuals and companies. “

How does your site look below the

surface? Have you ever looked?

?

And provide connectivity, tools

and content that …

30 to 40 %

of all

searches

are locally

focused

10,000 Google searches / second !!

1/10,000th of 1% of this traffic

would generate at least 100 new

leads for your firm…and several

new clients in your area a year !

5 Basic SEO Tips From Google (+1 From The Industry Radar)

Excellent content

about the subject

you want to rank for

on the page

Links from

other well

ranked

sites that

recommend

your site

Fresh content

posted in a

blog / feed(s)

#1 - The major

keywords you

want to rank

for appear in

your title tag

Keywords in your

metatag description

and well placed on

your pages.

Bonus Tip – The same RSS and content tools you need to improve your

web visibility and web traffic also enhance your communication and provide

valued added services that engage your customers and prospects.

30% - 40% of all searches are local

Local

Directories

Links & Citations are Key to Local Area Rankings

“If you do a marketing

site and you don't have

an RSS feed, you

should be fired.”Robert Scoble, Microsoft

The easiest way to get your head around RSS and feeds is to think in terms of traditional radio.

RSS makes your central content point (your website, blog etc) like a radio station, with RSS

broadcasting a virtual signal.

Customers and prospects can then tune in to this RSS data signal and receive your RSS

broadcast - 'subscribing' to it for regular updates. In other words engaging with you on their

terms and timeframe.

Understanding The Importance and Role ofThe Key Tool for Promoting Your Business and Engaging Your Customers on Their Terms

The RSS receiver is software – already built into tools we all use everyday. The RSS signal is received

wherever the 'listener' chooses – allowing content to be easily distributed/syndicated to and picked up in multiple

locations.

RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication”. Technically it is an XML format for

content distribution. Practically any type of content - news, events, information,

pictures, audio/video or blogs - can be published in RSS and subscribed to by

customers, prospects et al on their own terms.

By socializing your content with newsfeeds you can easily

distribute/syndicate content to your customers, prospects, partners

and employees in any browser, Outlook, mobile device or location

when and how they want to receive it – not just thru your

website or email.

RSS is therefore technological backbone of social media and

the key to engaging with your customers and prospects.

RSS feeds are also favorites of Google and

other search engines because they are

machine readable and denote fresh

content, which boosts your website’s

Google ranking and SEO results.

Events

Surveys

Empowering Your Customers and Prospects

Events

To Move From a Basic Website

Googleability

RSS / Syndication

Subscribe / Sharing

Social Media / Connecting

ROI / Measurement

Content

There are 6 Key Web 2.0 Elements

To Creating an Integrated Web 2.0 Business Portal

These Will Allow Your Clients To Interact and Engage With Your Firm On their Terms

Technology Assessment Checklist

Website Review Search Engine Visibility

IR Site Ranking Google Ranking

Y N Y N

Positive Overall Design/First Impression Local Top 10 Ranking

Customer Focus (Y) Competitors in Top 10 ?

Clear Message to Visitors Title – Well Designed

Useful Client Tools Metatags

Tracking – Google Analytics Page Text Reinforcing Tags

Site Content Fresh Content/RSS

RSS Feeds Links In from Quality Sources

Industry News Local Directory Listings

Firm News/Press Releases

Newsletter

Events

Articles/Whitepapers

Blog / Social Media

Integrated Web 2.0 Marketing Tools to Enhance Your Business And Engage Your Customers

SEO Value Across All Aspects of The Industry Radar Business Network

Directory | Content Online | Links | Local Listings | Syndication | Analytics

With Links

From Our

Site to

Your

Website

Your Listing will

also appear in

100+ Online

Local

Directories

Events

Surveys

Multiple RSS

Feeds Created

To Use and

Share Online

| | || |

Events

Surveys

Where You can

Post Your Firm‟s

Content

Online

All site activity

is tracked

and reported

on

Your Listing

is a virtual

“location”

In a spot

visited

thousands of

times daily by

prospective

customers

The Industry Radar Enterprise Web 2.0 Services

Events

MentoringCoaching Consulting

Solutions to Promote your Business and Engage Your Audience

Socialize Your Content using RSS

Private Label

Client

Portals

Client CommunicationIndustry Radar Business Network

Marketing

Social Media Strategy

Title

Description

KeywordsRadar Sponsorships• Newsletter Ads

• Online Ads

Email Campaigns• Email List Rental

• 150K+ Industry List

Marketing

Analytics

Targeted

Email

Marketing

RSS Enabled Content Engages Customers

Any Content

You Use Today

With Clients

Can be Shared

via RSS

Web

Analytics

Events

www.theindustryradar.com | jnail@theindustryradar.com | 404-418-5550

Web 2.0 Communication, SEO and Marketing Solutions

Googleability

RSS / Syndication

Subscribe / Share

Social Media / Connect

ROI / Measurement

Content

Engage Your Customers

Grow Your Business

About John Nail and The Industry RadarA lot of people have asked me how a “group insurance guy” got so engaged in technology. My first career was with Unionmutual/UNUM (17 years) n sales and management in NY, Chicago, Detroit, DC and as RMVP of the Northeast Region (PA to Maine). One of my roles as RMVP was as the technology liasion for our field sales and service teams.

After leaving UNUM I founded Employease (acquired by ADP in 2006) in the fall of 1995, the first true "software as a service"(SaaS) vendor. Our focus was on solving a basic business problem, managing employee HR, payroll and benefits data, not on building software. The Internet simply provided a better means for communicating and sharing information.

In 1998 Red Herring Magazine described me as a “technology geek trapped in a middle aged insurance man’s body”. The reality is that I am NOT a "technology" guy. I am a business person who understands how to use today's for technology to get results for organizations like yours.

Since 2000 I have worked with companies from all disciplines in the HR/Benefits "supply chain" including BenefitPoint and many others. During 2004/2005 while running Sales and Marketing at RealLife HR (acquired by Hewitt in 2007) I discovered the power of digital media and many of the tools we use today to deliver The Industry Radar to over 150,000 subscribers daily via email, RSS feeds and on the web.

Since entering the industry in 1975 my entire career has involved working with brokers and consultants around the nation . I understand what you do and the value you provide to your customers.

Let us help you use today’s technology tools to grow and build your business in today’s challenging economic environment.

John J. Nail CLUPrincipal

Copyright - July/2009 – The Industry Radar – All Rights Reserved