Latest ACT Articles & Reports
Reality of Texting for Insurance Agencies
Agency consultant Pat Alexander provides some very helpful guidance to insurance agencies on how to best handle client text communications given the current state of technology--how to bring these communications into regular agency workflows and capture them within the agency management system.
A Millennial's Take on Social Media
Lauren Foy, a sophomore at the University of Rhode Island, provides a great window into the millennial generation's views and uses social media, by critiquing a recent Independent Agent article, "Marketing to Millennials." Foy makes a great case for why independent agencies should get involved with social media and enhance the experiences they provide to their clients by combining the strong personal relationships they offer with online tools, such as a functional website, social media and mobile apps.
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..
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.ACT Prototype Agency Information Security Plan
ACT developed this prototype security plan for agencies to use in developing their own written security plans customized to their own operations. This prototype plan also serves as a great checklist for agents to use in formulating their security program.
Click here for the PDF version of the ACT Prototype Agency Information Security Plan
Click here for the word version of 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.) 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.Also see "Quick Links" in gray shaded area at left for a full listing of ACT articles & reports by subject area | Upcoming Events & Recorded Webinars
October 22-23, 2012 ACT, AUGIE & E&S Joint Working Group Meetings (in conjunction with ACORD Implementation Forum)
Marriott Harbor Beach, Fort Lauderdale, FLOctober 22
12-1 PM ACT Lunch
1-5 PM ACT Meeting October 23
10 AM-12 PM AUGIE Meeting
Afternoon E&S Joint Working Group ACORD Implementation Forum continues until October 25 Click here for additional upcoming in-person ACT Meetings and Events Recorded Webinars, Podcasts & Sessions HIPAA-HITECH Requirements for Independent Agent "Business Associates"
(May 11 2012)
This recorded webinar and the accompanying slides provide a great roadmap for independent agents as to how to comply with HIPAA & HITECH, if they are acting as "business associates" under HIPAA, handling individually identifiable "Protected Health Information" while producing and servicing life or health insurance. This briefing was provided to ACT's HIPAA Work Group by Bob Chaput of Clearwater Compliance.
Click here for webinar recording
Click here for PDF of presentation slides Creating a Successful Agency Web Site (Recorded Webinar)
This webinar gives independent agencies a great roadmap and practical "how to" tips on creating successful agency web sites both for their current clients and to attract new business. This webinar was hosted by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas as part of its "Moving Your Agency Online" series and the session is presented by agency consultant Steve Anderson. The agency's web sites provide the anchor for an effective online presence and every agent will find this recording well worth his or her time. 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.
For information on upcoming live webinars, please click here (none currently scheduled)
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