Inside this month's issue:

Boost your agency’s credibility and visibility with a presence on LinkedIn.

A successful marketing program is vital to your long-term health. Get started building yours today!

Sometimes it’s necessary to end bad relationships—whether with clients, employees, or even colleagues.

Introducing RURL, EyeJot, ZoHo, and GoToMeeting—four more Web-based services that you may find useful.

In part four, learn to succeed at e-business by getting a workout buddy, a coach, an exercise group, and schedule.

Not all information on the Internet is free to use. Find out what’s fair to use and what’s not.

Getting ready to move? Take note of some “lessons learned” before you travel too far down the wrong path.

Texting raises millions for Haiti; preparing for next data explosion; top desired features for future cell phones.

Do you know what your clients think of you? If not, discover multiple ways to create quick and easy customer surveys.

February 2010

Editorial

Steve Anderson

Create a Marketing System

Over the last few months, I've been working on a new marketing program for personal lines and small commercial business. (The personal lines program is scheduled to be released on May 1). As a result, I've been thinking a lot lately about how important a successful marketing program is for an agency's long-term health.

It seems as though agencies are beginning to understand how important marketing should be, based on the phone calls I'm receiving asking for help. The Internet really is changing how consumers research and purchase insurance. Yet even with the game-changing nature of the Internet, basic marketing principles still apply. Here are a few thoughts to help you begin strategizing about how you can develop a marketing program or enhance your existing programs.

Measure everything: Wasteful marketing can be a real drain on an agency's budget. Before you start any type of marketing, establish a way for you to measure the success, or failure, of each marketing strategy and tactic.