KIA&B 2017 Vol. 22, No. 2 | Seite 6

| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ’ S PAGE |

What Members Need to Know

Trusted Choice , TrustedChoice . com and Agency Nation

L ike a good neighbor …”, “ You ’ re in good hands …”, “ You can save 15 % in 15 minutes ” – Each year exclusive and direct carriers spend billions in advertising and branding initiatives vying for a bigger share of the over $ 550B property / casualty marketplace . It ’ s been almost 15 years since the Big “ I ” national association endeavored to combat the marketing efforts of exclusive and direct carriers by creating the Trusted Choice consumer brand with the goal of capturing a greater share of the personal lines marketplace . Today , nearly 75 carriers partner with Trusted Choice to promote the brand and every member is able to take advantage of the resources Trusted Choice offers , including Trustedchoice . com and Agency Nation . This article will highlight some of the latest valuable resources from Trusted Choice that KAIA members of all sizes can benefit from .

• Digital Review of Websites / Social Media : Ever wonder how your website stacks up ? Free of charge the Trusted Choice team will perform a thorough review of your agency ’ s website , looking at key factors that influence visibility and usability . From search engine optimization ( SEO ) and blogs , to broken links and website analytics tools , the review will surely be eye-opening for your agency . Contact Madeleine . Stern @ iiaba . net and Demarcus . Johnson @ iiaba . net .
• Advertising materials : To promote your agency , members have access to a library of professionally produced and consumer-tested marketing and advertising materials . These are completely customizable and include print ads , direct mail templates , postcards , and television , radio and website ads . Be sure to check out the “ Why Use a TrustedChoice Agent ?” taggable , imagine video which is a great addition to any agents website . It is now also available in Spanish as well . Visit www . trustedchoice . com / agents .
• Graphic Design Services : Bringing big company resources to small town agents , Trusted Choice announced that members now have access to a full-time graphic designer on staff that stands ready to customize marketing materials for your agency . Reach out directly to Madeleine Stern at Madeleine . Stern @ iiaba . net to learn more .
• Marketing Reimbursement Program ( Co-op ): As an incentive for members to incorporate the Trusted Choice logo , the Big “ I ” will reimburse a portion of the expense to co-brand advertising and marketing materials and in creating / updating a digital presence . Specifically , members have the potential to get up to $ 750 ( 50 % of invoice amount ) for advertising collateral material and
DAVID HULCHER KAIA Executive Director
up to $ 500 for a digital upgrade ( websites , social media , or mobile app ) using a web developer or vendor . Contact Trusted . Choice @ iiaba . net for more information on the national reimbursement program and the application .
• TrustedChoice . com : A turn-key solution for members interested in generating more online customers . Having a digital presence can be daunting and TrustChoice . com has figured out the recipe for member agent search optimization generating opportunities for both personal and commercial referrals for members that subscribe . The monthly cost is $ 59 for personal , $ 89 for commercial , and $ 128 for both . Call ( 855 ) -372-0070 to learn more .
• Sales and Marketing Training : Trusted Choice has created training called “ The Power of 30 Seconds ” to improve the inbound sales skills of agency staff . Other training includes “ Advertising 101 ” which provides step-by-step instruction for creating an advertising plan . It ’ s all available by logging into www . trustedchoice . com / agents .
• Agency Nation : Looking for information on how to improve your agency ’ s digital marketing efforts ? Trustchoice . com has created www . agencynation . com which has articles , videos , and podcasts to help member agents connect with new customers and grow their businesses . There is both free and subscription services to marketing and sales education .
• Trusted Choice Disaster Relief Fund : The fund was established to assist agency staff and members of the community who have suffered losses due to natural and man-made disasters . It provides a vehicle for cash grants to help families get back on their feet . KAIA is grateful for the timely contributions that the Trusted Choice Disaster Relief Fund provided those families affected by the March wildfires in Western Kansas .
Take some time to review these resources available to your agency and be sure to share this article with staff . From the free marketing resources available from Trusted Choice , to the online referrals of TrustedChoice . com and Agency Nation ’ s content to help you grow the agency efficiently through digital marketing – I guarantee you will find value . Please call KAIA staff with questions - 800.229.7048 .
4 KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER | March - April 2017 |