JKilian

The Power of E-tools

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“Virtual” problems of insurance companies

The digital world offers insurers many ways to reach and serve their customers. Opportunities for innovation will emerge as the number of devices increases and the culture of interactivity grows.

Delivering information cannot be easier now, than it is through online channels. First of all, as per insurers it is very efficient and scalable, as well as the easiest way to obtain information. Not only this, the complexity of insurance webpages allows users not only to get information about products and services, but it allows them already to buy a package, re-frame it, use it in case of emergency and complain about it to the company.

Digital Marketing seems to have a lot of advantages for insurers; however, firms are still struggling to develop an integrated approach to digital marketing that supports their business goals. Such an approach requires a combination of business understanding, marketing savvy and deep technology capabilities.

Carriers that develop an effective integrated digital marketing strategy can:

·Better acquire, service and retain customers.

·Gain insight into customer needs and offer targeted products.

·Support a larger multi-channel distribution strategy.

·Increase revenue and reduce costs.

Used effectively, integrated digital marketing can enable a carrier to build better customer relationships, grow market share and drive growth. From the research I have done on the combination of insurance companies, their policies and marketing, I have found several issues which are limiting heavy investments in online activities.

Some of them are:

§Price of insurance may be given as guide only - not binding

§Some insurance companies quote only by e-mail or phone

§Insurance policies issued online may be invalid in law in some countries

§Insurance may only apply to only one country - but is it yours?

§There are few global insurance brokers so far in terms of being able to offer for example auto cover in any territory with online application

§Difficult to get a one-click comparison of all policy premiums from different insurance companies, all with correct insurance data, and able to issue temporary cover immediately on payment of first insurance premium by credit card

§Sites offering quotes from many insurance companies rarely include the whole market - because some insurance companies are not prepared to pay them a commission. And that means the cheapest commission-free deals may not be on these insurance ”portals”

§The process of getting a quote online becomes frustrating as too many data are necessary to be provided to the website, which will very often lead you to another website where you will have to resubmit your data or fill another form!

§You have no guarantee that all the best insurance deals are being presented fairly. Are the commission rates the same? Is the website steering you towards insurance policies which give the broker the highest return? A good site will show you exactly how much of your insurance premium will go to the broker - indeed a legal requirement in some countries. Some companies accept processing of a credit card payment as proof of insurance cover. In other words, if the insurance company takes payment on a certain day, it will appear on your statement as proof that they have agreed the policy. However there is still a problem for the insurance company to be sure you are who you say you are, that your address is correct, that the details are accurate. This is particularly an issue with payouts for insurance claims.

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Does the future bear any challenges for the Web?

How many of you remember (and still crave for) the sound of your first connection with something called the Internet?

My first 28.8 kb/s analog, noisy, grating modem became the favorite part of my computer immediately. And there was a reason for it. Finally it would happen that I could send my best friend, who emigrated from Poland to the US, an e-mail. Watching the slowly loading stripe of a single message being sent through Microsoft Outlook was like observing a slowly happening miracle. The green tick appearing next to the notification “Message Sent” was filling me with pride and joy.

Over the years, and it was very interesting to observe how much people around, my life and the world have changed due to the rapid development of the Web. First impressions? Everything became easier, didn’t it? You can access any kind of data faster than within a blink, right? You carry the world in your pocket, don’t you?

All above true, we rarely think about the challenges or threads which can occur out of the sudden. Why would we, if it is so simple to open a browser and surf the pages? Let’s stop at least for a moment and ask yourself a question. Where is this all going? What are the next challenges, where and what will be the web over the coming years be like?

Microsoft’s survey, conducted in Europe in 2011 about how people react to the fast growth of the Web shows that one of the biggest concern affecting Internet users, is its content; not only in terms of its structure, or accuracy, but even its form and design. Another concern was related to browsing safety, privacy and social activity.

I slightly disagree with this order and think, that humanity will have a much greater concern in the coming years, which is a parallel challenge for web-content-designers, trendsetters and the Web in general, namely How to avoid social failure in real life?

Stop here for a moment, and ask yourself a simple question. How much time did I spend on social media, fun pages, forums and on-line in front of my screen yesterday? It’s weird, I know. But I examined my conscience too. Then I added the time I spent on sending e-mails, texting, skyping, and blogging to compare it to the little amount of time I spent interacting with people directly.

Why do we do this? Why instead of ‘stalking’ so often watching pictures and clicking on ‘like’ buttons do we not make more appointments in the real world to see the person reacting and interacting with us directly? It would be the same time spent, and how much more pleasure! Be aware of this. It’s an easy trap, with 900 million people exposed to it. Let’s just hope for the best and believe that the majority will avoid living a completely digitalized world in the next decade.

Second of all, I think the challenge is to protect privacy of individuals, businesses and organizations. Without it, ones browsing history only will be enough to determine who he or she is and will turn to be their new ID.

Last, but not least, I think that the danger of the web is hidden under the security tab of the Web…

To be continued

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Attention. People. The Web. Combine them and be successful in todays’ marketing world. About “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” by David Meerman Scott   By picking the book for the review I felt excited about The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott. Behind its cover, which summarizes its content in a glance, I expected advice around subjects I have gone through many times already: social media, news releases, online videos, or how to reach buyers. However, I needed to extend my knowledge about those subjects. I wanted to study something what I have not thought of before. Even though in other MBA classes and foremost in the real world all of us have examined more or less related marketing topics, I believe that David Scott’s book should be considered by each and every person who attempts to work in a digital marketing environment in order to take a new perspective of what Marketing and PR is all about. Before spending a couple of days with the book I did not think of finding myself surprised so many times while turning the book’s pages. This reading led me to guided ideas how to implement the content into marketing myself today and in future. Herewith I would like to share the most interesting insights I gained from David Scott’s book. The rapid development of new technologies and changing approaches to increase ones presence in the world runs on a string of a continuous decision making process. This, according to the book, involves three main factors: attention, people and the Web. Let’s consider attention first – the occurrence which is mainly thought of in terms of gaining it. The book asks the question how to generate better results in business with attention? Scott names four key factors for success in a company’s marketing landscape: 1.      Buy attention with advertising (via commercials, billboards, trade shows) 2.      Get attention from editorial gatekeepers (at radio, newspaper or TV) 3.      Have a team of salespeople generate attention one person at a time (via door to door marketing, personalized e-mail ads) 4.      Earn attention online by using digital marketing tools as social media (it’s free, so make use of it!) The process can only be complete when taking proper care of the human factor. The New Rules of Marketing magnifies many examples of how important people are in the marketing processes; not only in terms of a product delivery, but also in terms of marketing oneself. Marketing is not only about advertising and sales anymore; the rules have changed. People expect interaction, participation and not only propaganda via mainstream marketing to the masses. That is the reason why marketers need to shift their approach in order to reach out to underserved customers and meet their unmet needs via the Web. People cannot interact with a TV, they cannot influence the offering while scratching down comments on their morning newspaper, but they can tell appropriate people via the Web how to make the offering better, what they do not like about it and share their insights with a vast number of others. Interestingly, the book gives valuable advice on how the new rules of marketing apply to job search and how to stand out in the job market using social media. “You want to find a new job via social media? You have to stop thinking like an advertiser of a product and start thinking like a publisher of information. Create information that people want! What is directly related to this, is the development of a good style of writing which will allow to succeed in creating networks and showing partners, clients, or employers a thorough understanding of their needs. The third most important part of a successful marketing strategy is, as mentioned above, the Web. Without it, life would be inconceivable. The Web, however, bears many dangers which its creators must be aware of and prevent. The book emphasizes the importance of the content published on the Web and the necessity to design it towards and for buyers and readers, not about its designers. It is the content which drives action on websites, nevertheless it is often overlooked. The book gives advice to reflect potential customers in your website, and match their preferences regarding media and interactive content. While using social media, in example Facebook, the author underlines three ways to deliver information: friend-to-friend communication, groups and applications, and again, equalizes the key success factor with being a thought leader and developing information that people want to absorb. The information though needs to be easy to find, authentic and transparent, inviting and encouraging others to contact its creator, no matter if posted on Twitter, a blog, or a private homepage. Just after I have finished reading the book, I decided to begin changing the content of my website, personalize it more directly towards my visitors and readers than around myself. The book is helpful to understand the logic of actions which need to be taken in marketing approaches and was easy and fun to read. For sure I will be going back to this book and applying the advices I took from it to my marketing activities, and so should you do if you are a marketing fan or professional, no matter how advanced you are.

Attention. People. The Web. Combine them and be successful in todays’ marketing world.

About “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” by David Meerman Scott

 

By picking the book for the review I felt excited about The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott. Behind its cover, which summarizes its content in a glance, I expected advice around subjects I have gone through many times already: social media, news releases, online videos, or how to reach buyers. However, I needed to extend my knowledge about those subjects. I wanted to study something what I have not thought of before. Even though in other MBA classes and foremost in the real world all of us have examined more or less related marketing topics, I believe that David Scott’s book should be considered by each and every person who attempts to work in a digital marketing environment in order to take a new perspective of what Marketing and PR is all about. Before spending a couple of days with the book I did not think of finding myself surprised so many times while turning the book’s pages. This reading led me to guided ideas how to implement the content into marketing myself today and in future. Herewith I would like to share the most interesting insights I gained from David Scott’s book.

The rapid development of new technologies and changing approaches to increase ones presence in the world runs on a string of a continuous decision making process. This, according to the book, involves three main factors: attention, people and the Web.

Let’s consider attention first – the occurrence which is mainly thought of in terms of gaining it. The book asks the question how to generate better results in business with attention? Scott names four key factors for success in a company’s marketing landscape:

1.      Buy attention with advertising (via commercials, billboards, trade shows)

2.      Get attention from editorial gatekeepers (at radio, newspaper or TV)

3.      Have a team of salespeople generate attention one person at a time (via door to door marketing, personalized e-mail ads)

4.      Earn attention online by using digital marketing tools as social media (it’s free, so make use of it!)

The process can only be complete when taking proper care of the human factor. The New Rules of Marketing magnifies many examples of how important people are in the marketing processes; not only in terms of a product delivery, but also in terms of marketing oneself. Marketing is not only about advertising and sales anymore; the rules have changed. People expect interaction, participation and not only propaganda via mainstream marketing to the masses. That is the reason why marketers need to shift their approach in order to reach out to underserved customers and meet their unmet needs via the Web. People cannot interact with a TV, they cannot influence the offering while scratching down comments on their morning newspaper, but they can tell appropriate people via the Web how to make the offering better, what they do not like about it and share their insights with a vast number of others.

Interestingly, the book gives valuable advice on how the new rules of marketing apply to job search and how to stand out in the job market using social media.

“You want to find a new job via social media? You have to stop thinking like an advertiser of a product and start thinking like a publisher of information. Create information that people want!

What is directly related to this, is the development of a good style of writing which will allow to succeed in creating networks and showing partners, clients, or employers a thorough understanding of their needs.

The third most important part of a successful marketing strategy is, as mentioned above, the Web. Without it, life would be inconceivable. The Web, however, bears many dangers which its creators must be aware of and prevent. The book emphasizes the importance of the content published on the Web and the necessity to design it towards and for buyers and readers, not about its designers. It is the content which drives action on websites, nevertheless it is often overlooked. The book gives advice to reflect potential customers in your website, and match their preferences regarding media and interactive content. While using social media, in example Facebook, the author underlines three ways to deliver information: friend-to-friend communication, groups and applications, and again, equalizes the key success factor with being a thought leader and developing information that people want to absorb. The information though needs to be easy to find, authentic and transparent, inviting and encouraging others to contact its creator, no matter if posted on Twitter, a blog, or a private homepage.

Just after I have finished reading the book, I decided to begin changing the content of my website, personalize it more directly towards my visitors and readers than around myself. The book is helpful to understand the logic of actions which need to be taken in marketing approaches and was easy and fun to read. For sure I will be going back to this book and applying the advices I took from it to my marketing activities, and so should you do if you are a marketing fan or professional, no matter how advanced you are.

0 notes

Share ideas, content and thoughts

Social media provides the way people share ideas, content, thoughts, and relationships online. Social media differ from so-called ‘‘mainstream media’’ in that anyone can create, comment on, and add to social media content. Social media can take the form of text, audio, video, images, and communities.

The best way to think about social media:

- how those technologies and tools allow you to communicate directly with your buyers in places they are congregating right now.