Social Media Is Shaping Purchase Behaviors. Are You On Board Online?

It is no secret that customers’ expectations and purchase behaviors have been influenced by online retail giants like Amazon and Google, and the importance of having a digital presence has become increasingly important in today’s business landscape. Customers want to engage with brands that are innovative, service-driven and relatable to their personal beliefs.

Four in 10 Gen Xers and over half of Millennials are likely to check recommended advisors for a social media presence.* *Life Happens and LIMRA, 2018 Insurance Barometer Study

A recent LIMRA MarketFacts article (Number 4, 2019) by Nancy Harhut, titled Behavioral Science as a Marketing Tool, states “when people are uncertain of which decision to make, they often look to others – particularly others like themselves – and follow their lead.” Social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn offer an opportunity to be there when potential clients look to others for reviews. It’s not only about creating an online digital presence, but also gaining insight into a community’s opinions of products, services and even sales professionals.

These are just a few reasons why social media can be so powerful to promote a business, and if you’re not already nurturing leads through social media, you should seriously consider doing so.

People want to be treated like people at every touchpoint with your business–even online. Use social media to enhance a service experience, to simplify a process or to add convenience. Post content that adds value to your business to keep them coming back for more. Since social media interactions are on display for an entire community to see, great customer reviews become referrals that can be simply seen and simply shared.

Customers want to feel a connection with your product, service or cause. People engage with brands that are relevant and similar to their personal beliefs, and effective storytelling drives people to take action! By doing this you won’t just gather one-and-done customers. You’ll build brand loyalty by connecting the right people with your business.

The beauty of social media is that it offers analytics about your customer that can help guide your sales strategies going forward. Using metrics from social media may trigger privacy law protections. Be sure to know your customer’s state privacy law protections before using metrics. Customers also want to engage on their terms, so meeting them online is crucial to your marketing plans.

Worksite Is Our Fast-Growing Product Line. Make it Yours, too!

In today’s evolving job market, employers are exploring ways to provide more to their employees that will help their business attract and retain talent without affecting their bottom line. That’s why Worksite is an attractive option to middle market business owners and their employees.

It’s our fast-growing product line that can help you expand your business. To maintain its momentum, we introduced a new Worksite Term Life product to our portfolio last Fall, and there is more to come in 2020 - so stay tuned!

We offer a wide array of free sales tools on our Resource Library’s Agent Forum to educate and help you promote our 5 Worksite products as a program that complements any employer’s benefit package!

Meet Sarah!

She’s a service-driven member of our worksite sales team who’s here to help you sell! To get started, she recommends a few of our most popular sales tools.

 

"Our quick reference guide gives you product specs at-a-glance and this flyer offers a nice overview to introduce Worksite to your clients!"

A8042

C8111

These flyers and more are also available on our Agent Forum’s Resource Library.

Ask me for these sales tools today!

(800) 437-7355, ext. 782
Worksite@IllinoisMutual.com

Prepare Now for Insure Your Love in February!

February is approaching and it’s a time when many think about ways to show how much they care about their loved ones. So many of the biggest moments of our lives are accompanied by a promise made. For many of these moments, life insurance can be the way to help make sure it’s a promise kept.

Illinois Mutual is once again celebrating Insure Your Love*, an industrywide awareness campaign promoting the importance and power of proper insurance planning. Take advantage of this great opportunity to help your clients understand that protecting those who matter most with life insurance is the best way to say “I love you!”

There’s no better way for your clients to show how much they care than with an insurance plan that will protect their families if the unexpected were to happen. We have created marketing materials ranging from planning guides and postcards to stuffers and pre-approach letters to help you deliver the Insure Your Love message to your clients this February.

Contact your Life Sales team to learn more and determine if you are eligible!

(800) 437-7355, ext. 775
LifeSales@IllinoisMutual.com

Take Advantage of Our Recent DI Underwriting Enhancements

Our disability income insurance (DI) underwriters work hard to position you for sales success. That’s why we continue to make updates that really matter, so you can make better offers to meet your clients’ needs. Understanding our underwriting requirements can help equip you to create better customer experiences, too!

Take a Look at these Improved DI Advantages:

• Better options for part-time workers!
  • Expanded maximum benefits periods to 5 years or less! (previously 2 years or less)
• Increased maximum benefit for Farmers/Ranchers! (with acreage/herd size guidelines)
• Updated height and weight chart guidelines!
  • More eligible DI prospects fall within these parameters.
• More occupations are eligible for DI than ever before!
• More W-2 employee occupations are eligible for class upgrades, too!
• Table ratings with expanded eligibility for optional riders!

NEW! Updated Non-Med Limits

• Abbreviated paramed blood profiles for benefit amounts of $3,001+
• Full paramed exam no longer required as a routine age and amount requirement above $5,000

 

A9581, Available on our Agent Forum’s Resource Library

Compliance Corner:

Compliance Reminders for 2020

As a new year gets under way, we would like to take this opportunity to provide a few reminders to you, our valued agent.

Use Approved Advertising Materials in Social Media

When we think about advertising needing prior approval, social media advertising campaigns may be overlooked. Social media advertising is subject to the same rules as other advertising. We encourage you to use social media as it is proving to be an effective advertising channel. And to assist you in your social media advertising, Illinois Mutual’s Facebook page has pre-approved posts which can be shared without prior approval! As with other forms of advertising, if you are not using the pre-approved marketing materials available to you at no charge in the Agent Forum or on Facebook, just submit the social media piece to our Marketing, Communication & Research Department (MCR) for review and approval. For more information, contact Dave White at (800) 437-7355, ext. 305.

Keep AML Training Up to Date

If you sell life insurance products – or want to start! – it’s important to stay current with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules. Illinois Mutual requires that agents doing business with us complete an approved course at least once every three years. For more information about getting AML training through LIMRA at no cost to you, contact Agent Contracting and Commissions at (800) 437-7355, ext. 332.

Combat Insurance Fraud

We want to keep our products affordable for your clients and potential clients. One way you can help us achieve that goal is by helping us combat fraud, which is costly to the insurance industry and in turn leads to higher costs for consumers. If you suspect insurance fraud has occurred, contact Emily Wilburn at (800) 437-7355, ext. 436 or your state insurance department.

Remember, you can always contact your Home Office Sales Team if you have questions related to Illinois Mutual business practices. And if you ever have concerns that you would prefer to discuss confidentially, call the Illinois Mutual Hotline at (800) 437-7355, ext. 447.

Mutual Updates

Enter our Moments Matter photo contest in February!

Helping support communities through our time, talents and resources is at the heart of our core beliefs, and we want to encourage others to do the same! With everyone doing their small part, together we can enrich our communities to be better places to work, play, and live.

That’s why we are hosting Moments Matter, a contest inviting our friends and neighbors (including our agents, policyowners, retirees and employees) to submit a photo capturing a special “moment that matters” in their life. Is it an endearing time captured with family or friends or an amazing view of a majestic landscape from a special vacation? Contest winners will have a donation made on their behalf to an eligible charity of their choice.

Watch for more details coming soon!

Living Our Mission: Investing in Employees’ Dreams

Creative Pool Builders owner Stephen Wright sees offering worksite products as part of retaining and standing by his employees. “If something happened to one of them, it would be horrendous if they lost their salary. They have homes, families and responsibilities.”

Wright says he feels secure with Illinois Mutual products. “I actually asked my agent to get me the best company that I could trust.” Knowing the way that he cares about his employees, many of whom are his family members, agent Caroline Wright felt a long-standing, family oriented company with products that can be tailored to the needs of the business owner was a good match.

Want your story featured here?

Contact us today at (800) 437-7355, ext. 775 for Life; ext. 719 for DI; ext. 782 for Worksite

Stephen Wright - Policyowner