Why do I dislike these two tasks so much?  Simple answer – they are both painful experiences!

Very rarely now does the customer deal with a third party

The internet started the revolution of connecting people with products and that was bought alive by the trading platforms such as eBay and Amazon which facilitate the direct relationship between consumer and seller.

20 years in minibus insurance...

1995. What a year… Amazon sold its first book, Ebay set up shop online, ‘Toy Story’ was the first computer-animated film, Robson & Jerome were topping the pop charts with ‘Unchained Melody’, and PC users were clamouring to get their hands on Windows 95.

It seems there is no chance that the M&A market for insurance intermediaries will slow down anytime soon.

When Marsh agreed to pay close to 15x EBITDA for Jelf it was clear that the appetite for insurance brokers remains very healthy. It's an interesting move for Marsh as they signal a dramatic move into the SME market and I fully expect Marsh to support further acquisitions into the Jelf business.

Since starting my own SEO and PPC agency in January, I get asked all kinds of questions about digital marketing – How do I get my site on page 1 tomorrow? This person says they’ll do the same thing for half the price. Why should I trust you?

For those that aren’t involved in digital marketing on a daily basis, the premise of getting your company on to page one of Google can seem like dark arts or black magic.

I’m told that, apparently, no-one really chooses a career in insurance.  It’s an industry that most people just seem to fall into at different stages of their life.  My own experience would suggest that this is indeed the case.

With 20 years’ experience in marketing and managing small businesses, mainly in the IT and software arena, I’ve just found myself celebrating my first year in insurance, at business insurer QBE. 

OK, this may seem like on odd question to pose on a site hosting hundreds of clips from dozens of insurers, viewed by thousands in the industry, so there’s an element of preaching to the converted here.

But elsewhere in the market, there’s still some hesitancy about video’s place in marketing strategies. Even among the biggest players, there are a few who have yet to take the plunge or barely dipped a toe in the water.

Those of you that have worked in the insurance industry for a long period of time will remember the days that customers used to come visit your branch to arrange their insurance policies.  This would usually include filling out paperwork (by hand!) and potentially even calling up and talking to actual human beings in order to arrange a policy.

With the growing realisation amongst more enlightened insurance marketers that good old advertising has its limitations, many are looking to produce ‘Thought Leadership’ articles around hot topics that seek to educate and inform both existing and potential customers. 

Insurance information everywhere – What to read, what to read, what to read…

If clients don’t like or are uninspired by the headlines you give your insurance marketing material they will not read your content no matter how wisdom laden and clever it is.