It's been top-of-mind for many insurance agents these past fewweeks—no, not the Nationwide "I Died" Super Bowl ad— but Google's upcoming entry into the personal linesmarket.

And while this news brings anxiety, some agents say they aremore than prepared to tackle competition from the Internetgiant.

"Personally, I'm not afraid of Google entering the marketplace,"says Chris Paradiso, owner of Paradiso Insurance. "We have investedin the right processes and procedures and developed the rightmarketing strategy."

Part of this strategy is realizing that an independent agent isnot going to be able to compete with a Google search for autoinsurance, but will have an advantage on the local level. "Anindependent agent can't out-Google Google, but they can out-localGoogle," says Steve Anderson, insurance technology consultant.

Paradiso agrees. "One thing that Google doesn't have on all ofus is that we are local," he says.

So how can an agent out-local Google? Read on for five tips fromthe experts.

Redefine What 'Local' Means

"Local" is a flexible geographic space. For Paradiso and hisbusiness, that term expands beyond the agency's Stafford, Conn.,office to the entire state.

"We have invested in technology that makes it easy to dobusiness two hours away: We have a mobile app, Saturday hours,Docusign and more," he says. "If someone wants to do business withus, I don't want anything to stand in the way of that relationshipbeing born."

Jason Cass, owner of JDC Insurance Group in Centralia, Ill.,agrees.

"Whether it's 10 miles away or 60 miles away, if the agent hasthe product and can deliver value and a great customerexperience—then that customer would argue that that person is theirlocal agent."

Make Your Operations 24/7/365

Insurance buyers have strongly voiced their desire for aninsurance channel that is convenient for them, and Google presentsan efficient and convenient option.

"The challenge lies with an aging and somewhat lazy independentagent channel attempting to force its buyer to purchase in a waythat's convenient to the agent," says Tom Barrett, president ofSIAA MidAmerica Inc., the strategic insurance agency alliance.

So how does an agency provide around-the-clock service? Mobileapps and online quoting are two ways. Another is with a Web portal.A portal's most important element is functionality—clients need tobe able to interact with the agency. It shouldn't just be amarketing tool. Functional features include those that allowself-service, such as policy changes, claims assistance andproviding certificates of insurance.

Be Ready to Compete: The Time to Act is NOW

"I am puzzled why more agents didn't prepare [for Google as asource of competition]. We were all warned and saw it coming,"Paradiso says. "My concern is that if agencies don't invest time,effort and resources into their teams, processes and marketing willsuffer. We need to get our acts together so that my kids and theirkids know and understand why an independent agent is the way togo."

At Paradiso Insurance, the agency uses an automated e-mailmarketing system and a dedicated SEO consultant to get its name outto clients and prospects. The agency invests about 11% of its grossrevenues back into promoting its brand.

Unsure of what an automated e-mail marketing system entails?Read "Digital marketing: A new twist on a provenmethod."

Be a Friend Online

"The main difference between my agency versus Google," Paradisosays, "is that my people are trained very well and use social sitessuch as Pinterest to find commonality with our prospects andclients."

If an insured posts a photo of his or her new car on socialmedia, does Google "like" the photo? Can Google reply to that photowith winter safety tips, such as raising windshield wipers on aparked car during a snow storm? Despite all of Google's algorithmsand data collecting, the Internet giant cannot connect with itsinsureds in that way—but independent agents can.

Offer an Experience—Not a Service

A Google auto policy may sound cool, but just because it'ssimple and quick doesn't make it attractive, NU P&Ccolumnist Chris Amrhein wrote in his January article.

Although coverage can be bought and bound over the Internet,that doesn't mean that it should be treated as a commodity. Indeed,agents need to communicate why their value-added services andadvice help prospects and insureds, Anderson says. "A Personal AutoPolicy is not the same. A Geico policy or a Google policy, thereare significant difference there," and it's up to the independentagent to educate his or her prospects and insureds on thosedifferences.

From branding, to advertising, to prospecting, to communication,to quoting, to closing a proposal, to retention and finally tocross-selling, the experience that a client goes through is bothsocial and digital, Cass says. "Customer service is what the clientexpects—it's what they [initially] pay you for. But customerexperience—that's why they stay."