It's October 2010 and social media is all the rage. There are 500 million people on Facebook, 60 million on LinkedIn, and over 75 million on Twitter. Hollywood is even making movies and television shows about social media now, ("The Social Network" and "$h*! My Dad Says"), turning Internet CEOs into Rockstars.

Not wanting to be left out of the Internet revolution many insurance agencies have decided to create a Facebook Fan Page, Twitter account, and LinkedIn profile. Through maintaining a diligent presence on each social network, Agencies have begun accumulating hundreds of friends, followers and connections.

Now what?
Social media is not the golden goose. You may have realized that after you creating your social media presence and the phone didn't start ringing off the hook with qualified leads begging for you to provide them with a proposal. Fear not, all of the work you put in accumulating friends, followers and connections was not in vain. There is just a little more to be done before you can call these people clients.

Quite often, I hear from agency owners and decision makers that are very concerned with Social media's return on investment (ROI). I tell them all the same thing, in order to see the desired ROI for the time and money an agency puts into social media, producers have to move virtual relationships into the real world.

The insurance business has been done over the preverbal "cup of coffee" for decades. That doesn't change because of social media. Social media is a way to connect and communicate. But when it comes to setting up a comprehensive personal or business insurance program consumers still want the face-to-face connection they've had their entire lives. I am a firm believer that a relationship can only be taken so far online. The consumer wants to know that there is a living, breathing human behind the blog post or status update.

Facebook
Look through your list of Friends (also known as "likes" or "fans") on Facebook. Who is local that isn't currently a client? This is a group of people that has consciously decided to opt-in to your information. Find out who these people are and give them a call. It may not be a classic referral, but it is certainly not a cold call. See if they would like to meet you at the office to discuss their insurance.

Twitter
Keep an eye on the people that are Re-Tweeting (or re-posting) your posts on Twitter. Are any of these individuals or companies not currently client? When someone takes the time to redistribute your information you should view this as a referral or recommendation of your quality. Use a direct message or e-mail to invite these people to meet. Find out what this person likes about your information and why he or she is not doing business with you.

LinkedIn
Look at the LinkedIn groups that you are a part of. These are professionals who share a common interest with you. Is there a decision maker for your dream client in a group with you? LinkedIn is an online resume. Take a look at your prospects profile and get familiar with who they are and what they've accomplished. Then invite that person for a cup a coffee.

Offline relationships are where the rubber meets the road for insurance agents. We've been exploring businesses, visiting private residences, holding meetings at the office, and buying cups of coffee since our first days in the business, that doesn't change because of social media. Social media has just provided agents with new ways to communicate and prospect business.

Special Reports /

nGInsights: Move virtual relationships to the real world

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