It's official: the momentum behind social media is changingbusinesses one at a time and collectively.

Even though the direction is clearly being shaped outside theindustry, insurers are paying attention and some are taking boldsteps. The action surrounding social media goes well beyondFacebook, YouTube, and Twitter. The ultimate influence on thebusiness of insurance will be profound—and the impact, even today,is extending far beyond branding.

The technologies behind social media hold great promise for usein customer-facing applications and for making improvements insidethe insurance organization. These technologies offer new sales andservicing avenues, new methods for cultivating employeeprofessional development, new avenues for building teams, and willprovide valuable help in meeting staffing objectives.