2. LinkedIn is the largest professional networking
tool in the world. The social platform not only
allows you to connect with others in your
industry, but it is also a great way to put
yourself in front of consumers who may be
interested in buying a policy from you.

3. Here are nine ways for insurance agents to use
LinkedIn:

4. Attract connections through a well
optimized profile.
Your profile should include a
comprehensive title and summary. Just as
you would with your website, use
keywords that explain your business in
detail.

5. Note: The more comprehensive your
profile the better chance you have of
ranking high in the LinkedIn search engine.
Believe it or not, this is how many people
search for professionals throughout a
variety of industries.

6. Add a profile image.
LinkedIn profiles with an image are seen as
being more professional. If you have a LinkedIn
profile but have yet to upload your headshot,
there is no better time than now to do so.
This is a great way to add a personal touch to
your profile, allowing others to connect with
you on a deeper level. Also, an image also goes
a long way in helping you establish trust.
People like to put a name with a face.

7. Take advantage of groups.
Did you know that there is a LinkedIn
group for almost every type of
professional? In addition to general groups
for insurance agents, you will likely find a
few that are based on your particular
geographic region.

8. Can’t find what you are looking for?
Don’t be shy about taking the initiative
and starting your own group. When you
start a group you are in control of the
group. This allows you to use the platform
to your advantage.

9. Actively connect with those in your network.
It only takes a few minutes to send a connection
request to your current email contacts. The
same holds true for connecting with current
clients.
The more connections you have the better
chance there is of getting your name in front of
the right people. You never know who is going
to come across your profile and realize that you
may be able to help them with their insurance
needs.

10. Take full advantage of a company blog.
With each post that you write on your
blog, you can link to it from your LinkedIn
page. This may not sound like a big deal,
but soon enough you will find that your
connections, as well as others, are clicking
through to your website. Subsequently,
they are now in position to learn more
about your business and hopefully contact
you about your products and services.

11. Integrate your Twitter feed.
This is a great way to stay in front of your
connections and shed light to new efforts
without having to publish them across
both platforms.

12. Note: If your Twitter feed contains
business and personal content, LinkedIn
allows you to use a hash tag for posts you
want to appear on your profile. Be sure
to use this option to maintain a
professionally focused profile.

13. Post job listings when seeking new
talent.
LinkedIn has quickly become one of the
top recruiting tools on the internet. You
can search for prospective talent
manually or use the site’s job listing
options.

14. Add a link to your LinkedIn profile on
your website and your email signature.
This allows your website visitors,
prospects, and colleagues an opportunity
to learn more about you and your
company. It also provides as a source of
authority, trust, and social proof.

15. Use LinkedIn Ads to generate new
leads.
LinkedIn offers a pay-per-click ad network
that provides the ability to hyper target an
audience all the way down to one specific
person/profile.
This is a great way to target decision
makers that could net a high value group
health or commercial P&C sale.

16. If you don’t yet have a LinkedIn
profile, you should be more excited
than ever about creating one.

17. With more than 150 million users,
this is one of the most powerful
networking tools in the world.
Best yet, you never have to pick up
the phone or leave home to get
involved.

18. As you begin to learn more about
LinkedIn, you will find that tens of
thousands of agents are actively using
the service to their advantage.
By focusing on these tips, you can
have the best results for your time
investment.

19. Some insurance agents use LinkedIn
on a daily basis. Others only sign in
from time to time. Regardless of your
future plans, it all starts with creating
a profile.