PIA Minnesota Official Blog

PIA has a new and growing social media support center available to PIA members on the PIA Branding Program web page of PIA National's website. These resources include:
· archived social media webinars
· invitations to upcoming live webinars
· guidance on using free social media tools
· customizable social media policies for your agency
· a new hands-on guide to using LinkedIn to grow your agency
These tools and archived webinars are available exclusively to PIA members at www.piabrandingprogram.com.
The following webinar recordings are now available:
· Using LinkedIn and Twitter to Promote Your Agency. Aired live 2/18/15, featuring social media expert Ted Janusz.
· Developing Social Media Strategies for Your Agency for Bottom-Line Business Results - Not for Geeks! Aired live on 12/8/14, featuring social media expert Ted Janusz.
· Taking Control of Social Media and the Smartphone. Aired live on 10/27/14, featuring social media/insurance marketing guru Tom Wetzel.

PIA National's newly-redesigned monthly magazine, PIA Connection, was presented with the prestigious 2014 Gold MarCom Award by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). The annual international awards competition recognizes outstanding creative achievement by marketing and communication professionals.
"The MarCom Awards define the standard for excellence in marketing, advertising and branding," said PIA National Executive Vice President & CEO Mike Becker. "It is especially gratifying to have our publications recognized along with the best in all industries." PIA has also received MarCom awards in previous years in recognition of its publications as well as the PIA Branding Program.
Presentation of the 2014 MarCom Award recognizes the recent redesign of PIA Connection, with a new look that is cleaner, crisper and more contemporary. The magazine was expanded and its editorial focus broadened. PIA Connection celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2015. In addition, the PIA National Agency Marketing Guide received an Honorable Mention in the 2014 MarCom competition.

2014 PIA Agency Marketing Guide Now Available- The 5th edition of the PIA Agency Marketing Guide will soon be mailing to PIA members along with the current issue of PIA Connection magazine. PIA members who would like to read it now may access the digital edition at www.PIAAgencyMarketingGuide.com.
The 2014 PIA Agency Marketing Guide is part of an annual series published through the PIA Branding Program www.piabrandingprogram.com. This year’s publication focuses on the strategies and tactics that working agents are using successfully in markets across the country. It emphasizes their use of new technologies and how they are transforming their marketing efforts to take charge of their futures. These agents demonstrate how they are using new technologies to capitalize on the inherent strengths that local, independent insurance agents bring to customers.
“Like all business owners, PIA members want to feel confident that the time and money they allocate to new marketing efforts is well spent,” said PIA National President John G. Lee. “That’s why this year’s Agency Marketing Guide focuses more on real success stories told by agents. Because agents continue to have questions about social media—how to use it effectively, does it work—we made sure to talk to agents about their use of social media and have them share their successes and also some failures.”
In addition to discussing agents’ successful use of social media, the 2014 PIA Agency Marketing Guide provides eye opening tips for incentivizing and training employees, utilizing digital marketing tools, rethinking cross-selling and referral marketing, maximizing sales meetings and many other sales and marketing topics critical to the success of modern insurance agencies.
“PIA’s Agency Marketing Guide is full of practical advice that can benefit any agency,” said Alexi Papandon, vice president of marketing and affiliate relations for PIA National. “My hope is that every independent insurance agent will take some time to read it. Those who do will certainly come away with at least a few ‘aha’ ideas that will improve their agency marketing efforts and their bottom lines.”
To read the 2014 PIA Agency Marketing Guide as well as previous editions of the publication, PIA members should visit www.PIAAgencyMarketingGuide.com.
PIA National wishes to thank the sponsors of the 2014 PIA Agency Marketing Guide: Allied Insurance/Harleysville Insurance, EZLynx, ITC and Rough Notes.