Web 2.0 Strategies for Service Providers

My goal as I set out to write today’s article was to spotlight a company using Web 2.0 tools that isn’t a household name. After all, it’s more challenging for lower profile businesses to build an online following than those who already possess a lot of juice. One business that hit my radar and caught my attention was AccuQuote Life Insurance. Why does AccuQuote stand out to me? Because they are attempting to integrate numerous Web 2.0 tools in their engagement strategies. While some of their individual strategies may need some tweaking, they’ve built a foundation using the key tools and that’s more than most service providers are doing.

What AccuQuote is doing well:

1. The AccuQuote blog does a good job of providing readers with a solid education about life insurance.
2. The blog’s sidebar contains easy-to-find links to AccuQuote’s presence on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, as well as the Linkedin profiles for key staff members.
3. Podcasts on the blog take the communication up a level from written word to audio.

AccuQuote is using these tools to:

• Build and maintain relationships
• Generate leads
• Manage their reputation
• Deliver valuable information
• Provide customer service

While AccuQuote has done a good job with getting equipped with these tools, they can improve the effectiveness of how they’re using the tools with a few tweaks:

1. Integrate their web and blog sites to enable readers a seamless experience and ability to access all pages from each.
   

   AccuQuote website banner

   

   AccuQuote blog banner

2. Expand their content strategies on Twitter beyond the topic of life insurance. Inspire their followers to engage by bringing some personal tweets into the mix.
   

   AccuQuote tweet stream

3. Do more with the Facebook Page than stream in blog articles. Get fans interested by sharing content that links life insurance to their lifestyle. Introduce resources from other well-respected sites and commit to maintaining a level of energy on the Page that attracts fans.
   

   AccuQuote Facebook Page

4. Keep the website links on staff Linkedin profiles current to ensure that profile viewers click through to the current web or blog site. With 39 million registered Linkedin users, Linkedin is a viable source for business development.

Would you like to share your experiences of what’s working to engage customers and prospects in your Web 2.0 strategies?