FYI Express - July 2015 by FYI Express

More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

EXPRESS “What You Don’t Know Can’t Help You!” … Eddie K. Emmett, Editor / Publisher

Turn Your Vacation into a Tax Deduction Compliments of Spencer Hostetter, CPA http://www.shostetterllc.com You must have at least one business appointment before you leave in order to establish the "prior set business purpose" required by the IRS. Keeping this in mind, before he left for his trip, Tim set up appointments with business colleagues in the various cities that he planned to visit.

In This Edition Turn Your Vacation into a Tax Deduction .................................... 1 How to do a background check on an employee, tenant, or just the person next door ................. 7 Just because it's true in Texas doesn't make it true in Montana. ................................................... 10 How safe is your workplace? .. 10 Do CSRs need to be licensed?12 8 Steps to the Ultimate Online Visibility..................................... 14

Special “How-To” PDF

Tim, who owns his own insurance agency, decided he wanted to take a two-week trip around the US. So he did--and was able to legally deduct every dime that he spent on his vacation. Here's how he did it. 1. Make all your business appointments before you leave for your trip. Most people believe that they can go on vacation and simply hand out their business cards in order to make the trip deductible. Wrong.

Let's say Tim is an insurance agent looking to expand his business and distribute more of his products through independent insurance agents. One possible way to establish business contacts--if he doesn't already have them--is to place advertisements looking for independent insurance agents in newspapers in each location he plans to visit. He could then interview those who respond when he gets to the business destination. Example: Tim wants to vacation in Hawaii. If he places several advertisements for agents, or contacts some of his downline agencies to perform a presentation, then the IRS would accept his trip for business. Continued on page 2

FYI Express

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July 2015

More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

Going on Vacation Continued from page 1 Tip: It would be vital for Tim to document this business purpose by keeping a copy of the advertisement and all correspondence along with noting what appointments he will have in his diary. 2. Make Sure your Trip is All "Business Travel." In order to deduct all of your on-the-road business expenses, you must be traveling on business. The IRS states that travel expenses are 100 percent deductible as long as your trip is business related and you are traveling away from your regular place of business longer than an ordinary day's work and you need to sleep or rest to meet the demands of your work while away from home. Example: Tim wanted to go to one of the seminars presented by FYI Express in Atlanta, which is only a one-hour drive from his home. If he were to sleep in the hotel where the meeting will be held (in order to avoid possible automobile and traffic problems), his overnight stay qualifies as business travel in the eyes of the IRS. Tip: Remember: You don't need to live far away to be on business travel. If you have a good reason for sleeping at your destination, you could live a couple of miles away and still be on travel status. 3. Be sure to deduct all of your on-the-roadexpenses for each day you're away. For every day you are on business travel, you can deduct 100 percent of lodging, tips, car rentals, and 50 percent of your food. Tim spends three days meeting with potential brokers. If he spends $50 a day for food, he can deduct 50 percent of this amount, or $25. Tip: The IRS doesn't require receipts for travel expense under $75 per expense--except for lodging. Example: If Tim pays $6 for drinks on the plane, $6.95 for breakfast, $12 for lunch, $50 for dinner, he does not need receipts for anything since each item was under $75. Tip: He would, however, need to document these items in your diary. A good tax diary is essential in order to audit-proof your records. Adequate documentation includes amount, date, place of meeting, and business reason for the expense. Example: If, however, Tim stays in the Bates Motel and spends $22 on lodging, will he need a receipt? The answer is yes. You need receipts for all paid lodging.

Tip: Not only are your on-the-road expenses deductible from your trip, but also all laundry, shoe shines, manicures, and dry-cleaning costs for clothes worn on the trip. Thus, your first dry cleaning bill that you incur when you get home will be fully deductible. Make sure that you keep the dry cleaning receipt and have your clothing dry cleaned within a day or two of getting home. 4. Sandwich weekends between business days. If you have a business day on Friday and another one on Monday, you can deduct all on-the-road expenses during the weekend. Example: Tim makes business appointments in Florida on Friday and one on the following Monday. Even though he has no business on Saturday and Sunday, he may deduct on-the-road business expenses incurred during the weekend. 5. Make the majority of your trip days count as business days. The IRS says that you can deduct transportation expenses if business is the primary purpose of the trip. A majority of days in the trip must be for business activities; otherwise, you cannot make any transportation deductions. Example: Tim spends six days in San Diego. He leaves early on Thursday morning. He had a seminar on Friday and meets with distributors on Monday and flies home on Tuesday, taking the last flight of the day home after playing a complete round of golf. How many days are considered business days? All of them. Thursday is a business day since it includes traveling - even if the rest of the day is spent at the beach. Friday is a business day because he had a seminar. Monday is a business day because he met with prospects and distributors in pre-arranged appointments. Saturday and Sunday are sandwiched between business days, so they count, and Tuesday is a travel day. Since Tim accrued six business days, he could spend another five days having fun and still deduct all his transportation to San Diego. The reason is that the majority of the days were business days (six out of eleven). However, he can only deduct six days' worth of lodging, dry cleaning, shoe shines, and tips. The important point is that Tim would be spending money on lodging, airfare, and food, but now most of his expenses will become deductible. To make sure that you can legally deduct your vacation when you combine it with business, call our office before you plan your trip. Phone: (678)382-0444

FYI Express

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July 2015

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Someone in your organization irritated your customer. The customer left angry or upset. Maybe the customer was less than friendly and was difficult. Maybe the customer was too demanding or had unrealistic expectations. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. The customer left unhappy.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES: THE FALLOUT FROM BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE

Someone might say, “Well, it was just one customer.” Well that way of thinking is so last century! First, do you really want to lose a customer? And, if you did, is just one customer an acceptable loss? But it hardly ever turns out that way. It used to be, depending on what statistics you looked at, that the average customer who was unhappy might tell eight to twelve people about the negative experience. That’s bad news, but there is even worse news. 13% of unhappy customers would tell 20 or more. Now, maybe you can afford to lose one customer, although I’ll argue that you really shouldn’t think that way. But, are you willing to part with the eight or more customers that may stop doing business or choose not to try you because of one customer’s amplified message of dissatisfaction? I don’t think so. However, as I mentioned, this is so last century. It was in the year 2000 that Trip Advisor began serving up travel related content and reviews on the Internet. Not that many years later, in 2004, Yelp was born. These were early forms of social media. In the past three to five years the concept of socializing reviews of companies, their products and their services, has become common. Which leads us to the concept of unintended consequences. Continued on page 6

FYI Express

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July 2015

More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

Unintended Consequences Continued from page 4 The stats on complaining customers just mentioned are no longer valid. With Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites, the customer’s voice is louder than ever. Customers turn to the social channels to broadcast their likes and, unfortunately, their dislikes to their connections. Ultimately, that could be millions of people. The unintended consequence of not managing your customer’s experience can turn into much more than one or even a few lost customers. So, consider this a reminder or a wake-up call to manage each and every customer as if they will publicly review you. One simple technique is to ask yourself one of my favorite questions, which ties into building repeat business:

Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is a customer service expert, hall-of-fame speaker and New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. He works with organizations to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. He is also the creator of The Customer Focus, a customer service training program that helps organizations develop a customer service culture and loyalty mindset. For more information contact (314) 692-2200 or www.Hyken.com

Is the interaction that I’m having with the customer right now good enough get the customer to come back and do business with us the next time they need what we do or sell? If the answer is YES, then you don’t have to worry about any negative unintended consequences. Copyright ©MMXV, Shep Hyken – www.Hyken.com

FYI Express

www.Georgia-Agents.com

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July 2015

More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

Labor Department’s 6-Part Test for Classifying Employees, Independent Contractors The issue of employee or independent contractor has been the root cause of many problems (and probably some additional premiums on some WC policies) over the years. There is no doubt that it has also found its way into an E&O claim from time to time. The attached well done article that appeared on insurancejournal.com on July 16th should serve as a great resource for agents and their customers on this key issue.

Insurer May Rescind Policy from Inception if Issued Based On False Answers to Insurance Application Questions As hopefully every agent realizes, the answers to the various questions on applications are extremely important. When those answers are not correct, the insurer has some options that can be very worrisome for agents and clients alike. The attached article written by Richard B. Wolf (a partner in the Los Angeles office of the nationwide law firm of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP) addresses many interesting perspectives that agents need to clearly and totally understand.

Continue Reading Labor Department’s 6-Part Test for Classifying Employees, Independent Contractors

Continue Reading Insurer May Rescind Policy from Inception if Issued Based On False Answers to Insurance Application Questions

How to do a background check on an employee, tenant, or just the person next door 4 sales pitches every insurance agent should know

It's great to hire new employees and expand your business, but it can be a nightmare if you hire the wrong person. What if they have a drug problem, recent felony or bench warrant? (Yes, I've had to turn down potential employees for all these reasons!)

By James Dougherty, CIC The sales approach can't be limited to one style, one pitch. A producer has to adapt to the client's needs to be successful.…Read more

. FYI Express

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July 2015

More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

Policy checking: an important agency responsibility If an agency were to list all of the various duties that they need to perform and then rank them, I would be very curious where on the list “policy checking” would be. My gut feeling is that this task would be in the bottom third. In some agencies, I am not sure that policy checking would even appear on the list. There are a few thoughts on why this task does not get the attention it deserves: - Possibly, there is a perspective that the policies are perfect so why bother checking them. Although many agencies feel that the quality of the policy issuance has improved, these same agencies will tell you that mistakes are occurring and that some of the mistakes are extremely significant. Issues like locations or vehicles being left off, or incorrect named insureds have occurred. - Possibly, some may believe that if the company made the mistake, then at the end of the day, the company is responsible. One could contend that this is a valid position for year 1 but not after that.

- Possibly, there is the position that it is up to the customer to catch the error and advise the agency. While there is a duty in most states for the customer to read the policy, I am not sure to what degree courts will make the customer responsible for not catching a mistake in the policy. When some agencies get really backed up in their policy checking, I have seen where the policies get mailed with a letter that states something to the effect of “Here is your policy. Please understand that we have not checked it”. Personally, I would be embarrassed to send a note like this. Agents need to understand that not only is policy checking very important, it is also appropriate that it be done in a prompt manner and the policy should not be mailed until it has been checked. There are a variety of approaches to note in the file that the policy has been checked. Some agencies use a checklist that is completed and saved in the system while I have seen others that use a “policy checked” stamp that indicates who checked it and when. Simply noting in the system with some type of activity code that the policy was checked is okay but not preferable to either of the two options just mentioned. More E&O Tips at http://www.agentseotips.com

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July 2015

Go to www.EandOQuote.com for more information

More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com The court case cited in this IN ACTION is from Texas. It has a very specific rule about intoxication in the workplace. An employee who is intoxicated is not eligible for benefits. The argument in this case was that the employee may have had

If you have the knowledge to see the problem, you will also have the ability to discover the solution.

traces of cocaine in his body at the time of the accident, but

The Producer Online IN ACTION is a monthly reminder of how you can turn the knowledge gained from The Producer Online into powerful sales opportunities.

use vary by state and it is very important that insureds

Ricardo and Victor sustained serious injuries following an electrical explosion at work. Victor received workers compensation benefits but Ricardoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s benefits were denied because traces of cocaine were found in his system.

Click here to review the PF&M analysis of the Workers

there was no outward indication that he was actually intoxicated. The laws about intoxication and drug and alcohol understand that coverage or lack of coverage that may apply in one state may not apply in theirs.

Compensation and Employers Liability Insurance Policy.

Who is abusing? According to testimony in this case, Ricardo used the drug on

Yes to drugs. No to impairment

a Tuesday and the accident occurred on Friday. Ricardo did not act or appear to be intoxicated, according to the various witnesses. Many individuals who use drugs are able to mask signs of intoxication. Many employers are now turning to outside firms to help them determine which of their employees are currently using drugs. However, and even more importantly, they are attempting to screen prospective employees so they do not hire any that may abuse drugs. Ricardo and Victor were both injured when an electrical

Click here for an article form Rough Notes Magazine that

explosion occurred. Both were taken to the hospital and

discusses pre-screening methods to prevent hiring problem

treated. However, Ricardo was denied workers compensation

employees.

benefits because the hospital found evidence of cocaine use during a routine urinalysis it conducted in conjunction with his treatment. Click here to see how the courts reacted to the insurance company's denial.

Just because it's true in Texas doesn't make it true in Montana.

How safe is your workplace? The employer is responsible for worker safety on the premises and at job sites. Effective pre-screening and follow-up drug testing can help keep employees safe. However, while drug use is a safety concern, there are many other areas that employers should consider. Click here for a series of emarketing articles you could put on your website or include in your newsletter to encourage your clients to take some simple steps to protect their employees.

FYI Express

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July 2015

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More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

EXPRESS “What You Don’t Know Can’t Help You!” … Eddie K. Emmett, Editor / Publisher

Do CSRs have to be licensed? Do CSRs have to be licensed? The answer is “Yes” if: The CSR is a person who sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance. The CSR receives commission on insurance sales. The CSR handles endorsements and reinstatements. The CSR gives quotes for insurance. The CSR completes insurance applications. The CSR handles renewals. The CSR answers coverage questions. So just what can an unlicensed CSR do? Mostly managerial and clerical tasks only indirectly related to the above tasks. I’m not so sure they can even take payments since that is a vital part of insurance sales. Check out O.C.G.A. § 33-23-4 in the “Laws & Regs” link at the bottom right corner of www.GAInsurance.org for a more murky explanation. So what should an unlicensed CSR do? If they are handling only Personal Lines P&C, a Limited Subagent license should do the trick. The sponsor is responsible for their actions, a state exam is not required and they can take the required 20 hour pre-licensing course from the comfort of their desks for only $79.00 at www.Georgia-Agents.com.

The Georgia Department of Insurance encourages the insuring public to report any complaints about insurers, agencies and agents. The first thing checked is whether or not the person in the complaint is properly licensed for that transaction. Here’s the scenario if the CSR is found to be in violation of O.C.G.A. § 33-23-4: Any person who willfully violates this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to punishment as provided in Code Section 17-10-3, relating to punishment for misdemeanors. Code Section 17-10-3: By a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 or by confinement in the county or other jail, county correctional institution, or such other places as counties may provide for maintenance of county inmates, for a total term not to exceed 12 months, or both. That applies to the CSR, the agency owner, and the insurance companies who paid commissions to unlicensed entities. I wonder if they assign adjoining jail cells.

www.Georgia-Agents.com

It gets even better than that! CSRs may study the 20 hour Limited Subagent course, take an exam and download a Certificate of Achievement for free. It serves as great refresher training on Personal Lines such as auto, home and renter’s insurance. But if the CSR handles lines other than Personal Lines, a full blown agent’s license is required.

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Check it out at www.FYIExpress.com or www.Georgia-Agents.com

7/7/2015

Google will soon be offering to compare and sell auto insurance. Type “Google Compare” in your browser and read the bad news. You can’t “Out-Google” Google but you can “Out-Local” Google.

And all of it is free.

The “How” behind the “Wow!”

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8 Steps to “Out-Local” Google

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8 Create a Facebook for Business Page Facebook for Business Facebook Advertising Facebook Videos Guerilla Marketing

8 Steps to “Out-Local” Google

7 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Consistent Client Communication Send “Thank You” e-mail to every client / quote What Brady Should Have done Gather e-mail addresses from everyone Sign Up for free e-Newsletters for inspiration / ideas Costs nothing but your time Create series of e-mails on specific insurance product Establish follow-up e-mail program: www.MailChimp.com Follow guidelines for CAN-SPAM Act

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7/7/2015

Why are online reviews worth the effort? There’s one reason that towers above the others: Reviews are the main way to build a solid reputation online.

You may know that already. But “reputation” is a vague term most people don’t define. I’m referring to two main benefits: If you have a good reputation (1) someone other than you is explaining why you’re good, and (2) potential customers can read the reviews and form an opinion as to whether you’re a good fit for them.

8 Steps to “Out-Local” Google

Virtual Reputation Management: Reviews

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21 ways to get Online Customer Reviews http://www.localvisibilitysystem.com/2012/04/13/21-ways-to-getcustomer-reviews-the-ultimate-list

Respond quickly to all reviews by setting up Google Alerts Set up Google Alerts for your agency: http://www.google.com/alerts

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It may seem odd, but one huge factor in your Google+ Local rankings has to do with your listings on other sites - particularly online business directories.

Every time you’re listed on one of those sites, you’ve got what’s called a “citation.” Citations are important because, to Google, they are “mentions” of your business on sites that Google generally trusts to have accurate info on local business. Any time the name, address, and phone number of your business are published online together, that’s a citation.

8 Steps to “Out-Local” Google

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In order to gain the most out of your business’s website and other online materials you will want to sign your company up for listings in the following online directories:

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Local.com- Free Foursquare-Free LinkedIn- Free Angie’s List.com- Free to claim a business • Manta.com- Free • Kudzu- Free • BONUS! Facebook PageFree • • • •

Why Do Agency Management Systems Cost So Much? QuikFuzion asked the same question. After all…computers, hardware, software and broadband costs have all dropped over the years….so why do the agency management systems keep increasing in price? Let’s face it….some of the large agency management system vendors have been bought and sold so many times over the years, it’s really hard to keep track who really owns them anymore. Every time they are sold again, the new buyer wants to increase revenue. You guessed it! Just keep raising the prices to the agencies again. At what point, is enough is enough?

Announcing AJUNT!

(Pronounced agent…well…almost!)

Leading technology, a fresh approach, a clean start and simply priced.

Complete with that new car smell and fun to drive! For more information about this exciting agency platform, please visit us at www.QuikFuzion.com or: Call us Toll Free at: (855) EZ TO USE (855) 398-6873

Check Out The AJUNT Features! 

Cloud Based 24/7



Mobile Ready



Role Based



CRM



Carrier Download



Document Management

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E-Signature



Introducing Workspace

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Introducing The Stream

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Introducing Pinboard

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Take Payments/Receipts

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Reports/Executive Report Dashboard

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Letters/Notes/Alerts



Notices and Offers

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Social Integration And a lot more!

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Free “How to Claim Top Listings” Download this 83 page PDF It has everything you need to claim your online listings: • Screenshots • Embedded Hyperlinks • Easy Explanations • Suggestions for content

www.Georgia-Agents.com

2 Claim Your Local Search & Citations It doesn’t do any good to have the Perfect Website if no one knows your agency exists!

8 Steps to “Out-Local” Google

Classes Growing Fast in the SUN www.sunins.com

ARTISAN

BOP

LESSOR’S RISK

POOL CONTRACTORS

AUTO REPAIR/ SERVICE

CONVENIENCE STORE

MEDICAL CLINICS

RESTAURANTS

BEAUTY/BARBER/BODY

DAYCARE

PET CARE

VACANT

Online rating and submissions now available at www.sunins.com

For More Information, Contact Standard Underwriters Network Directly at 678.498.4800 Corporate Office : P.O. Box 105609, Atlanta, Georgia 30348-5609 • PH: 678.498.4800 • TF: 800.365.1727 • FX: 678.498.4808 Internet: www.SUNins.com • Email: info@siuins.com • Hours: 8:15am - 6:00pm EST

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Google Search for “Car Insurance in Dallas, TX”

http://www.localvisibilitysystem.com

Where do you show up in your local area?

LOCAL SEARCH: The Best Web Marketing Strategy in the World Google Local – The What, The Why, The How • 97% of consumers use the Internet to shop locally • 90% of online searches start with a search engine, not a company website • 90% of businesses have not claimed their local listings • It’s Your Edge on the Competition Let’s take a poll Have you claimed your Google Listing?

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How to be on page #1 in Local Search

http://www.Synup.com

https://moz.com/local

http://www.LocalSiteSubmit.com

Download this 31 page PDF It has everything you need to claim your online listings: • Screenshots • Embedded Hyperlinks • Easy Explanations • Suggestions for content

www.Georgia-Agents.com

The only thing it doesn’t have is a calculation of what your time is worth. It takes up to a month of steady work to claim all the listings you need. So … how much is YOUR time worth?

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1 Create the Perfect Website It’s the only Internet Real Estate that you truly own!

8 Steps to “Out-Local” Google

Example of a Perfect Agency Website

http://preview.accuagencywebsites.com/GMKN31

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Asegurar el Sueño Americano

It is not ethical to copy other websites but they are great for inspiration SR22 Insurance – example 1 SR22 Insurance – example 2 Promote Neighboring Businesses Contractor’s Insurance – example 1 Contractor’s Insurance – example 2 Contractor’s Insurance – example 3 Workers Comp Professionals Life or Health Insurance Multi-Lines Insurance House Painter Auto Insurance Georgia Auto Pawn

• • • • • • •

How to define your target market Determine the goals of your website Look at your current customer base Check out your competition Analyze your product / service Choose specific demographics to target Consider the psychographics of your target Evaluate your decision

Premium Insurance Agency Website

Web Marketing Service

$35/month, $99 setup fee

$495 setup, $100/month

• Service descriptions • Online payment links • Contact info, contact form and location map • Up to 15 pages • Agency blog • Insurance information videos • Custom QR Codes • Links to social media and review sites to build your online reputation • Online quote forms • Agency staff photos and individual contact info • Optimized for mobile devices

• Create agency business listings for visibility with more than 10 of the biggest listing and social media sites:  Facebook Business Page  Twitter for Business Account  Google Places Listing  Bing Listing  Yahoo Listing  Yelp! Business Listing  CitySearch Listing  …and more! • Independent Agency blog for inclusion in your agency website  Professional content added regularly  Make your site interesting to customers, potential customers, and search engines • Inclusion as preferred agent in our online directory listing of local agents • Basic monthly analysis of online presence • Setup and monitoring of Google Ad Word campaigns based on a budget you specify

Elite Insurance Agency Website

Web Consultant Service

$60/month, $99 setup fee

$1995 setup, $250/month

• Includes all the features of the Premium Insurance Agency Website, PLUS: • Up to 30 pages of content • Custom design services for a unique look • Custom submission forms for your preferred lines • Online chat • Insurance Glossary • Multi-location interactive maps • Regular changes by our staff upon request • Optimized for mobile devices

AgencyThrive - Insurance Agency Internet Marketing & Social Media

Includes all the features of the Web Marketing Service, PLUS SO MUCH MORE:  Elite Website included with Instant Auto Quote (where available)  Weekly updates of Social media sites  Includes Google Adwords campaign (no additional click charges)  Monthly email blast to your customers upon request  Monitoring of online reviews to protect your reputation  Detailed monthly analysis of online presence  Preferred placement on our directory listing site of local agents  Monthly action plan to increase traffic and sales

Instant Auto Quote* $50/month, only $40/month with AgencyThrive Website • Consumers visit your agency website, enter their information, and get an auto quote INSTANTLY with the AgencyThrive Instant Auto Quote Generator • Consumers can enter their information anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and get an auto quote instantly • You will immediately receive an email and/or text message when a quote is completed • The quote data is saved in your AccuAuto database and is ready to process into a policy • The consumer only sees the top three quotes and no company names; YOU ARE IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT!

*instant quotes currently available in AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, SC

Contact a representative today!

Call 1-800-229-2009 Press ‘3’ for Sales, or Press ‘2’ for Tech Support and Customer Service Email: sales@accuauto.net

6037 Financial Drive Norcross, Georgia 30071 (770) 242-6832 or (800) 229-2009 (770) 840-7558 fax

www.accuauto.net

AgencyThrive - Insurance Agency Internet Marketing & Social Media

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Download for FREE at www.Georgia-Agents.com

Access for FREE at www.Georgia-Agents.com

www.Georgia-Agents.com

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Members Only “How-To” Library at www.Georgia-Agents.com

7/7/2015

Facebook’s Fan Page lets you gather as many fans as you want. It also provides a way to interact with a large scale of customers. You can set up Facebook Fan Page links on all of your business’s online media outlets, which lets online users go to the fan page and directly interact with your company. This increases your SERPs presence, as well as increasing customer participation and brand recognition.

Bonus Section Facebook Fan Page

To start creating a Facebook Fan Page go to: www.facebook.com and either log into your account or sign up for an account.

Step 1- If you do not already have a Facebook account for your business then you need to create one. If you do already have an account you can skip this section.

Steps to Creating a Fan Page

First Facebook will ask you if you already have friends- you can skip this by clicking ‘Skip this step’. Step 2- Fill out the profile information for your business or skip what information you do not want to appear online.

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Step 3- Upload any business-related or product photos that you want to appear on the site. Photos are very helpful for brand and company recognition and are highly encouraged. Step 4- Facebook will ask you to verify the e-mail address that you have provided for them. This email address will be publically shared so make sure it is something that you want to be available on the internet. Open your e-mail and click ‘Agree’.

Step 5- You have now created a Facebook profile page and have a Facebook account. You will want to add photos and other content to make your company profile page interesting to online viewers. You will also want to share it with as many ‘friends’ as is possible.

Step 6- On your profile page click on the ‘Create a Page’ icon at the bottom of the screen to begin creating your company’s Facebook Fan Page.

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Step 7Choose what type of Fan Page you want to create- either a local business or place or a company, organization or institution.

Step 8- Once you have chosen a page to create fill out the information box about it. This includes the business’s name, location and category. Then click the box to agree to the ‘Facebook Pages Terms’.

Step 9- Fill in the security check words and click ‘submit’.

Step 10- Upload or import photos for your Fan Page.

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Step 11- Invite as many friends as contacts as you can to share your Fan Page.

Then add your websiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s URL address and a short description that tells viewers about your company.

Your Facebook Fan Page is now set up. Constant updates, interesting content and photos and establishing as many contacts as you can will help ensure that your Fan Page gathers fans and keeps your company listed high up on SERPs.