Cybersecurity: it sounds intimidating and specialized. Many people don't know how to start protecting themselves from the countless threats that exist in the online world. 

You've been hacked: or have you? The sad fact is that out of the over 100 insurance companies hacked each year, many of them don't realize it until months down the line. 

Your clients give you their information so that they can purchase insurance products. They don't expect it to move out into the world and compromise their identity or their financial status. 

If your agency isn't concerned about cybersecurity, it should be: according to INC, half of all small businesses have experienced a cyber attack, and "More than 70 percent of attacks target small businesses."

You're worried that your data has been breached, or you know that it has happened. What do you do now? 

It's all over the news: companies suffer data breaches and customers wonder whether their personal information is at risk. With enough information, hackers could receive your credit card information or passwords to other accounts.

What does cybersecurity mean to your company? You might have visions of robot guards or nightmares about expensive technologies. 

How can you fund your insurance agency's growth? Whether you're trying to add insurance jobs or you need financial assistance for new training opportunities that will support your growth, you need to get creative about financing.

When you're creating insurance jobs, what do you put into that job description? You probably try to make it as attractive as possible for your prospective employees: a substantial and fulfilling set of job duties combined with an excellent compensation package.

Your business is small. There are just a few employees, and you all know each other. 

What does your insurance agency do, exactly? Yes, you sell insurance - but what kind of insurance do you sell, and who buys it?

Do you have a superstar employee? Is there someone who makes everyone else look good because he or she is on top of things? 

Hiring your first employee is a huge step. Perhaps you've always turned to family to help you manage your insurance agency, or perhaps this is your first step into the insurance business as well. 

As an insurance agency, your role is to make sure that your clients are protected in case of accidents or other disasters in their lives.

E&O insurance is necessary for your insurance business, but what exactly does it cover?

Understanding your customers is the basis of a strong customer relationship. After all, you can't market to your customers effectively or even talk with them about their needs if you don't understand them.

Social media is a platform for your business, right? Yes, in some ways social media is a platform. 

Is it spring cleaning time? If things are looking a little dusty around your databases, it's time to brush them off, clear them out, and get organized.

Is "make insurance marketing mistakes" on your corporate to-do list this year? Whether you conduct bad marketing or just ignore your marketing altogether, you could be making marketing mistakes that damage your insurance company's reputation. 

I screen, you screen, we all screen - on multiple screens. Generation Z and the Millennials are known to be screen-addicted, but how many screens are they addicted to, anyway?

When you focus on brand loyalty and try to sway your insurance customers to come back to you over and over again, are you doing the right thing? 

Your insurance agency needs insurance. Yes, you need insurance for your building just in case there's a flood, fire, or other disaster. 

It's hard to believe, but the Millennials are already getting older. Each new generation requires new techniques for marketing insurance.

How can you increase client retention? That's the perennial question that businesses ask: existing clients are like gold.

You focus on auto insurance, but your customers are always asking you about home insurance products as well.

You knew that it was bound to happen one of these days. Your employee has been struggling to make it to work with all of those family demands, and one day, he asks you the question: is it possible to work from home part of the time?

You're a published author: you're walking around feeling rather giddy about your first ebook publication for your insurance business.

Are you using insurance marketing data to shape your insurance marketing campaigns? If you're sheepishly replying with a "no, not really," know that many other businesses are in your shoes as well.

Do you really understand your clients, or do your clients' decision-making processes seem more like guesswork to you? 

When you're marketing insurance, you have a limited time to reach out to your leads and turn them into customers.

You're working on your website and trying to ramp up your blogging, when it hits you: should you buy additional domain names? 

That fine print: it's so small that your insurance clients don't always bother reading it, or it's on the computer where they scroll blithely through, not worrying about the details.

Well, this is awkward. You've posted some insurance jobs this year, and you've hired someone who seems like a great fit for your insurance agency.

How is your year going? Whether it's the beginning of the year or closer to the end, you've won some and you've lost some. 

Mistakes happen. Unfortunately, sometimes they happen at work, and sometimes your work contains sensitive information. 

How can you be a better boss this year? Whether you adore management and see it as your life's work or you've ended up in a position of responsibility that you would never have pursued on your own, you can improve the way that you work with people.

Ah, networking: for some, it is the stuff of life. For others, it is the bane of their existence. 

How can you boost your customer service almost immediately? You can offer all sorts of training to your employees, but one of the most high impact ways to ensure that your customers feel good at your insurance agency is to build their trust and respect. 

You pick up the phone, and the person on the end of the line is obviously having a bad day. When you're working with angry customers, your job is to make sure that you react appropriately to that customer. 

Your customer has a question. Will you answer it? Of course you will. The question is: when will you answer it?

Your new employee is really efficient. She's exceptional at interacting with colleagues and solves problems professionally as they arise. 

What are your insurance marketing ideas for 2018? The marketing world is always changing, and you need to keep up.

What's happening in the insurance industry next year? While you can't know exactly what will transpire, each year it's important to look at the trends so that you can plan for the future.

It's a new year, and as Auld Lang Syne rings out, you're busy planning to make some changes in your staff development programs this year.

Are you active on social media? For most businesses today, the answer is 'yes'. 

Do you turn to online video when you want to learn about a topic? According to Forbes, if you do, you're certainly not alone: "Video is projected to claim more than 80 percent of all web traffic by 2019." 

It's not enough to be on social media. You need to be on the right social media platforms so that you can reach your insurance marketing goals. 

Do you want to be an insurance agency with influence? If so, consider working with online influencers. 

This post provides a few simple tips and tricks that can help you avoid E&O claims. 

First there was Black Friday, and now there's Small Business Saturday. Small business is trending. In fact, Small Biz Trends states that "more than a quarter of U.S. consumers say that they’re likely to shop at small businesses more often in 2018 than they did in 2017."

You're about to take the plunge into online advertising. Where should you advertise? 

This sounds like a question you'd get during an awkward moment at a party. However, if you're managing an insurance agency, it's a question that you should address internally every day. 

Do you want to be part of the club? When your customers or leads interact with your insurance business, they become a part of your insurance team. 

What is omnichannel marketing? It might sound like a futuristic marketing technique that's unreachable for your business, but omnichannel marketing is really a term for marketing integration.

The insurance train just keeps on rolling, no matter what is happening on the internal staffing side of your business. If you've just lost an employee and you need to hire, it can be hard to add employee training to your already packed schedule. 

What kind of disaster are you ready for at your insurance business? While you might think that as an insurance company, your business is disaster recovery, a surprising number of businesses aren't really ready for some of the most common disasters that could come your way. 

Is your insurance business soaring? Whether you're a fledgling business or you've been around for a long time, it's helpful to occasionally step back and take a look at your insurance business from above. 

Are you ready to bring in someone new to your team? When you're working on a project that's frustrating you because of a lack of specialist knowledge or skills, it could be time to recruit a new employee. How do you know when you should bring in a specialist to your insurance agency? 

When your customers need insurance relief, they need it in a very real way. The damage that they've suffered might be physical or virtual, but they need to have the tangible financial backup to see them through the problems they're facing. 

Are you delighted with your employees? If so, you might consider whether some should be promoted.