By: Kaylyn Zielinski | IIAW Marketing & Communications Coordinator

 

As we enter the 2020 holiday season, it’s not a surprise that the holidays are feeling very different this year. Holiday parties are being put on hold and end-of-year networking events are being postponed. However, we are gifting you with a solution to allow for much-needed networking in the time of social distancing! You no longer need to sift through the posts on LinkedIn to find content and connections that matter to you - that’s what our Online Community is for: a curated platform for insurance professionals. This holiday season, we’re gifting you with a place for connection, in a time when in-person gatherings are non-existent. 

 

At the time of writing this article, we have already amassed over 120 members (and growing every day) who are engaged in our Online Community! That’s over 120 people who are ready to connect, collaborate and engage with you!

 

"

I really like the concept of the Online Community. One of the benefits of being involved in the Big I in general is the opportunity to interact and get to know other agents from across the state. The Online Community is a great new part of that, especially in light of the fact that we can’t get together in-person like we normally would. It gives us the chance to ask questions of our fellow agents and share experiences or advice, all in the interest of making us better as agents and as an industry. And it’s 

so easy to use, even I can do it."

- Steve Leitch, Leitch Insurance Agency, Inc.

Our Online Community is for every single one of our members, whether that be independent agents, carriers, vendors, companies, etc. 

 

As we’ve mentioned in previous publications, our Online Community is two-fold. Not only are we offering a free and fun platform to exclusively network, but we’re also supporting our local communities through this outlet as well. 

 

We just celebrated Small Business Saturday on November 28th, 2020, and we can proudly say that the IIAW and our Online Community participants truly played a part in supporting local Wisconsin businesses!

 

The IIAW awarded Thought Leaders (previously known as committee members) who signed up for our Online Community. Each Thought Leader received a $25 gift card to a local business of their choice. 

 

 

Amy Brice, AMERISAFE, used her gift card at Cottage Cafe in Madison

 

 

Ryan Waite used his gift card at Forage Kitchen in Madison

 

 

Jeff Thiel, R&R Insurance Services, used his gift card at Weissgerber Golden Mast Inn in Okauchee

 

Steve Leitch, Leitch Insurance Services, Inc., used his gift card at DeVine Liquor in River Falls

 

We’ve awarded our Thought Leaders (members registered to be a verified resource for questions and content within each of the Online Community Groups) a gift card for a local Wisconsin business of their choice. 

 

Every person who participates in our Online Community can earn rewards. Each time you engage within the Community, you earn points. Then, at the end of each quarter, if you’ve reached certain point thresholds, you’ll receive some awesome rewards.  

 

These rewards are: a $25 gift card to a local Wisconsin business of your choice, a $100 donation to a Wisconsin non-profit of your choice and an IIAW swag bag which contains items like Yetis, desktop whiteboards, smart plugs and more!

 

To join the IIAW’s Online Community, go to iiaw.com/joincommunity. Be sure to check your spam/junk folders for the invite email after filling out the survey on our website. We are looking forward to connecting with all of you in our Online Community! Happy Holidays!