Running a business is no easy task – if it were, everyone would do it! In the insurance industry, running an agency is no exception. Between writing policies, analyzing and exposing risks, and retaining customers (while rounding out their policies), your insureds keep your hands full. This may make you feel like you do not have enough time to utilize the marketing best practices necessary to keep your agency relevant. Fortunately, there are many ways to get organized when it comes to that department – starting with one of the most beneficial tools: an editorial calendar.
Whether your agency has a website, blog or even a social media posting strategy, it is important to have an organized method that enables everyone to understand what content is necessary to carry out that strategy.
With an editorial calendar, you can manage the: who, what, when, where, why and how of your strategy.
What content needs to be produced, curated or posted?
Who is going to create the specified content?
Where will this content and information be published?
Why is this information necessary for our clients?
Surely your clients have questions – and it is likely that these questions are common among many of them. If you have a blog or a social media presence, you have the greatest platform to answer those questions. An added plus: You can build your authority as insurance experts by doing this! (Because you ARE insurance experts after all).
Creating the content should not be difficult – your agents understand their jobs and have the answers, you just need to get those answers in the right place, in the right format.
Consider creating an editorial calendar template that your entire agency can get on board with. You can use it to generate ideas and then work out how to get those ideas onto paper, your agency’s blog, and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Think of all of the benefits your agency could take advantage of:
Creates a workflow process
Allows for personal responsibility
Allows for increased accountability
Free flow of ideas is made possible
Builds on teamwork
Every editorial calendar looks different. Make it work for you and your agency. Start with a blank spreadsheet and fill in the slots with the type of information you’d want in your own calendar. Ask for feedback from your agents and build your own organizational template and rock your marketing strategy today!
About the Author: Scott Purves, CIC is the President of Purves & Associates Insurance Agency. Scott has focused on Group Benefits for businesses, including group medical, vision, and disability. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Health Underwriters Association and is currently serving on the boards of the Insurance Brokers & Agents of Sacramento and the Davis Downtown Business Association.
