Does the thought of starting a blog make you want to call in sick to work, not just for a day but for the whole week? Unfortunately, blogging isn’t a passing trend and you can’t hide from it forever. You know that blogging is a sound insurance marketing practice and that it can draw consistent leads by establishing a stronger relationship between you and your clients and potential. However, flossing your teeth is good for you too but, according to CNN, a third of Americans never do it.
How can you take on the terrifying but healthy practice of blogging and create a strong blog for your insurance business?
It’s Alright to Be Simple
You may remember your teen years or your university days when you had to write countless essays. Your essays were graded, and you celebrated or lamented depending on the grade. Essay-writing may have been complicated and stressful, but blogging doesn’t need to include all of that stress. When you blog, it’s alright to be simple. For example, if you’re creating a blog for new homeowners who are purchasing their first home insurance, know that they’re probably looking for an easy reference checklist, not a treatise on home insurance. You can create a checklist for them. In fact, you probably already have one. Create your first blogs in simple but effective formats.
You Know Your Audience: Write for Them
You understand consumers’ needs and interests. What questions do they ask regularly? Brainstorm ideas based on these needs, interests, and questions. You’re creating your blog to meet your customers’ needs and build your relationships. They want you to blog because it adds value to their experience as your customer. Plan your first blogs around common customer questions and concerns.
You Need to Have Keywords – But Don’t Stress
Isn’t blogging all about driving visitors to your website by using mysterious words that will draw your readers in? While you need to understand keywords and how to use them, you can begin blogging and refine your understanding over time. Think in terms of commonly-used search terms people might use when they’re looking for information about the type of insurance you provide. Include locally-oriented words on your blog and on your website. Most of all, know that strong writing and relationship-building with your customers are just as important to your blog as well-selected keywords.
Use Visuals
Have you ever seen an infographic that really clicks? Have you looked at a photo and suddenly understood the entire article? Your readers might feel the same way. Your descriptions don’t need to rest on your words alone. Seek out photos that illustrate your blog post, or hire someone to create a simple infographic. Visuals make your blog posts more shareable on social media as well.
Use Video
Blogging isn’t just about writing words on a page. According to CISCO, “Online videos will account for more than 80% of all consumer internet traffic by 2020.”
If you enjoy talking about your industry but you don’t like writing about it, that’s okay. Start a video blog instead, and you’ll be right on the current marketing trend.
Blogging is a Platform For Experimentation
You know that you need to write compelling content. You worry that your writing isn’t strong enough and that your content isn’t robust. All of that worry can lead to no content at all, as you sit there thinking about your inadequacy. Remember that blogging is a form of marketing and, like all insurance marketing, it’s based on both research and experimentation. As you blog, keep track of the statistics and see what blog formats and content work best for your readers.
Combine Forces
Reach out to others at your agency who can interview you or edit your work. Collaborate with professional writers, setting the parameters of the blog posts but leaving the writing up to them. If you’re terrified of blogging, there are ways to dip your toe into the waters without having to up to your neck.
At American Agents Alliance, we’re here to demystify the insurance business. You know insurance, but you need to keep on track with developments in the field, hiring practices, and the best practices for insurance marketing. Join us and use our many membership benefits to help your insurance business grow.
