Why does it seem that so many bloggers are simply spewing the last thing that popped into their minds?
You know the ones I’m talking about.
They are more interested in ranting and telling us how smart they are than actually making a meaningful point. This new generation of “writer” has been head-faked into thinking that we on the Internet care about reading whatever goes through their mind. Blogging to them is typing fast, spell checking (maybe), and hitting send. They can’t wait to tell you they write an insurance blog.
Writing more does not overcome writing poorly. It’s like the old joke in business: let’s lose a penny on everything we sell and make it up in volume.
The Internet has provided us all a new, easy way to reach an audience. However, reaching an audience doesn’t necessarily mean you keep the audience. What hasn’t changed are the basics of great writing, whether it’s a blog, a book or a message board on a blimp. These 10 tips will help you create something others will want to read, and then come back for more.
Insurance blogs must have a purpose
What are your insurance blog topics?
- Are you trying to entertain?
- Inform?
- Is your content technical or theoretical?
Every insurance blog doesn’t have to be the same, but you need continuity. And, not unimportant, you have to establish yourself as an authority.
For example, I want this post to give you a glimpse into what it really takes to start an insurance blog. At Redbird we’ve published a blog for several years as a key component of our insurance marketing strategy, and my business partner has been writing for several decades.
Define your audience and focus on providing value
This is where the arm-waving insurance bloggers miss the boat.
They are happy with eyeballs of any kind; they just want attention. Great writing takes time, so make sure your time is well spent ensuring that the people YOU want to read it actually do.
- If you sell final expense life insurance then you probably want older, middle to lower income readers.
- If you sell annuities then that’s an entirely different audience.
It seems so simple, but many insurance bloggers become enamored with a subject rather than what their primary audience wants. Before every new blog post or writing opportunity, define the target audience, their needs, wants and pain points.
Insurance Marketing requires going deep, not wide
So much about being a successful insurance blogger is establishing yourself as an authority.
An expert!
And, the best way to do that is to provide clarity and thoughtful content on what your audience wants to read.
What problem are you helping your readers solve?
Many of us mistakenly believe that more is better; that writing for broader target audiences will get more results. Define a subject your readers care about and then dig deep to bring it to life.
I like to think of this in terms of hunting.
Certain guns are used for certain types of game. The game we’re chasing is best bagged with a rifle. A shotgun will simply wound the target.
A rifle will… well, you get the point.
Deliver content the way your audience likes to consume
Some blogs are highly visual and some are 100% script. Some use video as their sole source of communication.
How you decide to deliver your insurance blog content should be built around the needs of your target audience.
Using the earlier example of a final expense client, the demographics might lead you to think that a simple, text-heavy content approach makes sense.
On the other hand, if you’re trying to reach a younger audience you might be well served with video. If you’re not comfortable with video, for example, but that’s what your audience likes, then you better study up on video.
Make it conversational
Your readers want something they can get engaged and enjoy.
Don’t try to get technical, make it simple and use words like “I”, “we”, or “you” to ensure you a getting personal with your readers.
Books hit best sellers lists when they tell a great story, your insurance blog should do the same thing.
Re-purpose your blog content
I love this!
Content which can be repurposed makes writing your blog much easier once you have enough content published and in your pipeline. In regards to insurance, maybe you have written a series on how to protect your home from flash floods.
You might find it easy to repurpose that article to talk about recovering from flash floods and preventing mold.
The options are endless.
Have a call to action (CTA)
This is the best way to use your blog to generate leads.
If you’re trying to generate leads, then give the reader a reason to give you their contact information. Maybe it’s through a free guide they can download or an upcoming free seminar on the topic.
What additional value can you offer once you have their eyes locked on your blog post?
Bonus Tip: Try using a content upgrade to help you capture more client leads and make more sales.
Make your content easy to browse
Learn to write in a concise way to make your points.
It’s important to avoid long paragraphs unless absolutely necessary.
Why?
Because people will look at the length and get overwhelmed.
Minimizing the fluff will maximize the time each reader spends on your page.
Write and Don’t Forget to Share!
Knowing how to spread the word and promote your post is a whole other topic on its own.
Promoting your insurance blog can be difficult in the beginning, especially when you don’t have any subscribers or clients to send it to.
So, how the heck do you get this promotion boat in the water?
Think about your natural network. What social media accounts do you have? Are you connected to any industry influencers who can share your posts? There is no secret recipe, so start close to home.
Tip: You won’t get penalized for duplicate content, so you should republish your content on other platforms such as Medium and Linkedin. Once you have published to these platforms you need to make sure you’re linking back to your original article on your blog so you have the best chance of bringing prospects into you funnel to generate leads and sales.
Build a backlog of content
Writing a post from scratch is hard.
A blank computer screen is a scary creature to most writers. However, over the course of a week you probably come up with several ideas that could be blog subjects.
If you have a new idea, put your thoughts down in an initial draft. It may not come out like you thought, so put it away and come back later. Right now I have more than 30 subjects that I am continually working on, so I always have something to kick-start my weekly writing.
Be different for the right reasons
It’s hard to have an original thought these days with so much content flying around.
Don’t be afraid to step out from the crowd if you believe in a subject. But, also, don’t be afraid to take on a well-worn subject.
How many blogs have been written about how to write a blog?
This story is about the things we believe are most important. There are some points we’ve left out, only because we don’t see them as critical to success. Different is good if you’ve thought it through.
Set aside daily time to write your blog
An effective blog can’t be left to the last few hours of the day. You’re not an effective seller when you’re tired, so why would you think you’ll be an effective writer?
Blogging is a core strategy of our insurance marketing plan. I urge you to email me directly if you would like help crafting your blog strategy. We are dedicated to helping you grow your insurance agency and blogging is a fantastic way to speed up that process!
I urge you to email me directly if you would like help crafting your blog strategy for your agency. We are dedicated to helping you grow your insurance agency and blogging is a fantastic way to speed up that process!
Use our Contact Form to ask us for help today.
Top 10 Insurance Blogs
In case you’re wondering who we think is doing a great job, below are 10 of the best insurance blogs we have come across.
- PolicyZip
- Burial Insurance
- Nerd Wallet
- TermLife2Go
- ROOTFIN
- Life Insurance by Jeff
- JRC Insurance Group
- Policy Genius
- Lead Heroes
- Top Whole Life
Conclusion
Implementing these tips into your blog will 100% improve your results. The key is consistency.
I work on our blog on a daily basis to ensure the content is updated and relevant.
The compound effect of this has built was is now the foundation of our business, so I’m certainly practicing what I preach.
If you would like some help with your blog, we would be happy to have that discussion with you.
