For the modern-day insurance agent, digital marketing is more important than ever. You’re probably thinking about social media, email, and paid advertisements, right? While those forms can be highly effective, with the market being so competitive, it’s worth it to have a variety of other tactics too. In recent years, blogging has become increasingly popular among insurance agents. A successful blog helps establish credibility, grow brands, and generate leads, and they’re easy to start! Like anything though, before creating a blog it’s essential to understand what the goals are and the preliminary steps. To help you get going, we’re outlining some of the most important aspects of an insurance blog. Additionally, we’re suggesting a list of topic ideas so that you can start off on the right foot. With these tips in your arsenal, you’ll be sure to reap the benefits in no time.
Reasons to Start a Blog
Having an insightful and interesting blog provides agents with a number of benefits. Here are some of the top ones:
- Establishes Credibility: When there are thousands of licensed agents available, it’s important that you set yourself apart from competitors. To do this, you must establish yourself as a credible expert who is full of industry knowledge. Starting an insurance blog is an easy way to do so. Posting interesting articles on a regular basis helps position you as someone wanting to help consumers in need. Lots of agents claim that they are the best, have the most experience and know the most. The question is, how can they prove this? As we know, people love physical evidence, and a blog is a great way to prove your credibility.
- Provides SEO Benefits: Search engines like Google want to see freshly produced content on a regular basis. What you post, where you post it, and the keywords you include all contribute to search algorithms. With that said, establishing a blog, and using an effective SEO strategy will likely improve your professional websites rank. This means more organic traffic, which ultimately means more leads and a higher return on investment!
- Lead Generation: A good blog attracts high-intent users. Plain and simple. When someone is in need of information, your high-quality content will show up and if they like what you’re laying down, they’ll move forward in the process. Proper link placement and mentions of your business website, pushes consumers to fill out a form or give you a call. The best part is, blogs are very cheap to maintain. In other words, generating leads from a blog has a very small cost compared to paid search or social ads.
More Tips to Get Started
- Picking a Platform: It’s best to blog on a user-friendly and popular platform. The most common platforms are WordPress and Blogger. Both of these platforms are extremely easy to navigate.
- Optimize for Mobile: Don’t overlook your mobile users! In the modern world, so many people access information from their mobile devices. With that said, make sure your blog converts to mobile properly.
- Use a Clean Design: People are coming to the blog for information, so they don’t want to be overwhelmed. When designing a blog, the best advice is to keep it simple. Use soft, complementary tones that represent your brand and are easy on the eyes.
- Don’t Mistake Quantity with Quality: While it’s important to post regularly, blogs are meaningless if they don’t include pertinent information. With that said, prioritize diverse, informative and well-researched content.
- Consistency is Key: Posting on a regular basis highly affects SEO rankings and user loyalty. We suggest creating a schedule for posting each month and sticking to it.
- Communicate with Your Audience: It’s vital that you engage with your audience in order to create a sense of community. Try encouraging others to comment and then respond to those comments and messages in a timely manner.
Article Ideas For Your Blog
1.Educational Topics
A great starting point for a blog is to delve into some education topics that aim to help the average person. For most people, insurance is like a foreign language. With that said, think about the most common questions, misconceptions or pain points of consumers. Some examples include articles like: “Choosing the Right Coverage,” Exploring Insurance Jargon,” or “Ways to Lower Premium Costs.” What’s most important is that the topic is applicable and easy to understand.
2.Risk Management Practices
Insurance is all about mitigating and protecting against risks. Avoiding and properly managing risks helps lower insurance premiums and encourages a better sense of well-being. Consumers will appreciate this practical advice that they can apply in real life situations. Try diving into a variety of ways, including preventative care and regular check-ups.
3.Seasonal Topics
The change of seasons provides a unique opportunity for blogging. What’s great about seasonal posts is that they are extremely relevant and fun! There are a number of different seasonal ideas to choose from. One is an article exploring the Open Enrollment Period. An example is “Navigating the OEP: The Best Questions to Ask Your Agent.” Articles touching on specific seasons are a good idea too. This could include something like, “Tips to Stay Safe During the Winter.”
4.Industry Trends
Another good way to entice people to read your blog is by discussing emerging trends or industry developments. This includes topics relating to regulations, compliance, new technologies, changes in consumer behavior and more! With industry trends, it’s important to make sure it relates to the consumer and not the agent. These updates help keep consumers ahead of the curve and up to date on pertinent information. One example is, “How AI is Changing Insurance for Consumers.”
5.Explore Niches
When in doubt, get specific. Create content that lines up with certain industries or demographics. While these articles might not apply to everyone, they are extremely valuable for some individuals. One example is, “Exploring Commercial Coverages for Technology Companies.” Another one is, “Helping Young Adults Get the Best Rates.”
6.Feature an Insurance Professional
Writing a feature article about a team member or other insurance professional gives users a glimpse into the industry. There are a number of ways to do this. You can get a team member to share their own unique knowledge or tips. You can also have them touch on something they’ve been working on, or discuss their day-to-day routine. Be sure to include quotes to make it more authentic and personal.
7.Highlight a Client’s Story
Another interesting idea is to showcase a client who you’ve helped. These real-life stories provide users with evidence of how you help others on a regular basis. Start by laying out who the person is, and the dilemma or issue they faced. Go on to explain how you helped them navigate the process and what the overall outcome was. While many people know the basics of what agents do, providing a detailed story is interesting and shows off your dedication to the craft.
8.Q&A Sessions
Insurance clients have lots of questions that need to be answered. Many agents have an FAQ section on their website, but it can also be turned into a blog. Take the most commonly asked insurance-related questions and put them into blog form. To encourage the most up to date and relevant questions, encourage your audiences to submit questions on social media or other platforms. Not only is this highly informative, but it also makes things easier when you’re in client meetings down the line.
9.Community Outings or Other Events
Highlighting involvement in the community or other interesting events is a good way to change things up. If touching on an event that your agency is sponsoring, explore the positive impact that you have made and how it affects the local community. Another idea is to discuss your experience at an insurance-related conference or seminar. To make it relevant to consumers, share some key takeaways that are insightful to clients.
10.Insurance Myths or Misconceptions
There is a lot of misinformation out there about insurance. While myths aren’t good to spread, blogs provide you with the opportunity to clear them up. By addressing common myths, you can build credibility with your audience. The clarity that you provide will also ensure that clients ultimately receive the overage that they need.
All in All
Creating an insurance blog from scratch can be a game-changer for you and your agency. While we all have our own tried and true methods of marketing and lead generation, diving into the blog space encourages more meaningful relationships, and the enhancement of your online presence. What’s most important is that you post consistently, develop a variety of unique topics, and deliver valuable content. We’ve provided you with a great starting point, but once you start brainstorming, you’ll realize that the options are unlimited! So what are you waiting for? Embrace the power of blogging and watch your client base grow before your eyes!
You might be reading this because you’re looking for new ways to generate leads. If you’re like me, you probably want to take advantage of every tool in the box. Unfortunately, even with the best practices in place, you may still be falling short, but don’t worry! For over 15 years, Benepath has specialized in insurance lead generation. We are the intermediary between agents like you and consumers in need of policies. With both data leads and inbound phone calls available for purchase, there’s truly something for everyone. We offer leads in the following verticals: individual health, group health, and commercial insurance. If you want to bring your agency to new heights with our help, just fill out a form or give us a call at 888-684-3121.
