Blogging for Business: What Blogging Can Do for Your Agency
What once went undetected from mainstream media has now become one of the largest forums in the online community: Weblogs.
Today, a new blog is added to the Internet every second—highlighting the growing popularity and business benefits of this relatively new medium.
To help you gauge the advantages of creating a blog, we at InsureMe have put together some ideas and suggestions to help your business blog take flight.
The Basics
A Weblog or "blog" is a self-published journal, made accessible to the public via the Internet. Unlike a corporate Web site, blogs are generally less formal and more interactive—the author posts and article and readers can respond or ask questions.
Blogs are also considerably easier to launch than Web sites. With templates available on popular blog sites like Blogger.com, little or no knowledge of HTML is needed. Simply type, edit and publish and you're done—yielding immediate inclusion on the Web.
Even large companies like IBM, Microsoft and General Motors offer blogs to the public, some of which are authored by executives. In fact, a recent study by Government Technology reported that 47 percent of CEO's consider blogs to be "effective for external audiences," providing a valuable source by which to connect with consumers and build a brand name.
The Benefits
Here are just a few reasons why CEO's are using and loving blogs—and why you will, too:
Lower Costs
Think about the time and money that goes into creating a company Web site. For smaller businesses in particular, learning HTML or hiring an outside Web developer can be downright inefficient. Blogs can be created at little or no cost while still promoting your agency's name.Increased Web Visibility
With more and more consumers turning to the Internet to shop for insurance, progressive agencies are using blogs to gain visibility online.How?
As it turns out, the majority of search engines love blogs! Because blogs are often refreshed and updated with content, many people who have blogs ("bloggers") have found that their pages ascend higher within search engine rankings, thus increasing the author's chance of being found by consumers—which leads to increased traffic, and ultimately, more prospects.
Cultivate Community
The interactive nature of blogs allows authors to receive feedback from partners, clients and prospects—resulting in a better understanding of what the audience likes and what changes they'd like to see in your business practices.Many experts agree that businesses that ignore consumer thoughts and suggestions do so at their peril. And, while you may not be able to answer every comment or question left on your blog, reader comments can still foster ideas for innovation and improvement—a must-have for successful businesses.
Target an Audience
You can use blogs to target multiple audiences. As an insurer, you may wish to publish two separate blogs: one to target consumers seeking information about life and health insurance and another to target consumers seeking property and casualty insurance—zeroing in on a specific faction of insurance shoppers.Blogs are also a useful medium for connecting with a younger generation of consumers who tune out mainstream forms of media—television, radio and newspaper advertisements—giving younger consumers control over what they read in an informal environment.
Building Content
Now that you know the benefits of starting a blog, what should you put on it? The good news here is that your blog can host a variety of content.
While you will want to keep your blog insurance-related, you might want to include entries on:
- Insurance shopping tips
- Information on different lines of insurance (auto, homeowners, life, health, long-term care, etc.)
- Changes in insurance law
- Hot topics in the insurance industry
- Insurance issues facing consumers
The truth is, the possibilities for your agency's blog are endless. Through your posts, you can familiarize the reader with your business practices and share the history and culture of your company.
Additional Blog Tips
As you build your business blog, here are some additional tips to keep in mind:
Update your content. Writing regularly keeps your page current—and keeps you on top of your game. To start, aim for one to two entries per week.
Uphold a commitment to quality content. To clients and prospects, the content on your blog is a direct representation of your company. Watch for typos, grammatical errors and steer clear of inflammatory remarks.
Write like a person. Stuffy, technical insurance speak will have readers running to the next site. Speaking informally and with candor will appeal to your readers.
Encourage contact. Encourage readers to leave comments on your blog. You may also wish to include your biography and contact information on the site.
Invite guests. Posts from "guest" bloggers can make for interesting entries. Think about including posts from insurance lawyers or claims adjusters to spice things up.
Tone down the sales hype. Consumers are apt to be turned off by a blog built around selling something. Keep your blog interesting and informational to turn readers into clients.
Start Your Blog Today!
A successful blog will foster a consciousness about your agency and set yourself apart from the competition. Start your blog today and generate some buzz about your business!
This information was provided by InsureMe, the leader in online insurance leads for the insurance industry. Since 1993, InsureMe has helped thousands of insurance agents succeed in the insurance business by providing top quality leads that are both detailed and affordable. For more information on InsureMe leads, please visit our agent Web site at agent.insureme.com
