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Agency Revolution Conference: PDX

Agency Revolution Conference: PDX

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Hello there followers! I just wanted to get the word out that I will be attending the Agency Revolution Conference in Portland, OR this upcoming week.

 

As some of you may already know, I was born and raised in the insurance industry. My parents own an agency in La Pine, OR and I was practically brought up in the office. What I am getting at here is that insurance runs in my blood, and I have a very strong appreciation for the people over at Agency Revolution. Not only have they helped my family market their business in a way that is both efficient and affordable, but, through my experiences managing the application of their software, they also gave me a platform to jumpstart my own business. Who knew playing around on the computer would lead me to AIMS?

 

Some of you I have met before, some of you I have not. Either way, if you are also attending the AR conference in PDX I would love to hear from you!

 

In the words of Ray Kroc:  If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours.

Here at AIMS, I am always looking to improve upon our services. So if you see me, tell me: What is working at your agency? What isn’t? Where are you seeing growth, and what can/should be cut back? A healthy exchange of information is the best way for me to better structure my business so that I can better serve you.

 

Want to connect before the conference? Just click on the “Contact Us” portion of the AIMS website and shoot me an email! I can’t wait to see you all this Wednesday!

Add some Mystery to your Subject Line

Add some Mystery to your Subject Line

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You know how sometimes you get an email and all it says in the subject line is “Newsletter” or “Monthly Newsletter”? Yeah, it’s pretty boring. And if you’re looking for more clicks, it’s not one of your better attempts at doing so.

 

How then, do you write a better subject line?

 

Maybe it’s surprising, but I actually like to look for inspiration for this in the promotions tab of my Gmail account. After all, about 50 different companies are blasting me daily, so it doesn’t hurt to see how the big boys are doing it.

 

When I’m doing this evaluation I’m looking for one thing and one thing only: Did I click on it, or did it meet an imminent demise?

 

Scrolling through, I immediately notice a pattern – DISCOUNT! FREE! WIN A TRIP! But guess what? I didn’t click on any of those. In fact, they were trashed pretty darn quick. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t in the mood for them, maybe it’s because I know there are better things to be spending my money on or time doing right now. Either way, it does tend to go against the traditional marketing-grain that these were the emails I ignored.

 

Instead, I opened one from a tour agency with the subject line “Past, present and future – all at once.” And guess what it was? Their monthly newsletter. The word “newsletter” was nowhere to be found and here I opened it anyway.

 

Why did I open it? I’m not entirely sure to be honest, but I think that it has a little something to do with intrigue. In a world where quite literally EVERYONE is throwing a deal at you or touting the best this, that and the other thing, it was refreshing to actually have to guess what was on the other side of the subject line.

 

Am I advocating that you abandon tried and true marketing methods? No, but I do suggest mixing it up sometimes.

 

 

 

Photo – © Sergey Nivens – Fotolia.com

Insurance Blogging: Why Words Matter

Insurance Blogging: Why Words Matter

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Here at AIMS we like to keep up with the industry, so we read a lot of blogs. Some of our favorites are Search Engine Watch, Good Copy, Bad Copy, and more recently Boost Blog Traffic. We really do believe that there are a lot of good ideas out there in the blogosphere, and it is only wise to keep up.

Recently we came across a blog post from Boost Blog Traffic that listed 317 Power Words The Will Instantly Make You A Better Writer and it got us thinking: What are some of the best words to use when writing an insurance blog? And no, this isn’t about SEO, it is about engaging your readers. So let’s get this going and give you our list of the best insurance blogging words.

Get them EXCITED!

Here are 10 words to get your readers excited about something (a special offer maybe?):

  • Amazing
  • Astonishing
  • Astounding
  • Exciting
  • Hope
  • Magical
  • Opportunity
  • Stunning
  • Savvy
  • Wonderful

Scare them a little.

Need to induce a little fear? Try these words:

  • Crippling
  • Destroy
  • Devastating
  • Disaster
  • Dupe
  • Eradicate
  • Expel
  • Frightening
  • Horrific
  • Loss
  • Risk

Entice them.

Everyone likes a good deal, right? Especially after they’ve gotten a little scare put into them. Help your readers along and close the deal with these words:

  • Best
  • Discount
  • Extra
  • FREE (*That one really reels them in)
  • Inclusive
  • More
  • Prize
  • Profit
  • Save
  • Special

 

Remember, we write to evoke empathy. Connecting with your readers is important. With so many blogs out there, and so many different writers and styles, you need to really hit on your readers emotions – in other words, your blogs need to register. Power words are a great place to start!

So get out there and spice up your writing! And hey, check out the other great industry blogs out there for more ideas on improving your writing.

 

Photo – © Yury Zap – Fotolia.com

Is Your Content Worth Reading?

Is Your Content Worth Reading?

We believe in content marketing, in fact, we preach its importance. blog wordBut just because you create it, doesn’t mean that it is worth reading. Content Marketing is dependent on creating a following. If you can’t get people to read your blog posts, you can’t convert them to hits on your website.

So how do you create content worth reading? Here are a few tips from the AIMS teams:

 

Don’t just regurgitate another author’s work – add your own spin.

Now, there is nothing wrong with taking inspiration from outside sources (so long as you cite it properly and/or contact the original author for their permission to use said materials). But if you fail to add your own spin, what is stopping the reader from skipping out on your article to read the original?

 

Write with purpose.

Know your angle; if you have an agenda, make it clear from the get go. Getting on the same page with your readers early will keep them engaged throughout.

 

Don’t get too wordy.

We know that you want to follow general SEO practices so that your article will get found in the first place, but remember, there is such a thing as too much content. Truth is, most people just scan blog posts, searching for the tastiest tid-bits. Make it too long and you are bound to scare them away. We recommend that you keep your blog posts in the 300-500 words range.

 

Write to be read.
If we’ve said it once, we’ll say it again – cut out the jargon. Too much industry speak is a turn off. You should be writing for the everyman. Most likely, you will are trying to attract potential clients; the type of people who aren’t necessarily up on your lingo. Too many technical terms can make your writing too formal, exclusive even. So avoid the pitfalls of jargon-speak.

 

 

Photo – © Yury Zap – Fotolia.com

Showers of April Blog Ideas

Showers of April Blog Ideas

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April is here and that means we want to shower you with a month’s worth of ideas for your insurance blog!

Before we even start coming up with ideas for blogs each month, out first step is to open up a calendar with all the holidays listed on it. That way we can tailor our coverage to answer the questions your clients are most likely ask this month.

There are a lot of options for writing topics in April. You’ve got World Health Day, Tax Day, Easter, Passover, Earth Day and Arbor Day. But you don’t have to write something holiday related, you could also write about the changing of the seasons and how that affects your home prep this spring. You can write about driving on wet roads, or tips for riding your motorcycle on a windy day; you can even write about watching out for potholes!

The important thing here is to be creative. Look at each holiday or event as an opportunity to spread the word about staying safe or protecting yourself. Remember, your viewers have to come to your blog for handy information that might not otherwise have gotten. You don’t need to pump out tired marketing clichés or in your face sales tactics, you just need to put out a quality product that makes people stop and say, “Hey, they really know their stuff.”

So without further ado, here are a few April blog ideas from Actively Implementing Marketing Solutions:

April Insurance Blog Ideas

  • World Health Day Health Insurance Update Blog (The Obamacare deadline is here!)
  • Easter/Passover Social Host Liability Blog
  • Tax Day Reminder Blog/Insurance Write-Offs
  • Arbor Day Landscape Contractors Blog
  • Earth Day General Liability Blog for Homeowners Having Work Done on the House/Yard
  • Driving in Wet/Windy Weather
  • Riding a Motorcycle in the Wind/Rain
  • Dewinterizing a Home/Boat/Classic Car/RV
  • Spring Cleaning Tips/Tricks
  • Teen Driver Education
  • Blowing Out a Sprinkler System
  • Spring Kids Sports Safety

Happy writings!

 

Start blogging like a pro every month, with our Service or 12 Insurance Blogs for 1 Year.

 

Photo – © visualhunter – Fotolia.com

Insurance Blogging: Promote a Good Cause

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As an insurance agent, it is important to ingratiate yourself as a member of the local community. One of the best ways to do that is by supporting charitable organizations that serve local families, pets, and/or schools. Whatever the cause, a little good will can go a long ways.

The savvy insurance agent already has a strong online representation. You run your own Twitter account, Facebook, and Google+; you may even have your own blog. And while that’s all good, if you spend all your time peddling products and services, you’re really missing out on making a stronger connection with your followers.

Several of our clients are involved with local foundations that directly serve their communities. We find that post engagement increases when we share photos from events they attend and when we link to the organizations’ websites or Facebook pages.

It really does help to humanize our clients when we can show them actively participating in community events. And if you’re one of those savvy insurance agents we mentioned above, you will use your platform to promote a good cause.

Most likely, you are already involved with one or more local charities, so why not help them, and help yourself. The next time you find yourself at one of their events, take pictures and share them online (with permission from organizers, of course); you can post links to sign up sheets or volunteer opportunities. It doesn’t matter so much how you do it, just so long as you do.

For example, we here at Actively Implementing Marketing Solutions are big fans of Rotary International. As a teenager, Cheri was able to spend a year abroad in Istanbul, Turkey thanks to their generosity and support. In turn, we promote their causes and are more likely to share their updates on our social media pages.

There are of course other causes and organizations that we support, and we are open to promoting them as well. No matter which groups you support, it will never hurt your reputation to share your involvement in their activities; in fact, it can only serve to help you. So get out there and start promoting your cause today!

Photo – © Stuart Miles – Fotolia.com

Writing a Strong Insurance Blog

Comprehensive Insurance

We like to think that writing a strong insurance blog is an art form.  Like art, it needs to flow, and it needs to speak to the viewer. Too many agencies out there are forcing it.

If the sole purpose of your blog is to generate sales, then you’re likely to fail.  In your face marketing is a turnoff, so it begging for clicks and shares. The goal of your blog should be to attract fans.

Your fans are your biggest cheerleaders, they want to see you succeed, and they want to help you – usually by sharing your blog posts on social media.

And how do you attract new fans? By creating content that they will actually want to read. Let’s be real, insurance isn’t exactly a topic that gets people excited, which is why it is important to write on topics that interest a broad range of individuals.

As an example, we write for insurance companies, and yet our most popular blog post was on safety tips for riding your motorcycle in the wind. Our message wasn’t overt; it was subtle. As an insurance company you want viewers to know that you care about their wellbeing, it’s not just about turning a profit off of their potential misfortunes.

And guess what? Harley Davidson of all companies caught wind of the blog and shared it with their followers on Google+. Now here we are, nearly 20,000 page views later.  That’s 20,000 sets of eyes focused on this one insurance company’s content.  Here’s guessing not all of those page views came from current customers.

So here are the three Actively Implementing Marketing Solutions tips for writing a strong insurance blog:

  1. Be subtle. You don’t always have to push your products. If viewers are interested in learning more, they will contact you for more information.
  2. Write to a wide audience. Forget the jargon and lose the techy language – your blogs should be informal and easy to understand.
  3. Share information that interests you. Our best, most viewed blogs are always the ones that we enjoyed writing. If you don’t enjoy writing it, how can you expect anyone else to enjoy reading it?
Photo – © Michael Brown – Fotolia.com