At StartUpSelling, we like to say that insurance agency web marketing all starts with a blog.  There are so many advantages to blogging and effective methods for leveraging blog content, that I believe all agencies should have a blog today.  If you need assistance developing your blog or making an existing blog more effective, use the following steps to enhance your web presence:

Creating a Blog Takes Just a Few Minutes – In all honesty, creating your blog will be quick and easy.  Just a handful of clicks and a confirmation email from your preferred blog platform.  The real work will be in developing content and modifying the appearance – however step one is as painless as possible.

We Prefer the WordPress Platform – Our agency social media marketing team has researched all major blog platforms and has concluded that WordPress is the most effective offering.  For both external blogs (that live on WordPress.com) and internal blogs (that live on your domain), WordPress provides an attractive, user-friendly, professional and secure interface.

Quickly Convey Your Value Proposition to Your Target Audience – In one glance, make it clear to your readers who you are blogging for and what you will be saying.  This blog screams insurance agency marketing information and ideas for insurance professionals.  It also mimics the banding and theme of my StartUpSelling.com website, which is widely known to be an agency marketing site.  Your blog title, banner and post titles should deliver an equivalent message.

Add a Handful of Widgets – Now that you have your branded WordPress blog setup, lets add some fun and effective tools.  We highly suggest an email subscription widget, and a simple blog sharing tool.  This allows you to spread your message quickly, and for those who are interested to share it quickly across the social media landscape.  For example, see the top of the right column of this blog.

So What Do I Post? – Create and post blog entries with current and relevant information your target prospects need to know.  Include SEO keywords in title and text and in the Tags & Categories on every entry.  Examples could include industry information, upcoming events, newsworthy items or anything else relevant to your prospects.

Post Links to Your Content in Places Your Prospects Will See – Post blogs to social networks  like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  The latter is particularly important for commercial agencies and offers a unique opportunity with their group feature.  Also consider article directories, industry bulletin boards, bookmarking sites, and partner websites.

Now that you have created a professional and attractive blog that clearly conveys your message and filled it with quality, targeted content, you are ready to take the next step by launching your insurance agency social media marketing campaign!  Check back for the next chapter which will help you get started soon.