INSURANCE PROS REACH MORE CLIENTS & PROSPECTS THROUGH BLOGGING

I was looking the other day for some information regarding a couple of insurance questions I had, and like most people, the first thing I did was conduct a Google search.  As an avid blogger, I fully understand and advocate the power of blogging for the business professional.  But, wow – you insurance pros are really up on the blogs!!  I was amazed and excited to see how many insurance blogs there are out there and how informative and interesting some of them are.

For those insurance professionals who have not yet begun to take advantage of blogging to drive business and reach more clients and prospects, I have just one question for you:  What are you waiting for???

Blogging is a very useful tool for insurance professionals to employ if your end game is to reach more clients and prospects.  Blogging should be an integral part of any social media campaign.  And, no, you don’t have to be Ernest Hemingway to blog.  You just have to know your stuff and write about it on a regular basis so your clients and prospects find you the next time they have insurance related questions and conduct a search on Google to obtain their information. 

Blogging provides you with an opportunity to showcase your smarts about all things insurance and it builds within your clients and prospects a sense of trust and reliability in you.  Wouldn’t you like to be the go-to -expert for these people? 

Okay, I know what your next question is going to be:  What in the world do I blog about?

Well, I can help you there.  As aforementioned, people have questions about insurance and their policies all the time.  What are some of the most frequently asked questions that you hear?  Jot them down and, voila!! blog content ideas abound.  Still need more?  One of my gurus, Chris Brogan, noted author and marketing consultant, created a list of 100 blog topics to write about, and below, I will share with you 50 of them:

1.       Why I love being an insurance agent

2.       What are your agency’s values

3.       How is trust earned

4.       Improving the insurance industry’s image

5.       My favorite social network and why

6.       How can agencies help the community

7.       What are “named perils”

8.       Obscure auto, home, or other insurance discounts

9.       Customer service vs. sales culture

10.   My favorite news sources

11.   I helped someone by…

12.   Spotlight local non-profit or charity event

13.   Importance of agency goals

14.   Pet and wedding insurance, when and why

15.   Insurance provider news

16.   High or low deductibles, the logic behind both

17.   I am motivated by…

18.   Attracting millennial talent to agencies

19.   Secret world of annuities

20.   An interview with someone older and deserving

21.   When to drop collision on your auto insurance

22.   Promo for business insurance client

23.   What (insert favorite show/movie) can teach you about insurance

24.   Comment on local news story

25.   Biggest misconception about insurance

26.   What “helping” means to me professionally

27.   Difference between “actual cash value” and “replacement cost”

28.   Publicly answer a client’s question (chances are someone else is wondering too)

29.   Why I love my community

30.   Small business marketing tips

31.   Common business insurance claims

32.   Advantages of agency over online insurance

33.   When is saving money NOT a value

34.   What is property cost evaluation

35.   Factors that affect health and life insurance coverage

36.   Testimonial for a vendor

37.   What you need to know about pet insurance and biting dogs

38.   Highlight benefits of local insurance trade organization

39.   Thank you blog to existing clients

40.   Weekly stories from the road

41.   A day in the life of an insurance agent

42.   My favorite hometown landmark

43.   Does my roommate need renter’s insurance too?

44.   Historic person I’d like to interview

45.   The importance of a proper greeting

46.   Local insurance risks (weather, crime, etc.)

47.   Video tour of the office

48.   When is umbrella insurance necessary

49.   My favorite social media users

50.   Blog topics I’d like to read

Be creative and remember, it doesn’t have to be all business all the time.  A funny story or anecdote makes for a great blog, too!  Have some fun with it and keep it engaging and you’ll see just how easy and profitable blogging can be! 

Happy blogging – and, if you want to learn more or need help getting started, why not join one of our Social Media for Business workshops and we’ll teach you everything you need to know to reach more clients and prospects through blogging. 

For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit:  http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

ATTENTION ALL FINANCIAL ADVISORS: THE TIME TO START TWEETING IS NOW!

Is Twitter really relevant and helpful to today’s financial advisor?  You bet it is!!

Consider this:  With everyone and their moms using Twitter (the ever-popular networking site currently boasts approximately 200 million registered users), you can bet your bottom dollar that many, if not most, of your clients and prospective clients can be reached on Twitter.  So, why shouldn’t these people be following you?

Twitter is a wonderful little micro-blog that incorporates so many features and uses, but the ways in which a financial advisor can use Twitter are unique to that industry.

For the average finance professional (at least from a business standpoint), garnering hundreds of followers is not of great use unless you are targeting the right users – your client base and future prospects.  It’s essential for you to establish your ‘Twitter identity’ and invite your existing clients to follow you.

By doing so, you establish yourself as a thought leader.  People need to get their financial information and advice from somewhere; why not from you?  You have to know that, realistically, other financial professionals are active on social media sites, and you definitely want to not only stay in the game, but become the front-runner!

Twitter provides a distinct form of communication that differs from all other channels.  Not each and every client interaction requires a long, drawn-out meeting.  If you have a point to make (perhaps as follow up to a previous meeting) or just want to share a brief message or tid-bit of relevant information, Twitter offers the perfect platform within which to do so. 

Twitter also offers you the opportunity to expand your following to those outside of your existing client base, thereby attracting prospective clients as well.

Here are a few tips for attracting quality followers on Twitter:

1. Start Following the People that You Want to Follow You:

Do some research in terms of potential leads and start following them.  Tweet something pertinent to them and let them know where they can connect with you via Twitter.  You might also want to follow other industry experts to share important tips and advice that you can “re-tweet” to your followers. 

And, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself.  The key word in the term social media is ‘social’.  Think of it as one global cocktail party.  It’s uncomplicated and very effective to make a personal introduction – and why not make an intelligent comment or ask a question.

2. Tweet Engaging & Interesting Content:

With only 140 characters per tweet, make them count.  It’s always a good idea to tweet an eclectic blend of information, from industry news to directional links to informative articles.  And, don’t be afraid to throw in the odd joke or humorous quote.  Remember, it’s a social network.  You want people to know that you are the best financial advisor around, but that you’re also human and very personable.  People will only want to do business with you if they genuinely like you.

3. Remain on Track:

With number 2 (above) being said, try to keep in mind that the main objective is to attract clients and prospects.  So, go ahead and be personable, but try to refrain from tweeting prolifically about the weekend adventures of your kids or pets.  A slight bit of this is okay – after all, you’re human – but that’s not why business contacts are following you. 

4. Join In Discussions on Twitter:

Getting in on industry relevant discussions is a great way for you to display your expertise.  Join in and show ‘em what you’ve got!  To find interesting topics of discussion, you can use the Twitter search feature or search by hashtag (i.e. #RRSPs or #capital #gains #tax).

5. Interact with & Listen to Your Followers:

In posting valuable, information-rich tweets, it’s only a matter time until you start attracting more and more followers.  Ensure that you are consistently paying attention to what your audience has to say:  what kind of questions are they asking?; what type of information are they looking for?  Always respond to queries as promptly and as informatively as possible, showcasing yourself as a valuable resource to your followers.

If you want to learn more about Twitter and about why, as a financial advisor, the time to start tweeting is now, come join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops.  Please see our schedule for a listing of workshops in your area and we’ll teach you everything you need to know:  http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

INCREASE YOUR MORTGAGE BUSINESS’ BOTTOM LINE WITH BLOGS

Blogging is probably the most underrated of all the social media.  Everyone has a Facebook account; everybody tweets and, as a mortgage professional, you hopefully have a LinkedIn profile set up by now (if not, then you’ll need to see some of my other blogs extolling the virtues of LinkedIn for the business professional).  But, blogging, although certainly coming into its own more and more, is not a social medium that as many people take advantage of as should.

Blogging is an excellent way to further develop your online presence as a means of establishing your brand.  In fact, your blog is, arguably, your brand!  Creating a blog and maintaining it by posting regularly is a great way to put yourself out there and demonstrate to your clients and prospects that you are a cut above the competition. 

Your blog positions you as the industry expert – one who truly takes the time to educate and impart crucial knowledge on others.  It’s really not enough anymore to simply post information on your website – your website is not updated on regular basis and it’s simply not feasible to include a wealth of updated information within your website.  A blog will offer you the capability of thoroughly branding yourself and lets you make a marked impression on everyone who reads it.  This, in turn, builds a sense of trust and reliability in you and your services.

Blogs are furthermore a great way of generating traffic and establishing your business online.  It’s therefore imperative that you post updated, fresh content on a habitual and frequent basis.  This will ensure SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for your brand, making you more visible to existing & potential clients, again, positioning you as the authority of the mortgage industry.

And, best of all, blogging, unlike traditional advertising & promotional methods and maintaining a website, will cost you nothing other than your time.  Yes, your time is valuable, but once you get going and start to become established, you’ll soon find that you have so many brilliant ideas for content, that you’ll actually have some fun with it! 

If you really want to look like a pro, try including some photos and/or videos within your blog posts.  Visually enhancing your blog will add an element of depth and increase interest among your audience.  You can use educational videos or photos illustrating your content as visual aids. 

To fully boost your SEO, be social!  Don’t forget to include links to your blog on your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.  Doing so will substantially increase traffic to your blog and, of course, your brand.

So, go ahead – get started, because the sooner you do, the sooner people will be searching you out for information on all things mortgage!   Need some help?  Just join one of our Social Media for Business workshops and we’ll teach you all you need to know to put together a truly remarkable blog that will be sure to ultimately increase your bottom line! 

Please visit  http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20  for a schedule of upcoming workshops in your area!