This post is the second in a two-part series on content marketing. Check out the first post here.
When it comes to content marketing as one of your insurance marketing strategies, our parent company NuGrowth Solutions said it best. Content marketing is about:
- Building relationships with customers and potential customers, and
- Increasing your search engine optimization
Keep these two elements in mind when it comes to creating and sharing your content.
Get more insurance marketing strategies in our post on Insurance Agency Marketing You Can Actually Do
Coming Up with Content
Creating content can be the most significant barrier for most independent agencies. When thinking about what to write, consider the following:
- Think like your customers: What are your customers looking for? What do they want to know? Create customer profiles for your different audiences, giving them names, personalities, and other elements to make them feel real.
- Check your site stats: See which pages and pieces of content are clicked on and downloaded the most. Use this information to inform what is most relevant to your audience and capitalize on that.
- Look at other agencies and industry influencers: Take a look at what others are writing about and what people are sharing most to get ideas on topics.
Find industry influencers with these Top 5 Insurance Blogs to Follow
- Talk to your staff: Look to those with direct customer contact – namely agents and CSRs – to find out what people are asking about most often. Write to answer those questions
- Show off your people: Customer or employee profiles and other pieces focused on people are always a winner. People-focused stories help prospects and customers connect and are more likely to be shared.
Spreading and Tracking Content
Once you’ve got content rolling, the next move is getting it out to the public. Some of the best ways to spread your content include:
- Adding it to your newsletter
- Sharing it on social media and encouraging staff and clients to share it, too
- Including social sharing buttons on content pieces
- Linking to influencers and letting them know, asking them to share the piece with their audience
Make your website know with these tips to Getting Your Website Seen and Heard
Finally, in order to understand what’s working, you’ll need to track your content. Get a handle on where your content’s going and how it’s performing by:
- Checking your website stats to see what’s most useful and engaging to users
- Making some of your content accessible only after users provide contact info (this also helps in gaining leads)
- Tying it to marketing automation to assess engagement and see what’s working best
Find and hone your marketing strategy by defining and tracking your initiatives
Make the Conversation Simpler with the Partner Platform
The power of content marketing lies in its ability to build a relationship with a prospect long before they reach out. We’ve worked with our partner agencies to channel that power into the systems they’re already using, promoting conversation and connection.
That connection is manifested in the Partner Platform: a powerful all-in-one sales and service platform linking our robust Partner XE agency management system and Partner XL sales and marketing tool. Partner Platform’s new marketing automation manager contains powerful workflows to help you keep up the conversation and build the relationship, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Find out more about Partner XE, Partner XL, and the integrated Partner Platform. Visit us at sispartnerplatform.com and get in touch with an SIS team member today.
Sarah Deak has been contributing to the SIS team since 2013, covering topics like agency perpetuation, workflow improvements, data security, and marketing. She has a background in small business, working with organizations to improve their online presence and client engagement. Sarah also writes for the SIS newsletters and website, and counts herself lucky to hear from our many passionate, hard-working clients for our client stories. Her favorite part about working for SIS are the dedicated, service-minded people.