So Your Agency Wants to Start a Blog

by Ryan Hanley
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You recently read somewhere (maybe the Albany Insurance Professional) that blogging can be an amazingly rewarding experience for an Insurance Agency.  And now you want to start an Agency Blog.  But where do you start?

  1. Call an Uber expensive marketing/design firm
  2. Ask your 17 year-old nephew
  3. Spend a half-hour reviewing a few social media professionals’ blogs

My advice would be #3.  There is so much quality information on the Internet about “How to Blog” the problem becomes not How, but Who.  As in who do you use as a resource to help you create a quality professional blog.

No matter how large or small your Agency is, taking a few minutes to review the comments and theories of Industry Leading Bloggers could be an eye-opening experience.  The following list of blogging professionals will provide a good jumping off point for the “To Blog or Not to Blog” decision.

Bloggers that Just Might Blow Your Mind:

  • Chris Brogan – Chris Brogan is President of New Marketing Labs, a new media marketing agency, and home of the Inbound Marketing Summit conferences and Inbound Marketing Bootcamp educational events. He works with large and mid-sized companies to improve online business communications like marketing and PR through the use of social software, community platforms, and other emerging web and mobile technologies.
  • Michael Hyatt – I am the Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest Christian publishing company in the world and the seventh largest trade book publishing company in the U.S.  This is my personal blog. It is focused on “intentional leadership.” My philosophy is that if you are going to lead well, you must be thoughtful and purposeful about it.
  • John Jantsch – John Jantsch has been called the World’s Most Practical Small Business Expert for consistently delivering real-world, proven small business marketing ideas and strategies.

There are so many more quality bloggers out there, but the above list will get you started.  These four “probloggers” that I (as an amateur) enjoy and respect for their understanding of the Blog World.

Anyone who would like to add additional resources please list them in the Comments section below.

Disclaimer:

This article is for informational purposely only. There is no legal advice being suggested or proffered and the author assumes no responsibility or liability for the actions take or not taken by the readers based upon such information.

Thank you,

Ryan H.

For more information on increasing your insurance acumen, subscribe to the RSS Feed or my Email Newsletter. Follow me on Twitter, connect to me on LinkedIn, or Like the Albany Insurance Professional on Facebook.

If you would like to discuss receiving a proposal for either your personal or business insurance program email me, or call me at (518) 456-6688.

Read my syndicated post on Health Insurance originally published to Under30CEO.com 4 Pieces of Advice on Health Insurance for Entrepreneurs.

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About Ryan Hanley

I passionately believe learning to effectively communicate online will help each of us to become the best version of ourselves...

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  • http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

    Debbie, Thank you so much! The barriers of the Insurance “Old Regime” has put up will eventually fall and the internet will be embraced in a widespread manner… However, those that will succeed will be the ones that put themselves out there first build credibility when no one else is…

    Have a great Holiday!

  • Debbbie Russell

    I have over 30 yrs. experience in marketing with various insurance carriers. This soft market is probably the new norm and agents are all fighting for the same business. The smart ones like Ryan have figured out that they cannot continue to market to a prospect in the same old way. They must engage & communicate where their customers are and provide them with valuable information. Branding your name with a blog shows that you are an insurance professional that can help them. Agents that adapt and figure this out will be the ones that succeed. I was so happy to find someone that “gets it”.

  • http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

    Lori,

    That is a great point. Just having a blog is not the answer, you have to have something to say and the ability to say.

    Thanks for the Comment!

  • http://twitter.com/LoriWidmer Lori Widmer

    Ryan, it also takes someone who understands how to engage the readership and present relevant topics. I've been doing this for a number of years for various insurance clients. A bit of enthusiasm and the right voice is essential, as well.

    If you as an agency owner cannot come up with topics, hire a writer. A veteran blog writer can get you the copy you need and help you drive traffic to the site.

  • http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

    Lori,

    That is a great point. Just having a blog is not the answer, you have to have something to say and the ability to say.

    Thanks for the Comment!

  • http://twitter.com/LoriWidmer Lori Widmer

    Ryan, it also takes someone who understands how to engage the readership and present relevant topics. I've been doing this for a number of years for various insurance clients. A bit of enthusiasm and the right voice is essential, as well.

    If you as an agency owner cannot come up with topics, hire a writer. A veteran blog writer can get you the copy you need and help you drive traffic to the site.

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  • http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

    Rick,

    Thanks for adding Amber to the list of fantastic resources…

  • http://rickmorganconsulting.com rickjmiv

    I would add Amber Naslund to your list: http://altitudebranding.com/

    She is smart and understands the challenges businesses face and provides a wealth of great info.

  • InsuranceNick

    My favorite “marketing” blog is http://www.briansolis.com (written by the Principal at FutureWorks). He weaves theory and research with case studies and best practices to provide knowledge on social media and the evolving nature of communication and how it relates to marketing. Well worth an RSS feed.

  • http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

    That is a great point! Hosting your own blog makes an enormous difference in SEO and Editing Features from running a blog off of WordPress or Blogger. Thank you for great insight!

  • insurancepaper

    Looks like you hit it on the head. One suggestion would be: If you are going to be serious at blogging…I would start off with self hosting your blog. Don't sign up for a free account at wordpress.com. This will save a lot of head aches down the road.

  • http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

    Thank you for both your vote and these additional resources!

  • http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

    Thanks! If you think of anyone that should be added please post them in comments!

  • http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

    Drew, I send you a connection request today. I look forward exchanging ideas!

  • Drew

    Ryan,

    I was talking with Eric Narcisco a few weeks back and think you are on the right track.

    Visit my linked in page and let's compare notes.

    Drew Sanders

  • http://basicblogtips.com Ileane

    Hi Ryan,

    You’ve got just about everybody covered but here’s 2 more.
    http://www.howtomakemyblog.com/ from Marko Saric is full of great resources and my personal favorite is Lisa Irby’s http://blog.2createawebsite.com/. She has a lot of blog related content and some of the best videos on YouTube.

    Thanks for the post! I’ll vote for it on BlogEngage.