Blogging For Client Retention - Part 2

Hooray, you've decided to add blogging to your repertoire for 2012! I'm proud of you for making such a wise decision, now let's talk about a few tips on how you actually get it done. Blogs do NOT have to be painstaking or take an abundance of your time. In fact, you can put out 2 blogs a month (that's 24 client touches a year) in less than an hour! Here are some practical tips to get your blog up and running:

1. Where To Blog: The first thing you need is a place to do your blogging. I don't mean a place to write, like a coffee shop vs. your office, I'm talking about a place to host your blogs where people can go to find them on line. The easiest and most user friendly place for people new to blogging (or even not so new) has got to be blogger.com. It's designed and set up to get you blogging in a matter of minutes with a couple of clicks and it's completely free. You get to name your blog whatever you want AND you can have as many different blogs as you want.
2. What To Blog About: Once you get your free account up and running (2 minutes), it's time to start picking the topics for your blogs. This is very easy to do for at least the first 50 or so posts. Put a pad of paper next to your phone at the office. Every time a client calls in with a question write it down on your pad of paper and then answer it in your blog. Clients ask the same questions over and over again, you might as well type the answer once and then send the answers out to all of your clients before they get around to asking you. You can also find a topic or two every month just by paying attention to the news and posting about an insurance topic you see come up in the headlines.
3. How To Write: Make sure you write the blog as if you were talking to one person. Imagine yourself sitting across from your favorite client and answering their question and type it out as if you were talking. You want your blogs to be very readable AND you want them to have your personality sprinkled throughout so that your clients can actually hear you talking when they're reading your blog.
4. It's Not Just About The Words: Spice up your blog and break it up with a photo or video. It's easy to add both with blogger by clicking the image or video icons on the tool bar.
5. You're Not Writing A Novel: People don't have the time or desire to read an insurance book, so keep your posts short and sweet. Think "Reader's Digest." Keep your articles short enough to read in 3 minutes AND try to throw in a personal story or experience every once in a while to let your clients get to know you better.

That's it! A few simple steps and a few tips to follow and you'll be a blogging pro in no time. There's one last tip to make sure you follow, don't give up! Blogging is something you do on a regular, on-going basis as a way to communicate and retain your clients and build strong relationships. You can't do that if you write a blog or two and then quit. Commit to making it a normal part of your agency and it'll take you a long way!

Good luck and good blogging,

Robert Edgin

Blogging For Client Retention - Part 1

Blogging is easier than you think, and more beneficial than you probably realize. I actually don't blog because it brings me new clients. I don't blog because people are searching for an agent based on the quality of their writing. I blog because it gives me an opportunity and a reason to touch my clients.

Every time I communicate with my clients our relationship is strengthened. Every time they read an article I've written I become a more valuable resource in their life. And isn't that what we're after with our clients, a strong relationship and to be seen as a trusted advisor - a valuable resource?

Blogging will increase your retention and is so incredibly simple that everyone should be writing an article or two every month! Take a look at what some simple articles can do for you. These are the stats from my blog, which was viewed 912 times last month! That's 912 viewings that let my clients know they're dealing with a professional that has the knowledge and experience to take care of them!

You don't have to be a professional writer in order to put out articles that will educate and inform your clients. You just need to follow a few simple rules and tips for blogging success:

1. Don't use your blog for sales pitches! The whole point of your blog is to demonstrate your knowledge and professionalism, NOT to try and sell something. There's plenty of opportunities to sell your clients what they need to protect their families. Your blog is not one of them!
2. Answer Client's Questions! The easiest things to write about are the things your clients are always asking you to explain. Start writing down the questions your clients ask you each day at the office and if you simply answer the questions in writing you'll have a never ending supply of things to blog about - things your clients WANT TO KNOW any way!
3. Use Client Stories! People love to read stories, and I'm sure you have some client stories that show the value of using your agency and having the proper protection for when things go wrong. You probably have examples of clients NOT having the proper coverage as well, which can also serve as very educational articles and motivate people to get the right coverage for their family.
4. Keep It Short And Sweet! Don't feel like you have to write 10 paragraphs in order to deliver value to your clients. Think Reader's Digest! People have a short attention span and anything that takes longer than 3-5 minutes to get through probably won't be finished. If you need to break an article into multiple articles (part 1, part 2, etc) people will come back to read part 2 much more often than sticking around for 10 minutes to read a lengthy 1 part article.

I'll give you some practical tips on setting up your blog in part 2 of blogging for client retention, which I'll put out in a few days! I promise, it's worth the effort, especially since it takes a lot less effort than you probably think. For examples of articles, you can check out my blog at www.myinsuranceguys.blogspot.com.

Robert Edgin