Ready to use your website to bring in more business? You have a modern, responsive website with a blog where you can publish content regularly. You’re on the right track.
Keeping your website updated with fresh content positions your agency as an authoritative source in your specific niche while also making search engines happy.
But is your content working as hard for you as it should be?
Anyone can throw something up on their site to fill the pages and keep the blogs rolling out, but paying attention to the quality of your content is the very thing that can set you apart from the competition and make you an authority for potential and existing clients. Which can be the difference between gaining leads or not.
Why is Content Important?
The design and style of your website give your brand an identity, but your content tells the story of who you are and lets clients know what your business brings to the table.
But it can’t be all about your agency.
Publishing content that is braggadocious, critical of other agencies or sales-y brings no value. Providing existing and potential clients with content that can be of use to them does.
One way to ensure that you are using content for the benefit of your insurance business is to ask yourself if it is adding value to the conversation. To successfully create quality content you need to identify your audience, learn what they want, and curate content that delivers it in an engaging and informative way.
Neil Patel, New York Times bestselling author and marketing guru says, “If brands can develop an effective strategy for creating content based on proper understanding of their target audience, they’ll not only drive leads but will also increase sales.”
Identify your niche, curate content that makes you stand out as an authority.
How Often Should You Publish New Content?
Many brands and businesses understand the importance of publishing new content. But they often forget one key thing - that consistent content is crucial for establishing credibility. Consistently publishing new content helps establish you as a thought-leader in your industry.
Producing consistent content is one of the biggest challenges facing businesses. According to a 2015 B2B Content Marketing Report, 50% of respondents named “producing content consistently” as their biggest content marketing challenge. (What, you thought you were alone?)
When it comes to how often to publish, remember this: consistency = credibility.
It’s not enough to put out a new blog post whenever you get around to it. If you want to be seen as an authority in your field, publish new content regularly.
How do You Determine What Content Your Audience Wants?
The first step is learning who your audience is.
Do you specialize in contractor insurance, personal insurance, or business insurance? Identifying your primary audience and creating content that answers their questions makes you an asset. Create content that is meaningful to them and you will become a trusted resource.
You position yourself as an authority now and they will come to you when they need your services later. When it comes to marketing, providing helpful content for your clients is a much more authoritative way to show your value than with ‘buy now’ hit-them-over-the-head marketing tactics.
It’s much easier to sell to someone who is interested in your product than it is to sell to someone who isn’t.
For instance, compiling a list all of the questions that construction professionals bring to you when they get a quote for contractor general liability, you can then create a blog post or video blog which answers those questions.
Incorporating thoughtful, helpful content in order to establish your agency as a trusted resource for existing clients and potential leads is the smart way to market your business.
But how do you get all this content in front of your audience?
How to Distribute Your Content
Social media is the perfect forum to share your carefully curated content. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that social media can help you reach a widespread audience.
Not only do internet users now have an average of 7 social accounts (which is up from a 3 social account average in 2012), but 97% of online adults aged 16-64 say they have visited or used a social network within the last month. Still reigning supreme, 79% of US internet users log in to Facebook.
Have a new blog post on your website? Post it directly on your social channels, providing a resource to both potential leads and existing clients.
Social media isn’t the only place where you can distribute your content, either.
Whenever you have a freshly published piece of content, you can email it to your prospect list, as well. Email is a great way to hand-deliver the answers your prospects may be looking for directly to their inbox.
Consistently publish content that’s tailored to the questions, needs, and pain-points of your specific audience and you’ll find yourself with a brand new tool for marketing your insurance business. Want more leads? Get more content. It’s really that simple.