Many people live by a set of standards- and that is what makes a person who they are. Your blogs are the same way! Each and every post should follow a set of standards. This way, your posts will not only be credible and informative, but also give your company a voice. This is an important part of your insurance marketing efforts; you will be rewarded for great content!

I present to you, The 10 Blogging Commandments:

#1: Thou shall not plagiarize. The worst thing that any blogger can do is use someone else’s words. The purpose of your blog is to show readers the company’s voice. Using others’ work is a sure way to ruin your reputation.

#2: Thou shall keep posts positive. No one wants to feel sad after reading a blog post. Insurance may seem like a drag but it does not have to be! Yes, life insurance is a somber topic, but it’s simple to turn it into something positive: give health tips or even ways to zap stress.

#3: Thou shall keep content fresh. Re-using the same blogging topics over and over again? Spend an hour brainstorming topics that work for the season, or even current events. Stale content is sure to keep your readers from coming back for more.

#4: You shall edit all your work. There is nothing worse than reading a blog with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Very unprofessional!

#5: Thou shall not link profusely. Too many links in your post will not only look spammy, but it really IS spammy. Keep the links to a minimum (2-3).

#6: Thou shall bookmark every post. Your posts deserve to be read, and not just from your website! Bookmark your posts on sites such as Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, and Delicious.

#7: You shall accept all feedback. Receive a negative comment? Don’t start an internet war! Be sure to address the comment in a professional manner.

#8: Thou shall show love. Find other bloggers and comment! If you do not put yourself out there as a human being, people will not bother to give you feedback. It’s important to reciprocate.

#9: Thou shall respect a day of rest. No need to be excessive about blogging. Three times a week is usually a good place to be, once a day at most. Take weekends off!

#10: Thou shall not give false facts. All your information and posts should be backed by credible sources. Your words are powerful and your readers will take them seriously. Any false information that you post will be held against you!

If you follow these simple guidelines, your blogging efforts will take off, and pay off! Any questions or comments, please feel free to ask. We are always here to help- now go spread your words!

Think about your favorite band- why is it that they are so successful? Is it their cool hair or their killer vocals? It is probably a mix of both- but there is a lot more to it! Now think about YOUR business. Of course you have been working on your insurance marketing strategies and incorporating social media into your marketing plan. However, are you truly using social media to its fullest potential? Believe it or not- but a good social media strategy is a lot like your favorite band’s strategy.

#1: Patience. Do you think that U2 just became famous over night? No way! Having patience is key in the social media world. You may not have many fans and followers in the first few weeks but if you keep posting, interacting and searching- you will grow!

#2: Originality. Like 311 says, you have to “Come Original” if you want to be heard. In your case, this will mean having an original site, slogan and even original blog posts! If your business is different from the rest, people will remember you and be intrigued.

#3: Time. If you do not have time to update your social sites, it may be time to hire someone who does, or even hire an intern. You need time to build relationships, connect and communicate. Logging on for 10 minutes every morning is not going to cut it. Busy bands do not have the time to promote, so they hire someone!

#4: Open. Show your followers what is going on in your company. Post pictures of company events or blog about future plans. It’s important to keep them involved! Take a lesson from blink-182; every hour or so they update their Twitter AND Facebook with pictures from the tour, their bus and current status. Fans love it!

#5: Visual. What is one of the best parts of a rock show? The light show! You need to WOW your clients with your social site presentation. Use colors that represent your company on Twitter. For Facebook, be sure to add your favorite pages and show the world that you are much more than a business page…you are a real person and a friend!

#6: Consistent. If a band does not put out music every few years, they may fall off the radar. Same with your company! If you tweet once a month, you are going to fall off your follower’s radar. It’s important to update daily and keep content fresh.

These few tips are sure to lead to success. The main goal for a band is to build an audience- and that is exactly what you have to do on your social media accounts. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+…whatever you use- they are sure to boost your business. But without an audience, there would be no show. So keep your audiences coming back for more!  Once you have done that, then you are a true social media rock star!

Okay- so you have been blogging for months now and you still don’t seem to have many readers. What gives? There are a number of reasons why your blog may not be doing very well. Sometimes it takes time to gain a good audience and you need to be patient. But many times, you could actually be the problem. But have no fear! I am here to help with you with your insurance marketing strategies and find the core issue.

Here are 10 blogging mistakes you may not know you are making:

#1: Boring content. This is the number one killer in the world of blogging. Boring and dry content will never get you readers. Don’t be afraid to incorporate some humor in your posts, or even pop culture. Write about things that people WANT to read. Tips & advice are always good go-to topics as well.

#2: Too personal. Your business blog is not a place for you to vent about the fight you and your spouse had last night. This is a place to build relationships with clients! And please, stop blogging about your dog.

#3: Poor grammar. There is nothing worse than looking like a 7-year old wrote your blog. Always go through and make sure all your words are spelled correctly- spell check doesn’t always catch mistakes!

#4: Title lacks creativity. If your title is boring, why would anyone want to click your link? This is your chance to grab your readers’ attention- so don’t mess it up!

#5: Not replying to comments. If your readers comment, it’s time to be social. You can’t just hide behind your blogs…come out and play. Engage with your readers and you will be rewarded with followers.

#6: Repetition. If you have recently blogged about car tips, then lay off the car tips for a week or so. If you do not switch up your content, readers will get bored.

#7: No SEO efforts. There is a fine line between too much and too little. Of course you do not want to seem spammy, so it is best to link only a few keywords (2-3 at the most). But not linking at all is sure to hurt your blog efforts.

#8: Not blogging enough. Not blogging enough is a sure way to lose followers. People will become disinterested in your once a month post.

#9: Blogging too much. Ha! See that? Blogging too much is also an issue. You need to find a happy-medium. Blogging 5 times a day is only going to look like spam. Three times a week should be fine…once a day at the most.

#10: All about you. If you constantly blog about your business and how great your business is, people are going to stop reading. You must blog for your readers, and incorporate your company in subtly. So keep it interesting!

Blogging should be fun for you and fun for your audience to read. If you do not keep content fresh and interesting, your audience is never going to grow. I promise, if you take in these blogging mistakes and re-evaluated your efforts, you will be sure to see an improvement. Just don’t give up! Now go forth and blog your little hearts out (but don’t overdo it!)

Of course you are part of the social media world- you know how important it is! So you comment, post and interact with others and their positive comments, posts, re-tweets, and “likes” always make your day at work worth it! Now think for a second- what would you do if suddenly your audience was gone? Suddenly, there is no one following you and no one is interested in what you have to say. There is no doubt that would be devastating!

If you do not take the time to interact with your clients, this will happen! It’s time to embrace your followers. These are the people who are hearing you out. They are there for encouragement and support and they deserve to be recognized. Whether you are on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, there are so many ways to show your appreciation. Here a few ideas from to get you started—think of it as a quick social network training tutorial!

On Facebook:

-Send an inbox to a client you haven’t heard from in a while

-Comment on a client’s victory or “like” it

-Give your opinion when a client asks for one via status

-Share a funny Youtube video and watch everyone’s reactions

-Share a link to someone you know will appreciate it. Put it on their wall!

-Start a poke war with a good friend! (Hey- it’s there. Let’s use it folks)

On Twitter:

-Send a personal “thank you” in a direct message

-RT a follower’s post that you found funny or interesting

-Start a random conversation with a @follower you haven’t heard from in a while

-Ask a question to generate conversation- serious or silly. Example: “Who watched last night’s episode of Family Guy??”

-Ask your followers for advice. Example: “What book should I read next?”

On LinkedIn:

-Send an inbox over to a new connection saying hello

-Work with one of your connections? Give them a great recommendation for their page

-Refer a friend to one of your connections

-Like/Comment on an update in your feed that speaks to you

It’s clear that there are many ways to show your appreciation to your social sphere. Now, do it! They do not call it SOCIAL MEDIA for nothing! Your audience will appreciate your gestures and will be sure to reciprocate. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you grow in the world of marketing. You may not see results over night, but the more involved you are with your audience, the more people will respect you and your business. Ready, set, grow!

So you have a Twitter! Now what? Many people have the misconception that Twitter is just updating your status…and who really wants to read about each other’s state of mind? The reality is, Twitter is much more than that.  Twitter is a way to build a community with people who have the same interests as you. It invites you to share what you have to say with people who are actually interested! Whether you use Twitter to stay in touch with friends or for insurance marketing, you should know how to utilize its tools and make the most of your account. Here are 10 ways to get your Tweeting on!

#1: Be inviting. Sure- you can just keep adding a bunch of people who are in the same field as you. Or you can take the time to get to know these people! Every once in a while, send a friendly message over—even if it is just to say thanks for the follow. Your followers will be happy to see that you are taking the time to actually communicate with them.

#2: Re-Tweet. This is considered a compliment in the Twitter world! Re-tweeting not only shows people that you are interested in what they had to say, but connect with them. And YES you have to actually know what you are re-tweeting.

#3: Be Human. A few things fall under this category. First, don’t just spit out links all day. People would like to know that there is actually a personable and caring person behind the username! It’s important to incorporate a few random thoughts or even highlight some of the days interesting events. People will be able to relate with you on a greater level than if you just link back to your sites and work. Second, if you get a response to something, respond back! Trust me, people love getting replies. Yes- it makes them feel special! And don’t try to be cool…you know you enjoy seeing your name with an @ in front of it!

#4: Become a slave to the trends. Trending topics are seen with the hash tag (#) in front of them. Use them! If you want your post to be seen by others, this is a great way to do so. It’s a great way to connect with users who have similar interests as you.

#5: Time your tweets. Okay so we KNOW you want to market and post every link to everything you do. However, no one wants to scroll for 2 minutes with just your face and a link next to it. Find a schedule that works for you! Maybe send out 2 links in the morning and then another few around lunch.

#6: Jazz up your bio. This is your chance to share who YOU are to your followers. Don’t make it sound like you are a workaholic! Write about your interests and share a few quirky facts about yourself.

#7: Picture perfect. A picture is just as important as your bio. No one wants to be friends with the giant egg. This will make others feel like you do not take your Twitter account seriously. Your company’s logo is also not a good way to go. Your followers want to see YOU. Give them what they want!

#8: Incorporate humor. Being serious all the time never got anyone anywhere. It’s important to amuse your audience! Tweet a line from a funny movie or something funny that has happened in the office. Score more points with a funny joke or riddle for all to solve. Show your followers what you got!

#9: Tweet regularly. If you do not keep up with your tweeting, people may assume you are inactive. This doesn’t mean you have to spend all your free time and weekends tweeting about your life, but it doesn’t hurt to open up outside of work hours sometimes! If you don’t feel like going on your computer, think about getting Twitter for your mobile device. Makes tweeting on the go easy!

#10: Reach out. Don’t just wait for people to come to you. Send an @ message to one of your followers and ask how they have been. Sending a direct message is also a nice way to reach out. Show people that you care!

Twitter success is not going to happen overnight! It takes a lot of time and patience with your followers. As long as you reach out to others, you are sure to become build a fan base and connect with others in your field of interest. Happy Tweeting!

Blogging is becoming more and more involved in the world of marketing.  But as you can imagine, it’s not always easy for companies to work on their own blogs.  Sure, they can hire astonishing companies to add to their blog weekly but what’s better than reading a blog written from the actual company itself? My mission today is to allow you to see how much fun blogging can really be! No, you don’t have to sit and stare at a blank Word document until something comes to you.  Blogging is so much more than that.  It’s important to be inspired and truly feel what you are writing about. The best content will flow from your mind onto a piece of paper (or in these times, a Word doc!) without interruption.  I know what you’re thinking— it’s easy for me to sit here and babble away because I am a writer.  Yes, I went to school for writing because I’d much rather write a 25 page thesis than take a 2-page multiple choice exam.  However, all the schooling in the world cannot make a writer a GOOD writer.  It takes time, patience, and a little bit of creativity!

Here are a few tips that are sure to make blogging more enjoyable:

#1: Listen to inspiring music. This is my favorite tip because it works! Sometimes just one song will spark an idea. One word, one phrase or even the tune can get those creative juices flowing.  Put your iPod on low while you blog.  Keep it loud enough to block out any commotion around you but quiet enough so you don’t drown out your own thoughts. Also, listening to music you enjoy has been proven to improve your overall mood. A happy state of mind will do wonders for a writer.

#2: Start with a notepad and pen. It’s that simple.  Staring blankly at bright computer screen will not only hurt your eyes but will be discouraging.  Start by scribbling a few thoughts here and there.  By scattering out a few ideas, you can draw lines and make more sense of your thoughts.  Once you feel you have enough to work with, it’s time to face Microsoft Word.

#3: Be yourself. Find your TRUE voice. Nothing is worse than reading something that just sounds uncomfortable.  Don’t try and choose words you wouldn’t normally use to sound more intelligent.  Big words will most likely sound out of place and mess up your flow.  Just type the way you would speak.  If it needs some tailoring, go over it when you have finished.

#4: Blog outdoors. Laying outside on a nice day not only will boost your mood, but it will hardly feel like you are working! Not an outdoorsy person? It’s okay! Just find a place where you feel at ease.  Maybe it’s in a library, or maybe even in your own bedroom.  Wherever you prefer is up to you, just make sure to find a happy blogging place.

#5: Look at artsy or funny pictures online. Like music, art can move you.  Looking at certain colors has been proven to affect your mood.  As for funny pictures— well that explains itself.  It could even be a Youtube video! As long as you are looking at positive inspiration, you are bound to get those creative gears in motion.

#6: Write about what you know. Don’t know anything about how a motorcycle works? Don’t write about it.  However, you do know a thing or two about safety. Your “voice” will come off as confident if you blog about something you are familiar with.

#7: Share personal experiences. What’s better than writing about something that you experienced first-hand? You know every little detail and that will aid you in blogging.  People are interested in other’s experiences.  If you don’t feel comfortable sharing, fictionalize it! No will ever know that you are speaking from experience with a few tweaks. Your life is more interesting than you think!

#8: Watch a movie. A comedy, drama, romance…doesn’t matter! Choose a favorite and pop it in.  Pay attention to the plot and dilemmas the main character may face.  Chances are, you will find an interesting topic to blog about!

#9: Play with fonts and colors. Times New Roman in black is a wonderful way to remind yourself of those 10-page college (and high school) essays. It wasn’t fun then and it’s not fun now. Find an interesting font that appeals to you.  When writing, play around with bolding, italics and even colors to get your points across.

#10: Don’t be afraid to take a break. You may tell yourself that you MUST sit and finish this blog if it’s the last thing you do. I’m here to tell you, DO NOT. You are only setting yourself up for failure.  Negative energy will show in your writing and it will end up sounding forced and bland.  If you are truly at a writer’s block, step away!  Take a walk, do laundry, watch television, do anything that will pull your mind out of blogging. When you come back, you can reread what you have written and start again.  Sometimes all it takes is a break to regroup your thoughts.

#11: Engage with other bloggers. By reading and commenting on other blogger’s work, you are not only picking up on some of their techniques, but gaining a fan!  You will be surprised how many bloggers will reciprocate with comments if you start to follow their work.  That way, you can both learn a thing or two about blogging through each other’s  feedback!

Next time you sit down, think back to these tips. You are guaranteed to build a new and better relationship with writing.  Happy blogging!

Monitoring your social media campaigns can very easily become an addiction, and a waste of time, if you do not have the correct goals and boundaries in place.  There is always the temptation of straying from the path when you see something interesting on the social network you are working on at the moment, all I can say is stay strong and re-focus on the task at hand.  By effectively screening your social profiles you will be able to capitalize and improve upon the following results:

• Boosted rankings in the search engines
• Bring in more qualified leads
• Increase business/brand exposure
• Drive more traffic to your website
• Improve sales
• Decrease marketing costs

In order to reap the benefits of monitoring your social channels there are a few things that must be put in place.

Making the decision to incorporate Pay-Per-Click Advertising into your marketing strategy can open a whole other world of possibilities for generating leads that you would not likely reach through traditional media.  It is important to build a sound foundation of what you want to accomplish with PPC before you begin creating your campaign.  With many different options to to customize your campaign you want to be clear about a number of details as you brainstorm, below are some tips to help guide you in the right direction.

A Google Place Page is a web page dedicated to your business listing, where you provide information about your organization to the people who search for you or keywords relevant to you.  It is very important that you claim your Google Place Page and display the necessary information needed to give the viewer the best possible experience.   There are a number of ways you can create a great listing, but some are more obvious than others.  Below are some helpful tips for optimizing your Place Page for Local Search.

“How can digital marketing help grow my agency?” This is a very common question these days among independent insurance agents. If you missed the Astonish Results and NetVU Webinar last week on Sales and Training tactics for your agency, it can be viewed in its entirety below. During the webinar we answered the question, but first we had to define digital marketing.  Digital marketing is a bit different from traditional marketing (radio, TV and Print).  While traditional marketing is geared toward mass advertising (spray and pray methods), digital marketing is a purpose-driven, metric-minded approach to marketing a product or service to the “modern consumer.”
The modern consumer consists of 85%-90% of ALL consumers who search online FIRST before buying any product or service.  In order to effectively market to the modern consumer of today, you must have a plan.

Digital marketing is a blended strategy comprised of a lead generating website, effective email marketing, a consistent social media strategy, and a solid Search Engine Optimization initiative. This coupled with strong agency leadership, the right people and process and incredible sales skills will help pave the road for future success.

Astonish Results has a passion to help independent insurance agents grow their business.  It’s so important that independent agencies adapt to the ever-changing landscape around them and adopt the available digital marketing strategies to truly market and communicate more effectively to today’s modern consumer.

See the full recorded webinar on sales and training for the independent insurance agency here.