No April Blogging Topics This Month? April Fools!

Of course we have blogging topics to share with you for the month of April! Have we Insurance Bloggers ever let you down before? This month, we have 10 new topics for you to tackle. Keeping up with your blogging strategy is important for a couple reasons:

1. It keeps content fresh on your website.
2. It will keep readers coming back for more!

If next month begins to bring April showers, do not feel too bad. Turn a rainy day into a blogging day! You can start with these topics:
#1: April Fools is coming quickly! Why not come up with a few crazy April Fool pranks and post them?
#2: The second week of April is National Garden Week! Have fun with a gardening post, with tips, tricks and advice. A fun post will always improve your blog.
#3: April is Stress Awareness Month. You can write up a post about the harmful health effects of too much stress, provide tips on how to lower stress, etc. This can easily be linked to health or even life insurance.
#4: Does your agency sell insurance for watercrafts, RVs, motorcycles, ATVs and the likes? Now is a great time to post about safety, state regulations and other tips and advice. You should also remind readers to update their policy (or purchase one!) Spring toys are coming out to play sooner than later!
#5: Spring cleaning, anyone? There is a lot that one could write about in terms of spring cleaning, from organizational tips to throwing a successful yard sale. If you want to focus more on insurance for this, you can incorporate liability into a yard sale post or you could remind homeowners to update their home inventory lists as they clean.
#6: April 6^th is National Drowsy Driver Awareness Day – great for auto insurance posts. This is an alarming issue out on the road!
#7: The IRS Tax filing deadline is April 15, 2013. You may want to remind your readers a little early and even offer a few money-saving tips and tricks.
#8: Looking for a fun, recipe post? It’s National Pecan Month. I think you know where we are going with this!
#9: Earth Day is Monday, April 22. Promote local events, efforts and tips on your blog.
#10: Many motorcyclists may be dusting off their bikes for spring weather ahead. Now would be a good time to post about motorcycle safety, rules and regulations, local courses, local routes, etc. Motorcycle insurance for riders is the car insurance for drivers – necessary!
I hope that you have found these topics helpful, as always. If you have any ideas to add, feel free to do so in the comment section. Both myself and our viewers will appreciate the extra feedback!

What Kind of Insurance Agency do You Want to Run?

As an insurance leader, you always want to be proud of the work you do. The success of your company will be based on the effort you put in, the team you have behind you, and the community you support. How can you run the insurance agency of your dreams? By designing a culture everyone can prosper in and connecting with your customers on an authentic level.

Providing insurance products to a local community isn’t always easy. You need to understand their perspective and cater to their specific requirements. Establishing a strong insurance marketing strategy is a good place to start, but you must also have a team of dedicated, hard working professionals. Thinking about what you want in an employee can help you determine the type of agency you want to create:

• Think about the type of person you want to hire.
• Create a checklist of your perfect employee.
• Hire someone with confidence, understanding of the industry and how it is changing, and has the same organizational goals as you.
• After hiring a person, help them succeed through personal growth.

Once you have quality employees in your office, your next task is to gain quality customers. Here are some ways you can build a positive reputation and keep it:

• As you gain clientele, honor the promises you make on the products you offer them. This way, you can build a community based on reliability.
• If you make a mistake, own up to it. By solving the problem quickly, you can remain honest and trustworthy to your customers.
• Be thoughtful to your employees and customers. You can not only gain their appreciation, but respect as well, which is important when running a local insurance agency.
• When customers have questions, they expect you to answer them in a timely manner. Stay on top of your customer service so you can satisfy and meet their needs when something unexpected occurs.

Hopefully these tips get your excited about running a local insurance agency you can be proud of! Actively communicating with your customers and engaging your employees will help create an environment based on trust. Doing this all on your own is not the answer. Having supporters who appreciate your hard work and rely on your honest services is the way to reach the success you want to achieve.

“Spring” Into Social Media This Season!

Since we have already covered April blogging topics, it is time to spring into social media posting. Are you keeping up with your social media strategy? We sure hope so. As long as you keep up with your social efforts, we will keep on cranking out ideas for you!
Here are 15 social media posts for the month of April:

1. TODAY is April Fools! Time to trick your fans and followers – just remember to say APRIL FOOLS!
2. April is National Humor Month – it wouldn’t hurt to crack a few jokes every once in a while to make your viewers chuckle.
3. Have you been blogging this month? ALWAYS REMEMBER to blast the link to your blog posts out on your Facebook and Twitter pages. This will drive viewers to your website.
4. April is Lawn and Garden Month – tips anyone?
5. April 7^th is World Health Day. Post a fun health fact or motivation health quote. Example: “Motivation will almost always beat mere talent.” –Norman R. Augustine
6. April is also Stress Awareness Month. CALL TO ACTION: What do you do to de-stress?
7. CALL TO ACTION: Do you have spring fever?
8. Remind followers and fans that Tax Day is Monday, April 15^th. Some may thank you for this reminder!
9. April 10^th is Golfer’s Day. Post about a local golf course for all your fans who enjoy a good game of golf.
10. Recognize Earth Day on Monday, April 22^nd. You can post about local events and activities to get the community involved.
11. Popular spring insurance policies to promote: motorcycle insurance, RV insurance, watercraft insurance, off-road vehicle insurance, etc.
12. In light of April being National Pecan Month, post a recipe!
13. Remind fans and followers to check in on their insurance policies – this can be a part of their “spring cleaning” strategy! Post a link back to your website, too.
14. Post a quote about spring. We love this one: “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” ―Margaret Atwood
15. Post an article that gives spring cleaning tips. Fans and followers will enjoy this one! (If you have blogged about this, post your blog instead!)

It is easy to forget to log into Facebook and Twitter when the weather is brightening up, but doing so is critical. You do not want to strand your fans and followers this spring! If you are stumped on content, always come back to this page – these ideas are sure to put your brain in a social media state of mind. Happy spring!

Do Emergencies and Social Media Mix?

As an insurance agent, you are dedicated to serving the community with protective products, especially during emergency situations. But how can your customers reach you easily? By phone call? By going to your office? What about through social media? Thinking about easier methods for your clients to reach your services when an emergency arises may help prevent accidents and injuries, as well as provide those in need assistance right away.

Monitoring your social media accounts regularly and often is important in maintaining an engaged audience. This can also help you respond promptly should an emergency arise and someone is looking for help. By having an open door policy when it comes to your Twitter or Facebook account, this can allow your clients to trust your business as well as provide them with ongoing contact, which can improve preparedness should a future crisis occur.


Although fans and followers can utilize social media for support during difficult times, it is important to also encourage them to reach out to officials. If a fire or theft occurs, sending out a Tweet may not help in the moment. Calling 911 and communicating with the local police or fire station can result in immediate help. However, after the situation is dealt with, letting your insurance customers know they can reach out to your agency for claims support can let them know you care about their needs and are available to them all day, every day.

Facebook and smart phones can be handy tools when dealing with emergencies. But certain etiquette should be followed in order to make a bad situation better instead of worse. Let your audience know they should think twice before sending out a message that could cause major panic. Your job as an agent is to keep the situation calm and collected, finding them the best solution possible.

Train your social media team to respond in a professional manner that reinforces trust and loyalty in your agency. If there is a common emergency that occurs in your area, such as flooding, provide the general public with factual information that can help create preparedness strategies. The idea is to enable them, in case of emergency, with all the information required to avoid disaster. As you know, in the insurance world, safety comes first!

Blog Away the Whole Month of May!

Blog away all May – that is our motto here! Keeping up with your blogging schedule may start to get tougher as the months get warmer. However, it must be done! To help you along, we have another 10 topics to tackle.
Without further adieu…
#1: The month of May is National Blood Pressure Month! This will make for a great health insurance post.
#2: Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner. You can blog about the holiday’s history, party safety tips, party ideas and much more.
#3: May 8^th is World Red Cross Day. Dedicate a blog post to this amazing organization. You can share ways that your community can get involved and support a local Red Cross facility.
#4: Many homeowners may begin to clean out their pools for the summer season during this month. Write up a post offering cleaning tips and pool safety. If you want to relate this post to insurance, you can discuss pool liabilities. Example post: The Pros and Cons of a Pool on Your Property
#5: Prom season has arrived! Many parents may be worried about their teen driving to and from the prom. Ease their worries with a helpful post about safe driving tips.
#6: May is National Barbecue Month. It’s time to break out the grill! Hey, not so fast – write a blog about grill safety tips to ensure a safe grilling season for all.
#7: Many young adults are graduating from college. Now is a good time to focus on renters insurance – many may be finding a place of their own instead of moving back home.
#8: Summer weddings will be coming up! Dedicate a blog post to wedding tips, advice and ideas. You can even incorporate your wedding or newlywed insurance solutions.
#9: May 15^th is National Employee Health and Fitness Day. Many businesses take health initiatives serious to keep employees in tip top shape. Consider writing a post that will give business owners ideas to improve health in the workplace and of course, link it to group health benefits and perks!
#10: May 31^st is World No Tobacco Day. This is a great excuse to blog about the harmful effects of tobacco and smoking cigarettes. You can write tips to quit or tie this day into life insurance. Those who smoke will pay a higher premium!
Do you have any genius ideas for May blog posts? We want to hear about them! Be sure to leave us a comment before you head off to write your own post. Also, come back in a few weeks for MAY SOCIAL!

Treating Your Employees and Customers like Family

Do you have a workplace culture that values both your employees and your customers? It is important to show all those that are dedicated to your services that you care about them. So why not treat them like family? Encouraging a family-like atmosphere can allow for more productivity, create warmth in the office, and enhance your overall service.
Wondering how you can learn to treat your employees and clients like family? Here are some principles you can use to lead your team and better support your community:

• Establish open communication by holding regular meetings and having a open door policy with employees. In addition, find reasons to celebrate as a team and ensure all members are included.
• Don’t run your insurance agency like it is made up of robots. Allow your staff to have breaks, recharge, and reconnect as a team. This can be a form of “family time”, which can extend outside of work and into social events.
• Show your agents and customers that you genuinely care about their needs.
• Take the time to listen to everyone, understand their objectives, and help them remain engaged.
• Treat employees fairly and provide them with support so they can feel empowered and confident when serving clients.
• Strive for happy customers and happy employees so a great customer experience can always be delivered from your agency.
• As a leader, you should also take ownership and responsibility for your actions to show everyone is on the same playing field. Being accountable for your own performance can make others feel more comfortable working with you.
• Lead with kindness and intention by having everyone’s back and always offering a helping hand.

Performance is based on a variety of standards, but understanding what it takes for your agency to become a close knit family can translate into satisfied customers. Defining what your company stands for can help establish expectations. These core values should be embraced in order to build a trusted culture that is fair and inviting for customers. Doing so can help operations run more smoothly, efficiently, and feel much more meaningful!

May the Month of May Bring Interesting Social Topics!

New month, new social media topics! I’m here with another round of social media ideas.
1.       Kick off the month of May with a quote! Example: “The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.” -Edwin Way Teale
2.       May the 4th be with you! Post a picture or movie quote for all of your Star Wars fans.
3.       May 4^th CALL TO ACTION: Star Wars or Star Trek? THINK FAST!
4.       Cinco de Mayo deserves a post! Why not post a recipe for one of your favorite Mexican dishes?
5.       What are you blogging about this month? Whatever it is that you are writing about, be sure to share it on your Facebook and Twitter page.
6.       CALL TO ACTION: How are you getting in shape for summer?
7.       Oh, summer love! Summer weddings are very popular. Take this opportunity to showcase your wedding and newlywed insurance packages. Provide a link back to your website!
8.       May 8^th is World Red Cross Day. Be an advocate and promote the organization on your social media pages. You may encourage locals in the community to donate or volunteer this month.
9.       Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12^th! Remind your fans and followers to get their mothers a heartfelt card.
10.   May 16^th is Wear Purple for Peace Day. Your agency can participate in this and encourage others to do the same. Be sure to take pictures around the office and post them, too!
11.   May is National Photograph Month. Take a few artsy pictures around the office and post them on Facebook!
12.   Happy Memorial Day on May 27^th!
13.   Insurance Reminder: Is your boat insured for the summer season? Now would be a good time for clients to check-in. Include a link to your website.
14.   Is your office decorating for spring? Take photos around the office and post them. This is a nice way to give clients and potential clients a sneak peek into your office life. Company culture posts are great!
15.   Since is it National Barbecue Month, post one of your favorite BBQ recipes.

Now that you have the hot topics for the month, it’s time to sign on and get social. If any of your posts receive multiple likes, shares, RTs or hits, be sure to share your success in the comment section. We love to hear about what’s working!

Encouraging Your Insurance Agents to Follow their Passion!

Do you know what your insurance agents are passionate about? If you run an agency that has a family like atmosphere, then you should understand what each person enjoys doing and how that affects their work. Customer service and community building can only be strengthened if everyone on your team is engaged and loves what they do.
Encouraging your agents to follow their passion can help inspire them to continue growing and learning about the industry. As technologies, services, and clients change, it is important to keep track of the goals of the agency and understand how that relates to your employees. Here are some tips to create a climate that will motivate your team to do their best work and follow their dreams in the process:

• Care about the concerns and desires of your employees by taking the time to talk to them.
• Excite your employees by establishing a community vision that has a purpose and clear goal.
• Be a role model by maintaining a positive attitude.
• Communicate with everyone respectfully to continue building strong relationships within the agency.
• Provide employees with the opportunity to be creative. This will challenge them and help them stay motivated.
• Show that you care about your employees’ success by providing them with trainings and opportunities for growth.
• Help everyone find a suitable work/life balance. The last thing you want is for them to become burnt out and struggle with their work.
• Engage their hearts by helping them fulfill their purpose and by showing them appreciation.
• Establishing this kind of connection can help them discover their passion.
• Listen to the ideas and suggestions your team presents to you with an open mind.
• Offer constructive feedback regularly and ask for feedback so everyone can improve.

As a leader, you must be inspiring to your employees. The level of engagement you establish with your agents will help everyone achieve their goals. In addition, your clients will notice the difference and feel much more comfortable working with an insurance agency that is passionate about their work and lives. Discovering what strengths everyone brings to the table can help your business move towards a future that is bright and positive!