The Today’s Insurance Professionals blog is driven by member-written content. Our goal is to have a new blog post every week. You’ve seen, and hopefully read, articles submitted by ‘The Top Three’ – Sue Quimby, Geraldine Plot and Jonel Thames Leake. But any member can submit a blog post.
I hear you saying, “But I’m not a writer.” To that I say, that’s what editors are for. They help make your work look pretty.
So where do you start?
First, you need a topic. Blog posts can be about the insurance industry, leadership development or ‘inside IAIP’. You know what they say, write what you know.
Have you been to a class recently and learned something new? Are you considered a subject matter expert? Is there a new trend you want more information about? Do some research, then write about what you learned. Are you in a Mastermind Group? Write about your experience. Most importantly chose a topic that interests you.
What do you want to tell your readers about your topic? Try this: Google it and see what pops up under the “People also ask” section. Use that information to create a basic outline of three to five points you want to make.
Next, you need a headline. It should be informational and catch the reader’s attention. “How to” and list-type headlines are most popular. Think about what makes you want to read a certain article or post. Keep the headline short so it’s not cut off when it’s posted: 60 characters is the general rule.
Now that you have a topic and a catchy headline, you’ve got also got a large white space in front of you. How do you fill it? Go back to your topic outline and expand on each point.
Are you providing tips on negotiations? Start with your top tip and go from there. Are you explaining a process? Just start at the beginning. Humor and examples can help explain complex topics.
Don’t worry about how long (or short) your blog is. They can be any length, from 200 to 2,000 words. Use enough words to make your point, but not so many that your readers get lost.
Once you’re done with your initial draft, share it with someone. Another set of eyes can help with the flow and provide you feedback or suggestions on areas that need to be refined a bit more.
The final step is to submit your article to marketing@iaip-ins.org. And don’t forget to include a short bio or byline for yourself so we can give you proper credit.
So, are you up for the challenge? I know you are! And I look forward seeing some new authors in the coming weeks.
Lisa R Hardin, CPCU, CPIW, AIC, AIS, ACS, AINS, SCLA, DAE, CLP is employed by Sentry Insurance as a Commercial Lines Claims Specialist. She’s been a member of IAIP since 1994 and is a Member-at-Large from Wisconsin. Lisa is currently serving as IAIP International Secretary and is the Board Liaison for the Marking & Publications Task Force.