Why Creating Content for Your Agency Builds Authority

Imagine you’re a business owner shopping for workers compensation insurance between two agents. The first agent has a contact page on their company website, and the other agent has produced blog posts and white papers, and conducted webinars demonstrating authority on workers compensation.

Which agent do you choose?

The answer is obvious. But many sales professionals, establishing themselves as an authority by creating content still seems like a crazy idea.

Educational content attracts new prospects and opportunities for your business. Sure, up front it takes hard work and creativity, but it also makes the sales process much easier long-term. As a sales professional, you understand the needs, wants, frustrations and desires of your prospects and clients better than anyone else. It’s up to you to share this knowledge so you can serve more people.

In John Jantsch’s book “Duct Tape Selling,” he describes six things that creating valuable content will do for your business:

• Content is an expectation.
• Content creates awareness.
• Content builds trust.
• Content provides proof.
• Content serves.
• Content is a referral tool.

After five years of creating content, I can provide specific examples of how this works.

As an insurance agent in 2013, I focused a great deal of my time and energy on helping business owners protect their companies from data breaches and other cyber losses by securing cyber liability coverage. This type of insurance and information was still very new and confusing to most business owners. Those who wanted to learn more expected to find content they could use as a resource on this subject.

To help educate and provide insight, I published a series of blog posts on various aspects of cyber liability issues. Prior to creating content online, I had mentioned the need for cyber liability to various prospects and customers, but with no authority. In just a few months, my content began to create awareness.

It wasn’t always the most exciting or uplifting information, but the content I provided built a huge amount of trust with prospects and current customers who were curious about this specific insurance coverage.

I also encountered situations in which a prospect or client received misinformation about a cyber-related insurance issue. Because this was still a new coverage, some agents didn’t have all the facts right. When you create content to share online, you must do your homework. Not only does this advance your learning curve, but creating content serves as proof that you know what you are talking about.

I had one particular client who was curious about the various aspects of cyber liability and data breach. We set up an appointment to go over questions and I also sent them a follow-up with information on cyber risk management ideas. This type of content serves your customers by providing solutions to common problems and frustrations. When someone had a question or concern, I could point them to my blog to address it. This helped to establish me as a resource and an authority in the cyber space.

Trust is never given. Trust is always earned. Purposeful content earns trust.

Bonus: One of the best functions of creating helpful content for your market is the ability for others to share your information instantly. Referrals are a fabulous way to grow your business, but it is often difficult for someone else to highlight your work. Making content available therefore becomes a powerful referral tool. Referral sources like current customers and centers of influence can share not only your name, but your authority instantaneously through the power of the Internet.

The decision to step up to the plate and create content to serve your audience and build your authority is 100% up to you. The bad news is that most of you won’t do it. The good news is that those who do can take advantage of the fact that most won’t.

Brent Kelly is the CEO of BizzGrizz, which helps insurance agencies implement marketing and sales systems to increase profit and productivity.