Knowing the facts is only the first part of what you’ll need to begin writing your articles.
It’s time to start learning how to write local insurance news in order to draw readers and give them something of value. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve already discussed the reasons that local search SEO can help your insurance business and what you’ll need to get started.
Once you understand why you’re doing it and have the tools in place to get going, you need content!
Of course, if you don’t plan to write local insurance news yourself, then you’ll have lots of assistance from the writer(s) you hire for this task. However, if you are already a skilled writer, have the time to create the articles and/or plan to submit occasional pieces to add to an existing insurance news website instead of adding it to your own news site or blog, you need to know how to create pieces your readers will find helpful.
Therefore, to start, you’ll need to know the following:
- Who are the majority of your readers going to be?
- What is important to that group of readers?
- What do those readers find interesting?
From there, you’ll need to equip yourself to be able to write local insurance news that will be relevant and appealing to your readers. For this, you will need:
- Good sources of information (from local newspapers, blogs, social media feeds)
- An interesting angle (so you’re not just regurgitating news your readers could find elsewhere)
- An active interest in community events and occurrences to address them in your articles.
- Ask people involved in the story for opinions that you can quote in your article.
Once you have the information you need, it’s time to sit down and write local insurance news.
Once you’ve collected all your facts (and double-checked them) and have decided on your angle for writing the piece, it’s time to sit down at your computer and begin to write. Here are the basics to get started:
- Headline – This needs to be concise, easy to understand, interesting, and should use key words from the story itself. It should tell the reader what your article is about, and why they should be interested in reading more. Avoid the temptation to use “click-bait” titles. It will be harmful to the overall impression and reputation of your blog or news site. Many professional writers find it easiest to write the title last.
- Article body – Write your article in a comfortable tone and in your own voice. Remember, you’re representing yourself and giving your own opinions. Don’t try to be someone else. Remember to pay attention to grammar and spelling. Don’t overcomplicate things with big words or run-on sentences as most readers find them unappealing, not impressive. Double-check the spelling of names and places to be sure you’ve written them correctly. Keep in mind that news articles are always written in past-tense, but when you insert your opinions, the present tense is usually better.
- Sub-headings – It may be tempting to write your entire piece as a string of paragraphs but remember that your readers will be viewing your articles online. Adding a couple of relevant subheadings appropriately can help to break up the article, improve the flow and ease of its reading and keep the reader interested.
If writing local insurance news yourself isn’t your cup of tea, hiring a professional online writer experienced in this industry may be more up your alley.
Don’t miss Local Search SEO for Agents Part 4: SEO Basics for Online News, which will be published next Monday. You’ll learn about search engine optimization and how to use simple strategies to be appealing to both your readers and search engines such as Google. This way, you’ll know your article will be placed in front of as many relevant readers as possible. Bookmark this site, follow us on our social media, or – easiest of all – use the “Get More Stuff” form below to 
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