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We all know we’re supposed to be blogging — it’s one of the most effective ways to attract traffic to your website and generate high-quality leads online.

But when you’re an insurance agent, how do you write posts that people will actually want to read?

Let’s be honest — insurance is not a sexy topic. In fact, as a subject for an entire blog, it's potentially mind-numbing. Most people, if they had a choice, would rather mow their lawn than read about insurance.

But they don't always have that choice. As you know, insurance is something that everybody needs, which means, despite their best efforts, everybody will have to read about it at some point.

So what should I write about?

The answer is actually pretty simple. Write what your customers and prospects need to read.

As an insurance agent, you probably get asked a lot of questions about insurance. Start writing those questions down and answer them in the form of blog posts.

As you brainstorm ideas, you should always be asking yourself, Will my customers think this post is useful? Does it provide the expert guidance and advice they’re searching for?

If you’re answer is a resounding Yes! then you're off to a great start. But just because people need the info doesn't mean they’ll want to read the post. And if nobody reads it, you might as well have never written it.

How do make people want to read my posts?

People typically don’t want to read about insurance because they perceive it as boring. But that’s not the topic’s fault. It’s the writer’s. There are no boring topics, only boring writers.

Give life to your posts.

Look for ways to inject personality and life into your posts and yours will be better than 90% of the other posts out there.

That may sound impossible for a topic like insurance, but it’s really not that hard. Take this post as an example. It’s an article about writing about insurance. It should be a snoozer, right?

But you can tell that the author (that’s me!) is actually enthusiastic about the topic and is not afraid to confront and address the realities of perception.

I know writing about insurance is supposed to be a boring topic. By acknowledging that in a humorous way and offering a new way to look at it, I can keep people reading because I’m sympathizing with my audience as well as providing something useful.

That’s Marketing 101. Prospects want to do business with people who understand their problems. A blog provides a great opportunity for you to show that you “get” them.

Make it easy to read.

Another way to sympathize with your prospects is to make your blog as easy to read and understand as possible. Insurance can be complex subject. It’s your job to make it easy to understand, to empower your prospects.

I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but it bears repeating — write how you talk. A blog is not a place to get fancy with your word choice. It’s a place to communicate with your customers and prospects, and to offer them some much needed info and advice.

Write your posts as if you were speaking to a customer that’s sitting on the other side of your desk. Really try to picture that person and just start writing.

Once you’re done, edit the post to make sure it makes sense and has a logical flow. And use short paragraphs and subheaders to break up the text.

Be the alternative!

Dazzle your customers and prospects with your knowledge and your humanity. Show them that you’re a real person that can help them wade through the confusing world of insurance.

Remember: Insurance is not a boring topic. You know that. It’s the way others write about insurance that makes it boring.

Let your blog be the alternative.