Write out loud

Blogs: electronic diaries with a point Justin Downey, managing director of marketing services firm JDM and Mark Willaman, president of HRMarketer.com, think blogs are a good idea, even for the busy broker. They can be created and maintained for free on sites such as Typepad.com and Blogspot.com. Brokers who start a blog and wish to take it further can pay a minimal fee to add features and functionality. Blog entries don’t have to be long, but they do need to be updated consistently to keep readers coming back. Brokers can blog about employers’ pain points and how to address them. They can write about the latest legislation and how it affects business. They can analyze candidates’ health care plans. They can create a series of blog entries that detail what employers can do in light of rising costs to keep employees happy. As enrollment season nears, they can offer tips for pain-free enrollments. They can even have fun with their blog. As long as it addresses the issues HR buyers and business owners face every day, a blog can be as wide ranging as a broker wishes. Again, brokers should steer clear of outright promotional blog entries; stay on the informational side and become an indispensable resource.